Summary of the National Educational Technology Plan

The National Educational Technology Plan was developed to foster the values of education in America. In order for our society to work, we need educated people.The first goal of this plan is to raise the amount of college graduates. Currently, only 39% of the population holds a 2 or 4 year degree. The goal is to raise this percentage to 60%. The second goal is to close the achievement gap so all students can graduate from high school ready to succeed in college or careers.
There are also goals to address the learning process. In this goal, learners will have experiences that will prepare them to be well rounded citizens in our society. Technology is a key factor in the learning process of this goal. This goal will be met by creating 21st century standards for all content areas, and using technology to improve the learning. The power of technology should reach learners at anytime and anywhere, while developing resources that design principles from the learning sciences. Technology will also be used to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning. Teaching is also a goal for the plan. Teachers will be supported with technology so that they can have access to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences. This will give them the ability to inspire effective teaching for all learners. To meet this goal, online learning communities will be created. In these communities, educators can collaborate with others and encourage our best teachers to stay in the profession. There also needs to be a closure in the gap between student and educator technology fluency. These personal learning networks will develop educators who are skilled in online instruction. Professional development and training go hand in hand with the success of our students. Instructional staff need to be able to educate themselves in a higher level, in order to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
After reviewing the plan, I began to think about how my district handles drop out students. The U.S. Department of Education (2010) states, “A complex set of personal and academic factors underlie students’ decision to leave school or to disengage from learning, but support should start as early as possible, before children enter school, and should become intensified for those students who need it as they move through school” (p. 11). Where is the support? As a middle school teacher, my over aged students are already at risk for dropping out. Of course we have good counselors, but there are only three in a school of 1400 students. Students need more support in this area. Counselors should be able to counselor, not organize state mandated tests, or facilitate open house procedures. Let them counsel!

Reference
US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American education: learning powered by technology. Washington, DC.