Guest Commentary: West Virigina Students Need Cutting Edge Technology

Priscilla Haden is president of West Virginia's State Board of Education. She is a staunch supporter of bringing technology and innovative teaching techniques into the classroom. In an opinion piece written for the Gazette-Mail, Haden said, "While we have been blessed in West Virginia to have forward-thinking leaders who saw the value and the need for putting technology in our schools, the time has come for us to further invest in technology hardware, software and infrastructure expansion.
"Most offices and places of business could not operate even one day without digital technology. Yet that is what some advocate for our students. We cannot afford to not provide teachers and students with the tools they need for global learning. They must have the infrastructure and devices, including wireless laptops or comparable devices," she continued.
Haden is also frustrated by, "the fact that not one current social studies textbook provider offers a textbook that meets the new, more rigorous West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives. West Virginia is committed to providing learning through access to high quality, interactive, engaging digital social studies content and 21st century skills whether a text is available or not."
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