Our graduates in the past, present, and future years will be competing in a global economy which is why education in America must adapt and continue to adapt to the changing world around us. In education, changes are upon us via technology. Goals have been set in place by The U.S. Department of Education called the National Education Technology Plan. There are five essential components to this plan that cover learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure and productivity.
When discussing 21st century learning the plan is referring to challenging and enabling learners to learn to the best of their ability. Technology is now allowing the possibility of education and learning to occur twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Technology is a very large umbrella encompassing text writings, presentations, email, multi-media, photography, blogs, and the infinite possibilities of social networking. Just as the students need to be challenged, our educators in schools around the nation are being challenged to integrate these resources into their lesson plans.
Technology can help shift classrooms to model connected teaching. In a connected teaching model, connection replaces isolation. Classroom teachers need to fully connect technologies data, tools, and resources that give students the power to create, manage, and build learning experiences. Teachers can reconnect with students as they learn along with students in software, programs, and social networking. One of the issues in the classrooms are the learning gap between student and teacher. Teachers must ready themselves through professional development to guide and be guided through new technologies. Other issues come from the “top”, district leaders have the ability to make technology changes in their district and some could be hindering these necessary changes because these leaders themselves are “digital dinosaurs.”
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