National Educational Technology Plan=Reform in America's Schools

In March, the Department of Education  released a proposal of the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) it would like to put in place.  Included in this proposal is advocacy for schools labeled as K-12 to work with postsecondary institutions, and will then be considered "K-16."  One of the goals is that the postsecondary institutions will work with the K-12 schools to create and implement plans that will decrease dropout rates and allow more students to continue with their education past high school.

In regards to technology in the classrooms, this plan includes a principle in which technology would be the "driving force behind implementation of the education plan" due to the numerous advantages that are associated with it.  However, the NETP specifies that in order for technology to be effective in improving student learning, it will depend on every student and teacher having access to the Internet.  This could be a difficult task, I believe, because not every student or teacher has access to the Internet in their homes, due to monetary issues or the lack of a computer or technology device.

The NETP also outlines goals and recommendations for different areas of teaching.  One of the goals is regarding teaching.  It is a goal of NETP to transform teaching to include "teams of connected educators".  Some of the recommendations set forth include developing collaborative networks for teachers, promoting technology fluency among teachers and creating more learning resources for teachers through technology.  I think these goals are very important in discussing teaching. I think educators can learn a lot from one another, and through collaborative networks, I feel discussions regarding what works and what doesn't in technology can be helpful to teachers, and in turn, for students. 

Article Citation:

Nagel, D. (2010, March 5). National Ed Tech Plan Advocates Radical Reforms in Schools. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from THE Journal: http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/03/05/national-ed-tech-plan-advocates-radical-reforms-in-schools.aspx.

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Education and used here in accordance with the Fair Use guidelines as it pertains to the critical comment. 

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."  

~John Cotton Dana