Preparing Student for College and Beyond

Ensuring students are college and career ready is no easy task and requires a blend of academic, technical, and employable skills, as well as the ability to apply these skills outside of the classroom. While there is no single tool to solve a complex issue like college preparation, many school districts, including Forest Hills Public Schools, are turning to technology to solve part of the puzzle.

Forest Hills schools are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The district employs more than 700 teachers, who in turn educate more than 10,000 students. Like many districts, Forest Hills focuses on preparing their students for college, for careers, and for life. With this emphasis, the district takes special care to help teachers create conditions in the classroom that students will face after they graduate. One way Forest Hills is accomplishing this is through implementing digital resources across the district.

The Challenge

One of the major challenges schools face today is preparing students for a future that could be anything—many of the jobs students will acquire in the future haven’t even been dreamed of yet.

"Students today have to prepare themselves for a world that is highly dynamic when we think of the economy, jobs, and the marketplace as a whole," said Dan Behm, superintendent, Forest Hills Public Schools. "We are preparing kids today for careers that haven't yet been created. We strive to give our students the knowledge and skills they need to take on the challenges they will face in life."

The knowledge and skills Dan refers to are 21st century skills, which commonly include collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Forest Hills teachers and administrators have identified technology as an important way to help students develop these skills. TechSmith Relay is one of the many digital resources Forest Hills has invested in to give students the opportunity to work with new and creative tools.

However, the district did not want students using digital resources ad hoc. To make the most of their digital investments, the Forest Hills district relies on the creativity of their teachers and technology integration team.

The Solution

Teachers around the district have begun using a number of digital resources, including TechSmith Relay, and the accompanying app, TechSmith Fuse, in their classrooms. Kris Schrotenboer and Stephen Labenz, who respectively teach Language Arts and Social Studies, use TechSmith tools to incorporate 21st century skills into class projects.

Kris and Stephen often require students to form small groups and collaborate on projects, including creating videos with TechSmith Relay. Students are given a number of digital resources to use when researching topics before recording presentations together with TechSmith tools.

“We want to get students out of their comfort zone,” said Stephen. “At the beginning of my classes, I make sure students know it's not going to be a class where they avoid being called upon. Technology is a gateway for feeling more comfortable with the class for some kids.”

In one Language Arts class, Kris asked students to use digital resources to research colleges and universities they might want to attend after graduating high school. Blending technology seamlessly into the project, students were then asked to use TechSmith Fuse, along with their creativity, to record a mock video application for their future school.

“I just spoke with a student that's going to Grand Valley State University,” said Stephen. “He told me all of his work is done through Google Docs. The faster we can get students up to speed on that, the better we're going to be.”

The Results

By showing students how to use digital resources responsibly, and allowing them to integrate the tools they already use outside of school in lessons, Forest Hills faculty has created an environment in which students can explore 21st century skills without even realizing it.

“My students keep all of their work in online portfolios throughout the semester,” said Kris. “Their portfolios are accessible to them at any time, regardless of their location. Dogs are no longer eating homework in my classroom. Instead, students are learning that they’re held accountable for their work. Technology enables that level of accountability so that students realize their work is on display for me, all of the time, and it counts, all of the time.”

Beyond giving students access to the tools they will use outside of the classroom, educators and administrators at Forest Hills aim to give their students the confidence to seek out information on their own.

“When my students leave this building, I want them ready to take on whatever challenges they're going to face," said Steve Passinault, principal, Forest Hills Central High School. "We talk about college readiness, but it goes beyond that. We’re preparing students for careers; we’re preparing students for life. We’re giving students the skills they will need to relate to people and the world, but also the technical skills and the intellect to do whatever they want to do, to the very best of their ability."

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