MAD HATTER 9

 

Provincial Advisory Committee on Computers
Announcement f
CONTACT: John Roche
387-4611

Educators, public invited to make presentations to computer advisory group

The Ministry of Education's Professional Advisory Committee On Computers
(PACC), appointed in July, will be visiting school districts across the
province next month to gather information and ideas on how computer technology
should be integrated into British Columbia schools during the next decade.

The Committee has been asked to draft a long-range policy statement on the
instructional use of computers in schools; to determine how computers can be
used more effectively to enhance students' education; to propose standards for
the purchase and development of instructional software based on national and
international standards; to examine and make recommendations on the process of
integrating computers into the curriculum; to set guidelines for a provincial
teacher training plan; and to recommend a timetable, priorities, and phase-in
plan for integrating computers into the instructional program.

The Committee, with representatives from the Ministry, the B.C. Systems
Corporation, the University of Victoria, the Business Council of British
Columbia, the B.C. School Trustees Association, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation,
the B.C. School Superintendents and the B.C. Computer Education Committee, has
completed the planning phase of its activities and will split into teams in
late October to begin gathering input from across the province. School
superintendents will be asked to assist the Committee in organizing meetings
where students, teachers, administrators, members of the public and local
hardware and software vendors can present oral or written briefs related to the
Committee's terms of reference. Major hardware and software vendors will be
invited to make presentations to the Committee in January 1987. A list of
questions related to the terms of reference of the Committee have been
developed to stimulate discussion. They will be circulated in advance of the
school district visits. The visits will be completed by the end of November.

Persons wishing more information on the timetable for regional meetings
should contact their local school district office.
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