Feds release new national ed-tech plan

Although funding concerns remain, the National Ed-Tech Plan is a promising start to turning around education, ed-tech advocates say.
Although funding concerns remain, the National Ed-Tech Plan is a promising start, ed-tech advocates say.

The new National Education Technology Plan, released March 5, sets an ambitious agenda for using technology to transform teaching and learning, ed-tech advocates say–and a call to action that is long overdue.

The plan, called “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology,” calls for engaging and empowering learning experiences for all students; standards and assessments that measure key 21st-century skills and expertise; a shift to a model of “connected teaching,” in which teams of interconnected educators replace solo classroom practitioners; always-on connectivity that is available to students and teachers both inside and outside of school; and a rethinking of basic assumptions, such as seat time, that limit schools’ ability to innovate.

Julie Evans, CEO of the nonprofit organization Project Tomorrow, said the plan provides some “long-overdue recommendations” for how technology can enhance education.…Read More

R2D2: A model for using technology in education

The Cyber Security Education Consortium has more than 1,200 students.
The R2D2 learning model helps instructors accommodate diverse learning styles.

(Editor’s note: This article was written with college-level instructors in mind, but it’s just as applicable to secondary-school classrooms.)

“We’re doomed.” –C3PO to R2-D2 …Read More