Blog #3

According to the National Educational Technology Plan by the Office of Educational Technology U.S. Department of Education, “Technology is at the core of virtually every aspect of our daily lives and work; we must leverage it to provide engaging and powerful learning experiences, content, and resources and assessments that measure student achievement in more complete, authentic, and meaningful ways. 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.” (Office of Educational Technology U.S. Department of Education, March 5, 2010) This quote clearly outlines why this technology plan is needed in today’s world. This plan has five major sections and goals with recommendations for states, districts, federal government, and other stakeholders in our education system. It addresses learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. The first section of this plan is learning. Learning is at the core of this plan and it suggests that all learners be exposed to engaging lessons and empowering experiences within the classroom. The learning that takes place in our schools needs to well-rounded and comprehensive enough to prepare students to be able to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical in making decisions that are influenced by technology. Students need to be exposed to learning that prepares them for the 21st Century and all the demands that it entails. Teachers have a job to ensure that lessons are well prepared and meet the needs of all students. It is imperative that teachers put the student at the center of that learning. The next section focuses on Assessment. Assessment is vital in ensuring that the learning is meaningful and impacting students who are experiencing the learning. In this plan, it is the main goal that assessment be a driving force to help ensure that learning aligns with the knowledge students need in order to be successful in today’s world. According to The National Educational Technology Plan, “Our educational system at all levels will leverage the power of technology to measure what matters and use assessments data for continuous improvement.” (Office of Educational Technology U.S. Department of Education, March 5, 2010) Data is the driving force to ensure students are receiving the best education possible. Today, data drives instruction. The next section is Teaching. Teaching needs to center around the learner and provide students with essential lessons in order to mold their success in the classroom. Teaching today is not a “one size fits all lesson”, it is necessary to differentiate lessons and personalize lessons to meet the needs of all students. It is imperative that teachers collaborate with others in order to brainstorm new and innovative ways of teaching. A major goal of this section is to allow professional educators to have support in the areas of technology through learning experiences, professional development, collaboration, and exposure to data and resources that will help empower and inspire more effective learning for students and teachers. The next section is Infrastructure, which provides an outline of what educators have access to in order to carry out their job. There is always improvement needed in creating a solid infrastructure of technologies used for learning. The first step is looking at removing barriers, and overcoming fears of using different technologies in the classroom. This can be helped by providing training and allowing teachers ample time to embrace new technologies. As leaders, we need to revise and improve the infrastructure on an annual basis to ensure the success of all staff members and students. It is vital that all students and staff be exposed to a comprehensive well developed infrastructure for learning at all times. Last, Productivity centers on the idea that schools need to embrace and take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning. It is necessary that school utilize staff, money and time in an effective manner in order to provide the best education to all students. Overall, the above goals and overviews of the main sections outlined in The National Education Technology Plan is a very proactive approach in ensuring that technology is up-to date and teachers are exposed to innovative ways to utilize technology in today’s learning.

National Educational Technology Plan, March 5, 2010. http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf