Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the goal of the plan is to “dramatically improve teaching and learning, personalize instruction and ensure that the educational environments we offer to all students keep pace with the 21st century.” Technology is to be the vehicle that drives into a successful new land of teaching and learning. There is an emphasis on competencies such as critical thinking, complex, problem, solving, collaboration, and multimedia communication. Technology is to be a tool for differentiated instruction that helps us move away from the one size fits all way of thinking.
One of the goals to be addressed is having adequate broadband and wireless access inside and outside schools.
There is to be at least one internet enabled device for every student and educator… at school and at home.
Open licenses and the use of “Creative Commons” for course content are to be used as well as OpenCourseWare efforts.
Efforts will be made towards research and development in gaming, simulations, and virtual worlds for both instruction and testing.
Cloud computing for districts will be encouraged.
Adaptive (student responsive) computer assessment tools are to be developed and made accessible.
FERPA changes are to be made to make access to student data and enable better portability for student and financial records.
Rethinking in how to change CIPA to open access to the Internet and also rethink hoe schools filters work.
When one reads the vast and sweeping changes in this technology plan, the educator in me says ”Whoopee!” while the taxpayer in me says, “Wait a minute! How can we possibly pay for all this?”
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