National Education Technology Plan

The current administration has set two important goals for education: increase the number of college graduates, and ensure that all high school students graduate ready to succeed in college and careers.* Recognizing that technology is essential to achieving these goals,  The National Education Technology Plan 2010 (NETP) was developed. The NETP includes recommendations in five essential areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity.

The NETP plan calls for learning to be transformed. The goal is to utilize technology to create engaging and empowering learning experiences for students of today.  We need to leverage the technology that  is second-nature to our students .

The National Plan also calls for new and better ways to measure what’s happening in education.  Technology-based assessments can be used to measure and improve learning.

Teaching can be improved by utilizing technology to connect teachers, share information, and provide professional development in new and better ways.

Infrastructure needs to be improved in order to make fulfilling the rest of the goals possible. Without strong infrastructure extending not only in the schools, but at home, students will not be able to take advantage of the enriched opportunities.

Finally, technology needs to be leveraged to improve productivity. Following the example of private industries and business, we need to find better, more-efficient ways to perform in every area possible.

***U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology (National Education Technology Plan 2010 Executive Summary).  Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/Sites/Default/Files/netp2010-execsumm.pdf