By Kelly Lucas
Campus Editor

Students graduating with a degree in education from Purdue will be able to boast of their technological proficiency compared to education graduates from other institutions.

Marilyn Haring, dean of the School of Education, has been an advocate for the STaR (School Technology and Readiness) Chart goals program, a program to ensure that teachers entering the classroom are technologically proficient.

James Lehman, co-director of education technology in the department of curriculum instruction for the School of Education, said Purdue just became aware of the STaR chart goals this semester while preparing a major proposal for funding submitted to the U.S. Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology grant program. The STaR chart, created by the CEO Forum on Education and Technology, was published in January.

"We began looking at the STaR chart in conjunction with a grant proposal," said Lehman. "If funded, this project will allow us to accelerate on-going efforts to fully integrate technology education as part of the reformed teacher education programs here at Purdue."

President Bill Clinton addressed the STaR chart goals in his April 17 speech at the Comdex technology show in Chicago.

"We provide $150 million to train new teachers to use technology in the classroom, so that they aren't repeatedly embarrassed by their students knowing more than they do — and so that they can actually make the most of it," said Clinton in his speech.

According to Lehman, the STaR chart provides institutional guidelines with respect to the integration of technology teacher preparation for colleges of education.

"It is a self-assessment instrument designed to let colleges of education judge how they are doing," said Lehman. "In some areas we know we're already doing pretty well."

Lehman said Purdue already meets the highest level of "strategic planning incorporating technology."

"Purdue already meets the highest level of this indicator by virtue of the fact that technology has been a key component of the School of Education Strategic Plan since its inception, and technology is viewed as a key factor for the success of the school," said Lehman. "For other indicators, we still have progress to make. We are committed to achieving the highest levels for all of the indicators on the STaR chart."

Students in the School of Education are required to take the two-credit course EDCI 270, "Introduction to Educational Technology and Computing" and are encouraged to take the accompanying one-credit course EDCI 271, "Classroom Applications of Educational Technology." All education majors are required to take EDCI 270 but not EDCI 271.

"In addition to these specific courses, technology is an overt thread that runs throughout the new teacher preparation programs," said Lehman. "All courses are required to address this thread through classroom activities, student assignments, and so forth. So, technology does not stop with EDCI 270 and 271; it just starts there.

"What we are in the process of doing now, and what we hope funding from our (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology) grant proposal will allow us to do more quickly," he said, "is to fully articulate the use of technology throughout the teacher preparation program. We know where we want to go, we just haven't determined all of the details yet."

Haring said, "I'm extremely proud of the faculty in the School of Education who have set their goals so high and are moving swiftly to implement them."

Lehman said administrators in the School of Education are looking at several important components: technology as a tool that education students use to learn about teaching and learning; technology as a tool for communication and collaboration; and technology for the construction of electronic portfolios that students can develop and use to both learn and to document their knowledge, skills and dispositions.