My Review of the National Educational Technology Plan

Many of us have heard about the new National Education Technology Plan, but do not know exactly what it entails. I accessed the plan from http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010 and carefully read over the documenation.The plan recognizes the fact that education is the key to the success of the growth and prosperity of our global economy.

This is a five year action plan with two primary goals. Goal 1 is to increase the number of college graduates and Goal 2 is to make sure that all high school students are college ready. This new plan recognizes the value of technology in achieving the goals. “Technology-based learning and assessment systems will be pivotal in improving student learning and generating data that can be used to continuously improve the education system at all levels,” the draft plan states. “Technology will help us execute collaborative teaching strategies combined with professional learning that better prepare and enhance educators’ competencies and expertise over the course of their careers.”

The draft plan covers kindergarten through high school education and focuses on technology for learning, teaching, assessment and productivity. Students should be taught to use computers and software for personalized learning experiences and teachers should ensure their knowledge and methods are up to date in order for the students to succeed in this technological world. Teachers need to understand that technology has the power to reach all learners anywhere at anytime. Districts should provide online access and social networking communities to help understand and implement new interactive technologies in the classroom. Professional development is a key element in helping the teachers become successful with technology.

Proper infrastructure in a school district is required in order to help students compete in this technological world and then to in turn meet the two goals set by the National Educational Technology Plan.  All schools will need to provide sufficient access to the internet and adequate wireless connectivity in and out of school. 

I do applaud the effort in the plan to increase college readiness for all students. Tackling the issue of the increasing high school drop rate is an enormous project in itself.  While technology is a facilitator in the classroom, it is not the sole solution for improvement in the classroom. District leaders need to be ready to address the underlying issues of students dropping out of school, whether it is for discipline or socio-economical reasons. In conclusion, the National Educational Technology Plan is a great start to addressing college readiness in the United States.
 

National Education Technology Plan 2010.  

Standards. (2010). Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx

Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010