Power of Good

Brighter Minds Brighter Minds W STORy By MARIE lEECH PHOTO By WyNTER ByRd WhEn Mark colEMan talks about issues affecting future employment and workforce development, he is quick to point out that one of the greatest threats to both is the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots. More specifically, between the schools that have money and the schools that don't. "It's beyond just using technology in the classroom, students need to use it to create their own opportunities," said Coleman, district technology instructor for Montgomery Public Schools. "It's not just necessary, I believe it is mandatory. We must prepare students for the jobs of the future." But the budget problems are real, he said, and the state's ever-decreasing allocations to local districts mean that school systems need to be creative about how they provide, teach and use technology. Coleman discussed the importance of integrating technology into the classroom and its effect on students' futures at the Brighter Minds Education Summit in Birmingham. Brighter Minds, Alabama Power Foundation's education initiative, focuses on three critically important areas for preparing children for college and the workforce: Early childhood education; conservation education classes for students who are in fourth grade and above; and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses and workforce development scholarships for high school students. Coleman is one of four panelists who discussed how to prepare Alabama's future workforce. He didn't intend to have a career in the field of technology; just last year he was a social studies teacher in Montgomery's Booker T. Washington Magnet High School. But his interest in technology began more than a decade ago, when he realized technology was quickly changing the classroom but educators seemed to always be playing "catch-up" with it. Coleman decided he wanted to be at the forefront and instead of just using the latest technology in the classroom, he wanted to actually integrate it into his teaching. In 2005, his classes went paperless. Over the years, he encouraged other teachers to have an online presence. He said professional development is an absolute necessity when implementing technology in the classroom. You can't just teach an educator how to use the technology, he said. "You have to show them how they can use the technology to develop and teach lesson plans." That's part of what Coleman's new job is about: training teachers and encouraging them to blog about their classrooms and be active on social media sites. "A worksheet on a computer is still just a worksheet. The only thing you've done is saved a couple of trees," he COLEMAN continued on page 10 8 Mark Coleman is using technology and creativity in innovative ways in the classroom Mark Coleman, pictured below, is the district technology instructor for Montgomery Public Schools. He sees technology as the key to preparing students to join the workforce.

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