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PRESS RELEASE
ABOUT OSPI back to releases train educators in Microsoft Office New economy merits training in industry practices, software OLYMPIA - Feb. 13, 2001 The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has selected the Educator-to-Educator IT Institute (E2E) at Bellevue Community College's Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) to train high school teachers for certification as Microsoft Office User Specialists. The certification, which is highly recommended by OSPI for high school business and information-technology (IT) instructors, would document teachers' proficiency with advanced technical skills that are increasingly vital to their students' future success. In addition to training on Microsoft Office computer programs such as Word and Excel, the program provides training on standardized curriculum, developed by NWCET, for teaching these applications at the high school level. "Washington remains one of the most competitive states for knowledgeable skilled workers who are current and relevant in integrated business-IT skills," said Cindy Agnew, Business & Marketing Pathway Supervisor for OSPI. "As our world becomes more and more technology-focused, we must take steps to ensure our educators have the necessary skills to succeed in the classroom." The Educator-to-Educator IT Institute and OSPI plan to train up to 1,400 business-IT teachers in Washington State. One- and two-day training sessions will be scheduled from March through December 2001 at locations throughout the state. MOUS training/ add 1-1-1 MOUS certification has set the first global standard for desktop productivity. The performance-based certification is intended to validate one's productivity for corporations, academic institutions, staffing agencies and training organizations. "Keeping educators' knowledge and skill levels in line with current industry standards is part of the mission of the Educator-to-Educator Institute," said Bellevue Community College's E2E Director Duncan Burgess, who will direct the program. "The project represents the best of public/private sector relationships in assuring that education is equipped to prepare tomorrow's IT intensive workforce." Two corporations - Boston-based Course Technology, a Thomson Learning Company, and ProsoftTraining.com, of Austin, Tex. - are donating software and other teaching materials to the project. The mission of the NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies at Bellevue Community College is to assist education, business, and government in developing the skilled Information Technology (IT) workforce for the new economy. The Center's Educator-to-Educator Institute (E2E) provides educators at all levels with professional development in the area of information technology. top |