The Federal Government Says...EDLD 5352 - Blog #3

There are several goals that are mentioned in the National Educational Technology Plan.

· One is to ensure that all students and educators will have access to a comprehensive infrastructure for learning when and where they need it.

However, the one that seems to be the most interesting is that

· “our education system at all levels will redesign processes and structures to take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning outcomes while making more efficient use of time, money, and staff” (Learning, 2010).

In other words, we must make some drastic changes in how we view the school day. For example, schools might look at “organizing education around the demonstration of competence rather than seat time” in order to challenge students daily and promote them early which might cut costs (Learning, 2010).

With the current budget crisis looming, money is not a panacea for all that ails our technological shortcomings. As the report says, “It is clear that we will not reach this goal simply by spending more money on education” (Learning, 2010). And even if we do, past research has shown us that even when the United States has increased its spending per student by more than 70%, little improvement has been seen (Learning, 2010).

Also, learning will change in that the teacher-led lessons will soon be student-led (Learning, 2010). Therefore, the face of professional development will then change along with the school day. “We need to expand our view of teaching to include extended teams of educators” (Learning, 2010). In other words, professional development will take on a new look with teachers collaborating “across time and distance” in order to learn from each other (Learning, 2010). All in all, technology will change the way schools operate in the future, and we must embrace it if our students are going to achieve success within the walls of the classroom and beyond.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf