A National Education Technology Plan: The Future is Now

“Our children can’t wait. The future is now. We need to be preparing them for a future that few of us can even visualize.”–Dr. Mark Edwards


It is nice to talk about all the things educators can do with technology, but few things are accomplished without a plan. How is our nation going to implement this technological revolution within school districts effectively and efficiently? Below is a website listing seven major steps and actions needed to be taken as recommended by the U.S. Department of Education. Among those seven steps are the following: strengthen leadership, innovative budgeting (easier said than done), improve teacher training, support e-learning and virtual schools, encourage broadband access, move toward digital content, and integrate data systems. While the website delves into the details behind these "actions to be taken," I believe the U.S. Department of Education is taking a step in the right direction with their progressive outline. Whether this step is big enough, however, is to be determined. This movement must be met head-on by teachers, administrators, and educators everywhere to truly ensure the most progressive learning environment we can possibly create for students in the United States.





http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/theplan/edlite-Recommendations.html


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The View: A 21st Century Classroom

Many educators talk about what a 21st century classroom should look like. But what technology would they choose and how would they integrate the technology within the classroom and most importantly within the curriculum. Follow the website below and explore a 21st century classroom 3-D style. Click on various features like the interactive whiteboard, projectors, laptops, wireless routers, digital video cameras, and much more. Also, after touring the classroom, look at the 21st century lesson plans which implements the available technologies. Finally, if you are a current or future teacher or educator of any kind, take the 21st century classroom readiness assessment survey and see where you fit in!

This is all the new wave of the future!

http://www.cdwg.com/content/segments/classroom/default.asp

Image copyright: Newkirk, 2009

The Future of Textbooks in the Classroom

Having been a college student for three years now, I know how ridiculously priced college textbooks have become. While our country is turning more and more toward "going green," wouldn't it make sense to stop wasting textbooks and reprinting new editions year after year and turn to online books? Open textbooks, as they are called in the article linked below, allow for schools to buy licenses for their chosen e-books, which students can download for free. Just as importantly, teachers are able to customize the text within these books to fit their curriculum. It's also beneficial to the students to who will have access pretty much anytime, anywhere. In a day and age where high schools are struggling to maintain enough books for everyone let alone updated textbooks, textbooks online may just be the answer! Read the article below for more information.

http://wirededucator.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/the-future-of-text-books-how-technology-may-change-classroom-textsa/

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Looking Into the Future: Technology & Education

Arguably, I am going to be one of hopefully many teachers leading the revolution meshing the realms of technology and learning within the educational system. Traditional methods of teaching are disengaging students within the classroom and furthering the achievement gap seen between the United States and other industrialized countries. The article below provides a great introductory piece to my blog on the future of technology in the 21st century and its strong ties to the field of education. The world we all live in is moving into the age of "digital literacy,"--and the best teachers won't be left in the dust!

http://wistechnology.com/articles/685/