March 06, 2006
March 6, 2006
LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today joined Microsoft in announcing a grant that will create an online course to help Michigan students understand how the new global economy will impact their work lives and their career opportunities.
The course, which will be provided to Michigan schools at no cost, will allow students to meet the requirement for an online learning experience contained in the new high school core curriculum proposed by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan and approved by the State Board of Education (DOE).
“This course is an incredible two-fer” Granholm said. “It will help our students understand how to thrive in a changing economy, and it will teach them how to learn on-line, something they will need to do throughout their work lives.”
The Governor also highlighted the considerable progress Michigan teachers and students are making as a result of new training tools aimed at meeting No Child Left Behind requirements and enhanced career development programs for high school students statewide. The creation of new online materials, developed through the state’s ongoing partnership with Microsoft, have allowed more than 2,700 teachers to be trained to meet Michigan’s Grade Level Content Expectation requirements, increasing the rigor of instruction for students and providing a successful framework for teacher development.
The Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Virtual University are collaborating to develop the online course, “Career Development in a Global Economy,” through a $350,000 grant from Microsoft’s Partners in Learning program. Beginning in the 2006-2007 school year, the course will help students learn how the global economy is changing the nature of work in the United States and the importance of being an entrepreneur, whether by starting your own business or working in new ways in large corporations and organizations. The course will also give students greater ability to use the Internet as a communication and learning tool.
“Microsoft is thrilled to continue to provide support for these technology initiatives that will help Michigan schools advance their education goals and meet the needs of their students, teachers, and future workforce,” said Linda Zecher, vice president of Microsoft U.S. Public Sector. “By helping defray the costs associated with developing online curricula and tools, we hope to empower students with a modern academic environment and enable them to advance their education with a positive online learning experience.”
Governor Granholm called on Superintendent Flanagan and the State Board of Education to develop the new high school curriculum requirements last fall. By unanimous vote, the State Board of Education approved the required core curriculum in December. Granholm has urged the Legislature to act quickly to put the curriculum requirements in place for the 2006-2007 school year.
In addition to the online learning requirement, the new curriculum requirements will give Michigan a highly educated, highly skilled workforce by requiring all students to complete rigorous courses, including four credits of math and English language arts and three credits of science. Currently, Michigan high school students are required to complete only a one semester civics course in order to graduate.
In addition to this initiative, Microsoft Partners in Learning and the Michigan Department of Education are announcing funding and support for an innovative new program called MI LIFE (Michigan Leadership Improvement Framework). The program will grow statewide capacity for providing leadership training to increase student achievement in schools identified for improvement. This program will engage with organizations across the state to align with the leadership goals of the DOE, support curriculum development for the program, establish training best practices, and help build leadership learning modules and resources for schools.
Michigan is in the second full year of a five-year partnership with Microsoft, first announced by Governor Granholm in 2004, that commits up to $4 million in support for educational innovation in Michigan. Microsoft Partners in Learning seeks to address the digital inclusion issues facing education today by facilitating access to technology and training. Microsoft recognizes the need for students, teachers, and administrators to not only master the technical skills needed to use technology successfully but also to understand how technology can be integrated throughout the academic environment to help make teaching and learning more rewarding for teachers and students.
