“The essential question facing us as we transform
the U.S. education system is this:
What should learning in the 21st century look like?”
- Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology
In today’s technology-driven world, we must work to change out mindset and allow new technologies to drive further change. This includes changes in how and what is taught/learned in school.
The goal of the National Educational Technology Plan for learning is that students must be engaged and the content relevant to today’s digitally connected world. It should be student owned, flexible and cooperative. This style of education must occur both formally in the classroom and informally within society. Either way, the process should be life-long with endless opportunities to access knowledge. To allow for this way of learning, technology standards and learning objectives must be in place for all content areas. Learners should be allowed to utilize technology in order to learn in the way that is best suited for them. They should also have 24/7 mobile access to information and opportunities to participate in STEM (Science Technology Engineering, & Mathematics) Learning to solve complex, real world problems.
Assessing student learning is also critical to any student’s success. Through the force of technology, learning can be measured and data utilized for continuous improvement of both students and schools. Therefore, all assessments should offer immediate feedback to the stakeholders that it pertains to. Technology should be used to drive formative and summative assessments. The institution of virtual environments with simulated circumstances and collaborative environments will motivate and engage learners. Tests should measure the intended target. Technology could help build such appropriate assessments.
Finally, teachers must also have continued support to do their job. Technology can provide the data, content knowledge, resources, and experiences to supply them with best practices for improving student success. By having access to digital resources 24/7 and socially networked sites that promote professional learning, growth, and development, teachers can become more proficient at technology’s implementation. But there is also a growing demand for techno-savy teachers of teachers. Through online courses, more educators than ever are returning to higher education thanks to the convenience and affordability. To be successful, they, too, need personalized teaching to gain their certification.
Technology is not going away as many suggested it would 15 years ago. If anything, it is spiraling into a wild storm of data, information, and immediate gratification. We must prepare not only our students, but ourselves as well, for the future it will bring.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010.pdf
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