Greetings!
Draft National Educational Technology Plan
On March 5,
2010 the U.S. Department of Education
released a Draft National Educational
Technology Plan 2010. The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP)
calls for revolutionary transformation rather than evolutionary tinkering.
The NETP
presents a model of 21st Century learning powered by technology.
"The model of 21st century learning described in this plan
calls for engaging and empowering learning experiences for all learners. The
model asks that we focus what and how we teach to match what people need to
know, how they learn, where and when they will learn, and who needs to learn.
It brings state-of-the art technology into learning to enable, motivate, and
inspire all students, regardless of background, languages, or disabilities, to
achieve. It leverages the power of technology to provide personalized learning
instead of a one-size-fits-all curriculum, pace of teaching, and instructional
practices."
"Powered by
technology" requires rethinking our delivery system. Currently our education system supports
learning in classrooms and from textbooks and depends on the relationship
between the teacher and the students. With
technology properly implemented in the our education system we can provide
multiple and flexible methods of presentation of information and knowledge,
means of expression with alternatives for students to demonstrate what they
have learned, means of engagement to tap in to diverse learners interests,
challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.
To
accomplish this we will need to think outside of the box. Buying technology and continuing to teach in
the exact same way does not innovate or bring us into a new era. We need only look back a few decades to learn
from the mistakes business made when introducing technology. Back in the 1970s
and 1980s businesses were rapidly deploying technology in the belief that it
would help them perform better and more efficiently. What economists found was that the economic
output per investment did not increase as expected. When businesses implemented the technology
they were just automating current processes and procedures. This yielded no benefit. It wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s when the
economists found dramatic improvements in productivity. When business leaders took the time to make
structural innovations and thorough redesigns of the business processes that
were now available because of the technology the true benefits of the
technology investment were reached.
Our mission
then must be to implement technology into our education system that will
redesign processes and structures so that they take advantage of the power of
technology, to improve learning outcomes while making more efficient use of
time, money and staff.
According
to the NETP, "A highly instrumented classroom
is a place where technology-based systems provide educators with real-time
insight into how every student is thinking that , when combined with analytic
tools, helps educators make better decisions about how to adapt instruction to
students' needs. "
If
you would like to read the Executive Summary or the Full Report please click here.
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A Case for the Study of Foreign Language as a required Core subject in our Schools
Students who do study languages
are consistently:
- more imaginative
- better listeners
- better with abstract ideas
- better & faster problem solvers
- more flexible in their thinking
than students who do not study languageswww.celebratelanguages.com
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Come Join Us at This Year's TESOL ConventionTandberg Educational will be exhibiting in this year's upcoming
TESOL Convention from March 24th until March 27th at the
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, MA Tandberg will present the EDO offerings and innovative solutions to participants. Those who attend the convention will have the unique
opportunity to experience a face to face presentation and
ask questions of our
Director of Educational Development, Ann Cohn.
TESOL's annual conventions bring thousands of ESL/EFL
professionals together to expand their educational capabilities
and network with others in the field of education.
We are looking forward to seeing you there! |
