Students participate in a videoconference discussion about technology in schools with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Seventh-grade computer experts from the East-West School of International Studies got to chat with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this week.
The eight students are part of the Queens school’s Mouse Squad, a group through which students learn about computer technology and put their knowledge to use by repairing and maintaining school computers. Mouse Squad members participated in an online video town hall forum with Secretary Duncan and other students from around the country to brainstorm ideas for improving schools nationwide.
Siliang Chen, an East-West Mouse Squad member, even got to pose a question to the Secretary, asking, “How can we as students get more access to technology since it is so important in the real world?”
Secretary Duncan agreed with Mouse Squad students that technology is an important part of any curriculum, and said that future spending in education would include money for technology in schools.
Chen said he was "excited and nervous" when talking on the phone with Secretary Duncan. He added that he likes Mouse Squad because it gives him a chance to help teachers and because he loves learning about and fixing computers.
Principal Ben Sherman said that Mouse Squad students are helping the school incorporate technology in exciting ways. Besides spending time learning new skills before and after school with their advisor, Karen Widelec, Squad members are each responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting the computers in an assigned classroom. In their classes, students at the tech-savvy school also download podcasts, blog and complete assignments online, and record and upload tracks of themselves speaking for their foreign language classes.
“We don’t know what technology will look like in our students’ future, but we know there will be technology,” said Sherman. “We need to continue to train them to be comfortable using technology. And more importantly, we need to teach our students to learn how to learn so that they understand whatever new system is out there.”
“These kids know so much about computers. They really teach each other—they even teach me!” Widelec said. If you have a school story you'd like to share, e-mail us at MyStory@schools.nyc.gov.
Please include a photo with your story. Photos of students require a signed media consent form, which you can email to the above address or fax to (212) 374-5584.