Blog Post #3

The National Educational Technology Plan was released in March of 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education. The basic goal of the plan is to give our students the resources they need to be competitive in a global economy. The NETP has a priority of reaching two challenging goals by the year 2020. One of the goals is to have 60% of the American population attain a 2 or 4 year degree. Along those lines, the other sweeping goal is to close any achievement gaps between subgroups, such as race or socioeconomic status. In order to achieve these goals we must be innovative and have continuous improvement in our education system. We must also work collaboratively to solve problems and meet challenges in order to achieve these goals. Accountability and assessment will be an integral part of this process. States will develop assessments that measure critical thinking, complex problem solving, collaboration, and multimedia communication throughout curriculum. Instruction will be data-driven. The new model calls for connected teaching, in which teachers are connected to other teachers as well as to their students through online communities. Professional development will also be collaborative and ongoing. In addition to the two overarching goals mentioned before, education will be guided by 5 basic goals. These are learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. Reference is also made to some tough problems known as grand challenge problems. These will require teams of experts to develop plans and solutions. Technology will be crucial in helping America reach these aggressive and challenging goals. Also, time is of the essence since we have only nine years to accomplish this monumental feat.