college of education | fall 1998

'Computer Klubhouses' Will Pave Way for Learning

Michigan State University’s College of Education and a consortium of nine school districts in the state have been awarded a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

In what is considered a pioneering strategy that seeks to deal with some of the most pressing problems of the nine urban and rural districts in the consortium, the network of middle schools will establish "computer clubhouses" in an effort to use technology in way that will inspire students to achieve.

President Bill Clinton announced the grant award along with 97 others throughout the United States. The U.S. Department of Education received nearly 2,000 applications for grant funding through its 21^st Century Community Learning Centers Program.

The nine school districts, many of which have a high percentages of at-risk students, are Armada (Macomb County), Baldwin (Lake County), Cass City (Tuscola), DeTour (Chippewa), Detroit (Wayne), Gerrish-Higgins (Roscommon), Kaleva-Norman-Dickson (Manistee), Jackson (Jackson), and Lansing (Ingham).

The two-year grant money will provide funding for the creation of a network of Michigan middle schools that will house 10 of what the consortium calls computer clubhouses. Detroit will have two clubhouses.

The clubhouse concept is a powerful intervention strategy for students at-risk of failing in school by tapping technology as a proven medium to improve student achievement in all areas, and especially in reading and writing.

The clubhouses also will be venues where the young people will develop the necessary technological expertise to not only serve their communities, but also serve as mentors, tutors, technicians, and ambassadors to their peers, teachers, and communities.

For Yong Zhao, assistant professor in the departments of teacher education and counseling, educational psychology and special education, the clubhouse concept can use the power of the World Wide Web and the community to make a difference in the lives of students.

The project hopes to achieve four goals:

• increase student engagement in learning through the use of computers and computer-related technology in safe, positive environments

• provide meaningful, integrated, and authentic learning opportunities through service learning

• foster the capacity of collaboration among students, schools, and communities among the project partners and their communities, and

• develop an innovative model of statewide collaboration for building student and staff capacity through the sharing of resources.

MSU’s College of Education will provide leadership, coordination, and technological support.

Although the 10 sites will have similar structures and activities, each clubhouse will reflect local creativity in meeting specific needs.

http://www.klick.org

Back to Contents