Carroll County Times Articles
Technology in the Workplace and the Classroom
by Tim Karr – May 21, 2006
The one constant that is evident in almost all businesses is a need to keep current with the rapid explosion of new technology. This need covers not only the ability to learn and operate these new advances, but also a need to have a personal skill set that allows for adaptability and flexibility. Employees involved with high-technology systems need formal and knowledge-intensive skills. The traditional methods of shop floor education, learning by doing from other skilled operators, or from the equipment supplier are becoming increasingly inefficient. Traditional classroom training has proven to be lacking as well. In this quick-change environment, the valuable employee is one who is flexible, can adapt, and who possesses the skill sets necessary to embrace the technological changes.
Are Today's Schools Equipped?
The question is: Are today's schools equipped to teach the future workforce these necessary skill sets and attitudes? Students need to focus on the acquisition of broad learning skills to increase their ability to make a contribution toward new thinking. However, schools have a continued focus on the learning of specific facts and figures. In this new increasingly technical environment, there needs to be in place a new system that would educate all children, not just those that can readily adapt, one that would put more emphasis on thinking skills.
Global Competitiveness
Labor market problems often result from a lack of training to adapt to effects of changes in technology. American educators must strive to actively involve all students in the necessary technologies in order to sustain America's global competitiveness. Much of this technological background can be achieved by exposing the students to computer technology. Here in Carroll County, the Carroll Technology Council has instituted a program called CompuKids. In this program, donated computers are reformatted and given to needy students in the area. Along with the computer, Carroll County Library offers the family a free one-year Internet access and Carroll Community College offers a basic computer class to an adult in the family. This program gives students the ability to have access to computers at home, where they can use it to do research and schoolwork to keep pace with their peers.
Technological Advances
Technological advances are being incorporated in the classroom with the concept of a virtual environment. By utilizing virtual classrooms, students are able to develop an important set of communication skills and to expand their understanding of how technology is changing both business communication and the business environment. It allows students to see variances between face-to-face and virtual environments, and how they themselves can become active professional participants in a virtual workplace.
Computer Literacy is Paramount
The technology revolution of introducing computers into education at all levels, along with the use of the Internet, is one of the biggest educational changes in recent decades. This is an essential shift, since education should be an integral part of the preparation of students for the business environment. To prepare students to prosper in tomorrow's workplace, it is now more imperative than ever to look to the job demands of tomorrow and design an educational policy more suited to those conditions. Computer literacy is paramount and fits neatly into this design. It is a marketable skill unto itself. We need to emphasize the technological skill sets that will allow our students to achieve their rightful success in our new global marketplace.
About the Author
Tim Karr is the Career Connections Coordinator for South Carroll High School, and an advisor for the Carroll Technology Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating businesses, government and residents about technology issues. Questions are welcomed and may be addressed in future articles. Email advisors@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org for a list of Advisor categories.
