Detriot Public Schools has gone digital - at least with their science curriculum. Scott Aronowitz's article Detroit Takes Science Education Digital appeared in The Journal on November 12, 2010 covering this ground breaking news for the school and for the teachers. Over the summer, over 200 middle and highschool science educators in the Detroit Public Schools underwent intensive training on implementing digitized science curriculum into their classrooms. "They prepared to integrate the extensive audiovisual and other digital content offered by the company's services, streaming and Discovery Education Science (DES), into their regular curriculum." (Aronowitz, 2010)
Detroit Public School's master facility plan includes an "academic rebirth." Per Barbara Byrd-Bennett, DPS chief academic and accountability auditor, 'The process of rebirth includes changing the way we engage students in learning. Student's today are different. They inhabit a digital world.' (Aronowitz, 2010)
Engaging today's student isn't all about the student, it is about the educator as well to be open to new experiences. "Sherry Ulery, deputy chief of academic affairs for DPS. 'After witnessing the growth of our teaching staff this summer and [seeing] the positive impact our efforts to incorporate digital content into our curriculum have had on student engagement, I can say that this initial step towards a digital curriculum is good for the kids.' (Aronowitz, 2010)
Bravo, Detroit Public Schools!!!! I applaude the efforts of this school system, and the efforts of all the educators who gave up their summer to immerse themselves in how to engage students in this type of curriculum. Thank you for recognizing that we cannot teach today's students they way that we were taught. Although we will never catch up to them technology wise, we can try and draw kids into today's curriculum by engaging them with what they already know.
Detroit Takes Science Education Digital. Scott Aronowitz. The Journal. 11/12/10. Retrieved 11/15/10.
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