In 2009 President Obama made education reform a major priority for his presidency. In so doing, in November of 2010, the U.S Department of Education released the National Education Technology Plan. This plan encompasses five goals: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity. The plan recognizes that technology today is at the core of students' lives and therefore should be used to engage students and prepare and enhance educators.
According to the NETP, learning for students should have a different look from the traditional classroom. Students today have access to technology around the clock. This breaks down the traditional walls of the school and allows collaboration, networking, and sharing of information to become limitless. Learning experiences should reflect the reality of their daily lives and technology is the tool to make this happen. With technology students can take more control of their own learning and teachers can provide lessons to meet individual needs and interests of the learner.
Education without educators, can this happen? Transforming our educational system relies heavily on professional educators. The NETP calls for strengthening and enriching educators. To do this it concentrates on connected teaching. Connected teaching is 24/7 access to information regarding student learning. Connected teaching is a shift for teachers to become the facilitators and collaborators for student learning as technology empowers students to take more control and responsibility of their learning. Ineffective professional development is replaced by professional learning communities where teachers are expected to improve their own instructional practices. In connected teaching, social networks are used to provide educators with career-long personal learning tools and resources that make professional learning timely and relevant.
The part of the plan that concerns me the most is the infrastructure. Current economic times are hard enough on schools. Where will the funds come from to provide 24/7 access to information? This is what connected teaching is all about, yet our current school buildings are not ready for the latest advancements in technology. Another major concern for me is the gap between educators who are technology proficient and those who are not and have no desire to become technology proficient. For true connected teaching to take place, this above all must be resolved.
Mary Johnson/EDLD 5306/ET8038
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