Transforming Education and Extending Its Benefits Around the Globe

Transforming education and extending its benefits to communities around the globe is a complex challenge that requires a combination of institutional, cultural, technological and infrastructure changes. This transformation will require innovative and effective partnerships between governments, development organizations, communities and businesses. Technology can play an important role to expand access to learning, to help empower students and teachers, and to enable schools and education systems to be more significant, successful, and adaptive. In order to transcend the partitions of time, distance, and limited resources that often hinder access to education, software can be a powerful instrument for change.

In order to implement change many corporations such as Microsoft have committed to using their expertise, passion for technology, and a network of partnerships to accomplish goals including:
• Broadening access to education by making hardware and software more affordable, increasing access to content and tools through hosted software and services, and building on innovations in accessibility technology to further extend the reach of education to people with disabilities.
• Helping education systems become more efficient and effective by making available technology road maps and software that enable schools to plan and maintain their infrastructure with less complexity and at lower cost.
• Enhancing learning with software tools that help students and teachers more effectively conduct research, prepare reports and presentations, share information and ideas, and collaborate on projects.
• Enabling student-centered learning with a wide variety of software tools and content that accommodates diverse learning styles and help teachers guide students along their own unique path to knowledge.
• Creating connected learning communities where educators can collaborate and share best practices; teachers, students, parents, and school leaders can share information and track student progress; and classrooms can learn from subject experts from around the world.

Technology, coupled with robust teacher training, is the cornerstone of the reforms we instituted in Pennsylvania’s schools to empower educators, enrich instruction and get children ready for the 21st-century work force. (Golden, 2009)

Educational success depends on motivated students. Technology opens up exciting new ways to engage students and immerse them in an instructional environment that ignites their imagination and expands their horizons. In addition, technology allows schools to analyze vast quantities of data to track student progress and inform instruction.
Innovative uses of technology in U.S. classrooms are increasing student achievement and engagement, improving teacher effectiveness and teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. This is the first in a series of hearings the committee will hold to explore how technology-based education tools are transforming American education.

“It’s clear that technology and innovation in the classroom not only helps make lessons come alive for students, but can help them gain the skills needed to compete in a global marketplace,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the committee. “Technology allows teachers to better understand the needs of their students on a real time basis, which in turn can make a dramatic difference in the way teachers teach and students learn.”


Golden, L. Michael (2009) “Transforming Education to Give Every Child Access to Quality 21st-Century Instruction” Retrieved November 1, 2009 from website: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/jan09/01-14MichaelGoldenQA.mspx

“Innovative Education Technologies Can Boost Student Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel” Retrieved November 1, 2009 from website:http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/06/innovative-education-technolog.shtml

“The Education Imperative: Extending the Reach of High-Quality Learning, How technology can help” Retrieved November 1, 2009 from website: http://www.microsoft.com/unlimitedpotential/ict/education.mspx