The National Educational Technology Plan

The U.S. Department of Education has published a draft of the National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. The 21st Century learners must be involved in their own learning. They will not be passive learners. Students will use the capabilities of technology to participate fully. The schools must determine what students need to learn, when and where they should learn, how best to teach them, and how to focus these learners using the power of technology. Teachers can collaborate with other teachers using technology and determine the best strategies for teaching and learning. The classrooms will be fully connected to the internet with access to the information and tools to process the information. Teachers will be able to attend professional development sessions without leaving their own classrooms. The plan provides five goals along with recommendations necessary to achieve the five goals. For learning, schools need to adopt standards that reflect 21st century skills and the uses of technology to help achieve mastery of these standards. In assessment, teachers should use technology to increase timely feedback, find ways for both formative and summative evaluations, and protect privacy for these assessments. Teachers must have administrative support and learn to work in collaborative teams. The teachers will use technology for input, curricular information, software and application processes, and for finding other teachers or experts who can help with content or strategies. Schools must have the infrastructure necessary to provide technology and internet access to all stakeholders. The most difficult goal lies in productivity. The plan recommends that education be redefined from the amount of seat time to mastery of the standards. Technology should be used to make sure that all students who leave the school system are ready to apply their knowledge in the work force. The plan also points out that teachers in the American school system are provided less time for professional development and personal learning than teachers in other countries. I think that this is one of our biggest problems. The research has shown that teachers who keep learning and growing are more effective in the classroom. Even knowing what the research says, I don’t think that we will be getting any additional study time for teachers.

United States Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology. Retrieved from: http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf.