I found the National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) highly informative and encouraging, but I wonder how many teachers have actually read this plan or know that it is out there? The plans overall goal is for leaders, administrators, educators, and the community to be able to provide engaging, higher level critical thinking skills, to measure assessments more authentically; in doing so we must find a way to integrate technology.
Learning needs to be more engaging so it can empower our students today and in their future lives. Most students already have 24/7 access to many digital tools, and it is our job as educators to creatively incorporate these tools into the classroom to create tailored learning experiences that connect with their everyday lives. We also need to provide equal access among all students. Assessments are another key goal to the NETP. Data gathering is extremely important and what we are lacking as a whole is the data on how we are actually integrating technology into the curriculum. We need all kinds of data to help shape our ongoing technology goals and to create them for the future. It needs to be more student-centered through the use of technology. I loved the "teaching prepare and connect goal" in the NETP. In order to reach the other goals we must remember to work as a team. It takes a village to raise a child and I whole truly believe in this. We have the means to work together on a daily basis and we need to use these tools or make these digital tools and resources accessible to all at anytime and anywhere.
The infrastructure needs to be alligned with the objectives and accessible to everyone, otherwise how can we continue to promote a 21st century classroom and learning? Once this infrastructure is strongly in place, we can then start to see learning going beyond the classroom via digital tools, higher level thinking skills, creativity, etc. We must improve productivity in our school systems. Texas is going through a huge crisis right now and it is our students that are suffering due to these budget cuts. We have to work as a nation, state, and community to ensure we are giving the best opportunities and chances for success to ALL our students. The dropout rate needs to decrease and to improve this, we need to continually work toward the goals in this plan. They will be more engaged, they will create and share, they will be INVOLVED in their learning, not just in a desk, in a classroom listening to the teacher.
Education, D. o. (2010, November 9). National Education Technology Plan. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from ED.GOV:
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