Colleagues,
I am honored to become the moderator for the LINCS Community of Practice for Correctional and Reentry Education. I have worked in adult literacy education for over 20 years and the last several years, I have with correctional facilities throughout the country, I'd like to being our discussions with a conversation about the state of corrections education. I invite you to review this LINCS resource, How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? The Results of a Comprehensive Evaluation . Beyond the consensus of the direct benefit of corrections education, the report questions where the gaps in our knowledge about corrections education will lead in future innovation.
I would like to draw your attention to the following statement from the report:
Use of Information Technology One of the major trends that will shape the future of work in the 21st century is the growing role of information technology in society, with technological change resulting in an increased demand for a skilled workforce (Karoly, 2013). Further, distance learning and online instruction are growing trends in the United States, with increasingly more educational courses being offered online by either colleges or virtual high schools. Computer-assisted instruction is also appealing in offering the opportunity to tailor instruction and coursework to the needs of the individual student. The importance of computing skills for today’s job market is recognized by state correctional education directors, as reflected by the fact that 24 states reported offering a Microsoft Office certification as part of their vocational education/CTE programs. However, our survey results indicate that the role of computer technology in correctional education is a mixed story. We found that the use of computers for instructional purposes is common, with 39 states reporting the use of desktop computers (either standalone or networked) and 17 states reporting the use of laptops. However, access to the Internet and the use of Internet-based instruction (one-way or interactive) is reported to be limited in states’ correctional facilities. Thirty states reported that only teachers and instructors have access to live Internet technology. In 26 states, xx How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? inmate students lack access to any Internet technology, and in only 16 states do inmate students have access to simulated Internet programs. In terms of instructional methods that use some type of technology, only ten states reported that they had closed-circuit television, and only a few states reported using it to provide one-way or interactive video/satellite instruction.
I would love to begin my first discussion as the moderator of this group with the question about integrating technology in the corrections classroom. What are the challenges? What innovation are you seeing? What concerns do you have?
Sincerely,
Kathy Tracey
@Kathy_Tracey