"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."
---Edward de Bono, Author & Lecturer

MIU IV School Districts & Classrooms for the Future

Classrooms for the Future is a three-year investment to provide laptop computers, high-speed internet access, multimedia equipment and state-of-the-art software to every high school in Pennsylvania. Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak said, “We’re going to look back and see this investment as the turning point of high school education reform.”

Implementing this technology into the curriculum is a way of making adjustments in education to accommodate the changes in society. It opens an enormous amount of windows to the outside world, captures the imagination of students and prepares them to succeed with 21 st century skills.

Locally, 12 school districts are pioneering the Classrooms for the Future initiative. At the heart of this program is professional development and using in-house faculty coaches to help change teaching practices and support the effective use of technology in the classroom.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education website has created a collaborative environment to support teachers throughout the implementation of Classrooms for the Future. With access to dynamic resources such as lesson plans, classroom activities, reports and numerous links to related organizations, this website provides extensive, curriculum-specific options.

For parents and citizens interested in learning about CFF and seeing the technology used in classrooms, the Multimedia section presents videos and audio interviews from teachers and students of participating schools from the 1 st year of the program. Video examples: Governor Rendell Welcome Message for CFF 2007; CFF Success Stories; Flip the Switch; Classrooms for the Future; Kutztown H.S. and Greater Latrobe H.S.

Locally, the MIU IV has issued a press release and expanded the website with 2 new sections: Telling Your Story, will featuring student & teacher-produced videos from each of the 12 school districts participating in CFF. In coming months, they will develop their own unique storyline and narrate the personal impact of this technology in their classrooms today.

Painting the Big Picture, has a different focus from the PDE website and relates articles and videos that explore global issues, explain recent teen behavior studies, and convey the viewpoints of current authors and experts on the future trends of technology-driven education.


Download media release.

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Classrooms for the Future Coaches

Kathe Santillo
Butler Area
Stephen Franz
Farrell Area
Ron Myers
Greenville Area
Kelly Terwilliger
Karns City Area
Paula Vogler
Laurel Area
Tracy Sevin
Mercer Area
Joseph DiMuccio
Mohawk Area
Laura Cipriano
Neshannock Twp.
James Payne
New Castle Area
James Spatara
Reynolds Area
Alan Hough
Sharon Area
Brenda Taylor
Slippery Rock Area
Parke Wentling
Wilmington Area

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Web:
Virginia Moore, Director, Communications, MIU IV

Research:
Regina Cole, AmeriCorps, Communications, MIU IV

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