Overview of the National Educational Technology Plan

A 21^st century classroom requires students to have more power over their own learning. They need to be able to engage in the same types of activities in school that they choose to explore outside of school. To meet the goals of the National Educational Technology Plan, which include having a majority of the population having a 2-year or 4-year degree, and closing the achievement gap that would allow every student the opportunity to graduate from high school with the skills needed to succeed in college or a career, students have to develop a new style of learning that will empower them to be successful in this changing, global, digital society.

The whole framework of education needs to be evaluated. There will still be standards that are enforced, but critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration will be a part of their everyday learning environment. Digital communications will be a large part of their learning.

Students need to be taught how to use technology tools to help them decipher data, design original projects, collaborate with other students, and complete project based assignments. To do this, educators and administrators need to have on-going access to student data and progress. They must learn to determine if students are on track in their learning and how to fill the gaps when students fall behind. The teacher training will need to focus on developing teachers who can becomes a facilitator in the learning process.

Developing the existing, and building a more robust infrastructure is key to the success of this plan. Most of the technology needed exists today, but the infrastructure has to be strong enough to maintain these tools. The U.S. Department of Education is going to lead the effort to bridge the gap in the infrastructure.

The NETP sets in place recommendations for each level of education, federal, states, and districts, focusing on the five components of learning with a focus on technology; Learning, Assessing, Teaching, the Infrastructure, and Productivity.

References:

U.S. 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