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ICT Literacy Summit Promotes Technology Education

New basic literacy is discussed at summit by leaders in education, government and business.


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Participants at the 2003 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Literacy Summit began to outline a course of action for building a "new basic literacy" for the 21st century aimed at addressing the growing need for highly skilled, trained and educated individuals.

"Because technology has become so imbedded in the way the world does business, the difference between a technology company and a nontechnology company has virtually disappeared," said Karen Bruett, Dell's public-sector director of marketing and business development. "We believe we need to accelerate the adoption of technology into our educational system so that our students can be even better prepared for the work they'll be asked to accomplish in the future,"

Leaders at the 2003 ICT Literacy Summit discussed the importance of a high-quality education with basic skills (reading, writing, math and problem solving), but stressed the need for building these skills with 21st century tools. They acknowledged that students without access to a technology enriched education are left out -- or at a bare minimum, left behind -- and merely providing access to the hardware and the connections is not enough. The summit was an opportunity for leading executives, educators and policy-makers form the United States and participating nations to influence the policies that will shape this new basic literacy.

"A new basic literacy will encourage students to become fluent in traditional core education subject areas as well as have a mastery of technical skills. ICT literacy is a balance between both," explained Brenda Kempster, president of Kempster Group, a consulting practice on ICT literacy issues and organizer of the event.

"ICT literacy means using digital technology, communications tools and/or networks to effectively participate in the 21st century," said Kurt Landgraf, CEO of ETS. "In order for all of us to fulfill our social and economic goals, we must take steps to build a new basic literacy that will support all individuals as they compete in the digital marketplace."

The dialogue at the summit also covered the economic impact of ICT literacy. Participants stressed the need to prepare tomorrow's work force with skills, knowledge and information necessary to compete in the global marketplace. They also suggested that without highly skilled and trained workers, the global economy may be stifled.

"Technology literacy is essential in today's digital world. To be successful in the global economy, we need not only a highly skilled work force, but the leadership to bring the benefits of technology literacy to communities around the world," said Chris Rooney, president of AT&T government solutions.

All discussions and follow-up activities from the 2003 ICT Literacy Summit will be archived at the ICT Literacy Web site. The ICT Literacy Web site provides a rich, centralized online repository of ICT Literacy resources and links to facilitate ongoing involvement of educators, business representatives and policy-makers throughout the United States and other participating countries.

Several government agencies participated in the summit. including the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Organization of American States, and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

-- Kempster Group