The National Technology Plan

Although management of schools in the United States is left to the discretion of the state and local governments for the most part, we have a national technology plan to help guide them. It consists of five goals in the areas of learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity.

Learners are expected to receive an education based in current technology that will prepare them for all 21^st century skills, but especially in STEM. This learning should be available 24/7.

Assessment is expected to be done using technology, possibly even using “gaming technology, simulations, collaboration environments, and virtual worlds” (Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, Draft of National Educational Technology Plan 2010. U.S. Department of Education. 2010, March 5. p.xii).

Teachers will be trained in order to move their knowledge levels closer to those of the students they teach. This will enable teachers to incorporate the most current technology into their classrooms, including global communities and online instruction.

The federal government has rather lofty ideas for infrastructure, especially considering the state of our economy nationwide. The plan calls for an infrastructure in which all students and teachers will have the digital tools necessary to access the Internet both inside and outside of school, including the Internet service itself, software, collaboration opportunities, and other elements of online instruction.

Productivity is expected to increase as technology is used to help track expenses and mange funds used for technological needs. In addition, the plan calls for finding methods of helping educators who resist the necessary reformation of the 21^st century classroom to include technology so our children can compete in a global society.