The Federal Government and Educational Technology

http://www.ed.gov

In an on-line discussion group of concerned participants about the issues that are critical to implementing educational technology in the nation’s schools, hosted by the Department of Education, participants agreed that school reform and technology planning are state and local issues. State and local taxpayers are more likely to fund educational technology efforts because they, their children, and their communities have the most to gain. Many also believe that local initiatives and partnerships can yield the most effective results.

Participants agreed that the federal government can best promote school reform and accelerate technology use by serving as visionary, catalyst, and publisher of pertinent information and knowledge. Specifically, the federal government can support change by:

• Promulgating a broad vision of change and the use of technology to promote change.
• Serving as a repository of knowledge and information pertinent to learning and educational change and actively disseminating "success" stories and critical reviews of new technologies.
• Promoting the development of new curriculum and rich content on the networks.
• Bringing together critical players in real and virtual symposiums and conferences to discuss problems, solutions, and action plans.
• Providing funds to jump start local initiatives.
• Ensuring equity of access.
• Overseeing the development of networking infrastructure.
• Protecting the interests of the education community.

Technology Literacy Challenge

President Clinton and Vice President Gore announced on February 15, 1996 the Technology Literacy Challenge, envisioning a 21^st century where all students are technologically literate. Four concrete goals:

• All teachers in the nation will have the training and support they need to help students learn using computers and the information superhighway. Upgrading teacher training is key to integrating technology into the classroom and to increasing student learning.
• All teachers and students will have modern multi-media computers in their classrooms. Computers become effective instructional tools only if they are readily accessible by students and teachers.
• Every classroom will be connected to the information superhighway. Connections to networks, especially the Internet, multiply the power and usefulness of computers as learning tools by putting the best libraries, museums, and other research and cultural resources at our students’ and teachers’ fingertips.
• Effective software and on-line learning resources will be an integral part of every school’s curriculum. Software and on-line learning resources can increase students’ learning opportunities, but they must be high quality, engaging, and directly related to the school’s curriculum.

21st Century Teacher

On May 29, 1996, President Clinton, along with eighteen national organizations in a public-private partnership, announced the 21^st Century Teachers Initiative. The goals of the Initiative is to have 100,000 teachers volunteer to work with other teachers and educators to become more accomplished in utilizing the latest computer technology in their schools. Work with at least five other colleagues through the school year to help them become more proficient in the use of technology to improve teaching and learning.

NetDay: Partner private industry, parents, and community volunteers to wire schools and classrooms

Tech Corps: Is amassing a cadre of business and community volunteers to advise and assist schools with integrating technology into the classroom.

American Technology Honor Society: Group of students who are assisting teachers and administrators to expand the use of technology in their schools.

Six Regional Technology in Education Consortia: Technical assistance centers across the country, which provide technical assistance to State and local communities, school district, and others within the education profession, and training for teachers, media specialists, and others, to help ensure that they can fully integrate technology into teaching and learning.

Star Schools: Since 1988, the Star Schools distance learning projects have helped to improve instruction in mathematics, science, and foreign languages, literacy skills and vocational education. They serve underserved populations, including the disadvantaged, illiterate, limited-English proficient, and individuals with disabilities. (Jean Tolliver 202-219-2097)

Regional Education Laboratories

AskERIC

Federal Communication Commission

Telecommunications Act of 1996

E-rate

National Agenda for Technology and Education

GENERAL CONTENTS OF THE NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN

Effective technology-related professional development for teachers

• Be continuous and embedded into the regular school routine.
• Be sustained and intensive, in contrast to the superficial, one-shot training that teachers often receive.
• Help teachers integrate technology into their regular instructional practices.
• Be hands-on, allowing teachers ready access to hardware and software and time to experiment.
• Emphasize both content and pedagogy and embody good research and practice.
• Require recipients of state technology funds to use a portion of their technology budgets-say, 30 percent-for professional development.
• Provide incentives to teachers to learn more about educational technology, such as take-home computers or credit toward classroom computers.
• Provide on-site resources, preferably a full-time person, to provide training and technical support to teachers.
• Adopt state teacher certification requirements that address proficiency in technology.

Infrastructure and Finance

• Join forces with other education institutions, public agencies, community groups, and small businesses to bargain with local utilities for lower infrastructure and connectivity costs.
• Become self-sufficient, school-based Internet node that sell connectivity services to small businesses and community people.
• Use existing inventory in different ways or in conjunction with newer purchases.
• Provide state and federal incentives for private sector investment.
• Seek advice from the private sector about infrastructure design.

Role of Federal Government

• Support and Encourage Local Efforts
• Establish Funding Priorities and Direction
• Provide a Broad Vision
• Support Information and Knowledge Transfer
• Promote Collaborations and New Partnerships
• Support Technical Standards That Encourage Open Competition and User-Friendliness
• Encourage and Promote Equity

Federal officials have been exploring how to encourage greater and more effective use of modern computers and communications in the nation’s schools.

The Educate America Act, calls on the Secretary of Education to develop a strategy for effective utilization of the new technologies in the nation’s classrooms.

The States and Educational Technology

The States shall offer the following to educational change:

• Sustained leadership and planning
• Ongoing support for teachers
• Shared plan with districts

Click here to take a look at your State's Educational Change Efforts

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In the Toolkit: