The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) was developed in response to President Obama’s position that education must change in order for our children to compete in a global workforce and economy. Part of this revolutionary change, requires the integration of technology into the educational environment. To achieve the needed change in education, NETP made recommendations in five major areas: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure and Productivity.
Learning Recommendations:
Revision of learning standards in all areas to exploit the use of technology for learning, especially in the areas of collaboration, is one of the major recommendations. This, along with the use of learning studies’ results (how we learn) should help determine the best way technology could be used to improve our students learning. We need to capitalize on that information, especially in the area of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects to develop new methodologies to help our students excel. Finally, instruction needs to be developed that changes where our students learn, giving them opportunities with anytime/anywhere instruction.
Revision of learning standards in all areas to exploit the use of technology for learning, especially in the areas of collaboration, is one of the major recommendations. This, along with the use of learning studies’ results (how we learn) should help determine the best way technology could be used to improve our students learning. We need to capitalize on that information, especially in the area of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects to develop new methodologies to help our students excel. Finally, instruction needs to be developed that changes where our students learn, giving them opportunities with anytime/anywhere instruction.
Assessment Recommendations:
To help improve students’ learning, technology based assessments have to be developed to give students timely feedback that allows the teacher to modify and tailor the instruction for each student. The teachers need to build their capacity to develop these assessments that will measure what is important in the learning. There is a need for the development of games to assess complex skills and performance objectives that cannot be measured by simply asking questions. As more assessments begin to be completed through the use of technology, safe guards need to be put in place to protect the privacy of the students’ data.
To help improve students’ learning, technology based assessments have to be developed to give students timely feedback that allows the teacher to modify and tailor the instruction for each student. The teachers need to build their capacity to develop these assessments that will measure what is important in the learning. There is a need for the development of games to assess complex skills and performance objectives that cannot be measured by simply asking questions. As more assessments begin to be completed through the use of technology, safe guards need to be put in place to protect the privacy of the students’ data.
Teaching Recommendations:
If teachers are expected to teach using technology of the 21st century and beyond, they need to have access to resources to help them develop the learning experiences. There needs to be a central clearing house that would help teachers connect with others to build learning communities, that enable them to collaborate on best practices and access “experts” in the field. District and teacher preparation programs need to provide professional development for teachers using the same technologies and methodologies, including on-line instruction, if they are expected to use them in the classroom. This will help close the learning gap between teachers and students.
If teachers are expected to teach using technology of the 21st century and beyond, they need to have access to resources to help them develop the learning experiences. There needs to be a central clearing house that would help teachers connect with others to build learning communities, that enable them to collaborate on best practices and access “experts” in the field. District and teacher preparation programs need to provide professional development for teachers using the same technologies and methodologies, including on-line instruction, if they are expected to use them in the classroom. This will help close the learning gap between teachers and students.
Infrastructure Recommendations:
If technology is to become an integral part of the educational process, districts will need to provide the bandwidth required to support the technology and resources. In addition, students and teachers need to have the use of devices that will allow them to access the Internet 24/7. As new technologies come along, we need to encourage our educators to be innovative in the way they use them for instruction. To support the districts, state and federal governments need to build a national infrastructure to handle all the current and future technologies.
If technology is to become an integral part of the educational process, districts will need to provide the bandwidth required to support the technology and resources. In addition, students and teachers need to have the use of devices that will allow them to access the Internet 24/7. As new technologies come along, we need to encourage our educators to be innovative in the way they use them for instruction. To support the districts, state and federal governments need to build a national infrastructure to handle all the current and future technologies.
Productivity Recommendations:
A definition of productivity in education needs to be developed so states and districts can have a more effective measure of learning outcomes and the cost. To help manage costs, the federal and state governments should share ways that districts could cut costs and improve productivity. Governmental agencies that request student data require it in many different forms. All agencies from the local to federal level need to create a standard format for storing this data. This will allow districts to allocate funds to different areas rather than on the resources required to convert data to the different formats.
A definition of productivity in education needs to be developed so states and districts can have a more effective measure of learning outcomes and the cost. To help manage costs, the federal and state governments should share ways that districts could cut costs and improve productivity. Governmental agencies that request student data require it in many different forms. All agencies from the local to federal level need to create a standard format for storing this data. This will allow districts to allocate funds to different areas rather than on the resources required to convert data to the different formats.
Reflection:
There are many recommendations in the plan that should make a difference in student learning and being prepared for the 21st century. The need to improve learning by changing how we teach is probably the first step. One area of teaching that supports and builds on a skill most students currently possess is the use of digital gaming. Using simulation games as part of learner-centered projects will improve the problem-solving and collaboration skills of the students.
There are many recommendations in the plan that should make a difference in student learning and being prepared for the 21st century. The need to improve learning by changing how we teach is probably the first step. One area of teaching that supports and builds on a skill most students currently possess is the use of digital gaming. Using simulation games as part of learner-centered projects will improve the problem-solving and collaboration skills of the students.
One area of concern is the cost of improving and support of infrastructure for current and future technology. When looking at many different programs outside of education that need funding, the government’s (federal and state) funds are going to be stretched. The inclusion of partner companies, both national and local, will need to be included in this process. Their inclusion in this area (infrastructure) may extend the government funds.
http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
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