ODYSSEYWARE

Although education spending ideally should not cause a school to bust their budget, we all know that the realities of finite budgets in these economic times inevitably lead to hard choices for schools.  The OdysseyWare blog has consistently argued, however, that technology should not be viewed as a luxury to be saved for better days fiscally, but rather should be an essential component toward a more frugal curriculum, actually saving schools money. We don’t need to belabor the point further.  It is being proven out, though, as we see so many schools making it a priority to expand their technology budgets in spite of budget constraints. That is why students at Goshen Local Schools in Ohio will soon see iPods and Wiki-based blogs as new components of their online curriculum.  From Cincinnati.com:

Despite budgets so tight some teaching jobs go unfilled, public and private schools are finding ways to fund technology upgrades.

Educators believe it’s mandatory that teachers and students alike have to be well-versed in high tech. Says Darrell Edwards, a Goshen principal:

“We have to prepare [students] for…the tools they’ll use in college and in the workplace,”

The goal of this enhanced effort to purchase technology is to bring students into a 21st century mentality that focuses on dynamic, fast-paced technologies prevalent in the global economy yet largely absent in the typical classroom.  Although city-based schools typically have wider access to technology, rural schools such as Goshen are more limited, and so concerted efforts such as these are necessary to keep pace with students not only in more populated parts of the country but globally as well.  Congratulations to the administrators, teachers and students at Goshen!