National Educational Technology Plan

The two overarching goals of the National Educational Technology Plan are to raise the number of college graduates, obtaining 2- and 4-year degrees, to 60% of the population; and to close the achievement gap in order that all high school graduates are prepared and ready to succeed in college and their ensuing careers.  The desired success will depend upon some underlying support: i.e., to have clear outcomes, to continually monitor and measure performance, and to "hold ourselves accountable for progress and results every step of the way."

This plan specifically points to using technology, in regards to teaching strategies and professional learning, as an effective tool, which, when integrated successfully into the curriculum, positively affects teaching strategies and professional learning and, as a consequence, produces life-long learners with rewarding careers.  The desire is to produce a body of innovative and creative thinkers, learners with complex problem-solving skills who are able to derive educational benefit from collaborative learning, as a result of adopting and employing technology-based learning tools.

Though acknowledging technology's rewards, this plan identifies a present disconnection between teaching and learning.  The proposal is to move away from “tried and true” methods of teaching and learning previously thought adequate.  There is a need for today’s educator to move away from the idea that all students learn the same; consequently, students’ differing learning styles should guide instruction toward a model that uses technology to tap into individual needs and creates an environment where the learner is actively engaged in a personalized learning experience.

In “connected teaching,” teachers reach out to their peers and experts through online learning communities, as formalized “Professional Development” gives way to “Professional Learning.”  In this sense, teachers should see their profession as a collaborative team effort, not as an isolated endeavor on the part of one educator.  So, just as the classroom teacher-student relationship is evolving, so too is the relationship between teachers and professional learning.  Online professional learning communities beckon educators to connect with other educators much the same way our youth connects today with online communities of friends.  Educational relationships are moving toward personal connections and collaboration in the learning process, as a means to bridge the gap and make a connection at the point of disconnect.

Though the present technology exists to facilitate “connected teaching,” this technology plan acknowledges, “not all the conditions necessary to leverage it are.”  There are many educators unfamiliar with, and/or uncomfortable, using technology; and, consequently, they are not able to envision its benefit in the learning environment or comprehend the degree to which our culture has shifted to incorporate technology as an inherent and commonplace tool. This is true for many of today’s professionals, as well as the 21^st century learner.  

The concern, therefore, is that this acknowledged gap affects funding of the needed technological equipment and professional development associated with its use, when all of the irons are not in the fire, so to speak.  Regrettably, this disconnect sometimes impedes the direction in which our educational system is forging ahead in the 21^st Century.  However, acknowledgement of a disconnect, in my opinion, is half the battle because, after all, unless we recognize a problem in the educational system as it exists today, educators and students will be oblivious to the need for implementation of the tools available tools to us, in order to foster successful educational relationships and connections in the 21st Century.  In conclusion, I believe that, even though progress is slow, we are headed in the right direction.