The release of the National Educational Technology Plan by the U.S. Department of Education entitled "Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology", was a very interesting read. The goals of the plan were very simple and consisted of 5 recommendations for states and districts to follow in various areas of education.
The area's I would like to touch on are the area's of learning and teaching. Under the area of Learning, the goal is that all learners will have engaged and empowering experiences both in school and outside the walls of the school. These experiences should allow the students to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and have ethical participation in our global network society. All of the goals were basically saying to use technology to enhance the learning of the students. Teachers need to have the ability to integrate technological advancements to improve student learning not only at the school but at home or anywhere. The biggest suggestion was to use the advancements in technology to improve and develop learning, as well as evaluate learning in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The area of Teaching was also very interesting. The goal talked about educators being supported by technology that will connect the teachers to data, content, and resources to provide better teaching for our students. I have to agree with several things said in the plan. Most teachers still work alone and do not use the available resources that are out there. Too many teachers are set in their ways and do not use the available technology to improve their instruction methods and materials. Giving teachers the opportunity to collaborate on a professional social network is a great idea for teachers to share ideas and improve teacher learning. Also, continual staff development over technology is an integral part of the plan. Showing teachers ways to collaborate while using technology is a great way to improve student learning. The biggest challenge in the plan is getting the experienced teachers to buy into the technology issues. Most older teachers are intimidated by today's technology.
Source "Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, Draft National Educational Technology Plan 2010"
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
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