Written by:
3/8/2010 10:51 PM 

 It crept up on me, when all of a sudden I had an email from our Learning Technology Policy Director, encouraging and informing me about the release of the National Ed-Tech Plan , and did I want to attend a webinar and have input on the plan. You bet I do! This email came through our state  Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine list serve. Spread the word to others who may be interested in shaping the future.

Why March 5, 2010? It was the day the National Educational Technology Plan was released. Here is where you can find your  digital copy. All of us should take the time to read this document as it will be the road map for our future. As you read this document, ask yourself if you think it will be dynamic enough to drive us, all of us,  through the next five years. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, said the plan provides long overdue recommendations for how technology can enhance education. 

Now compare this document and website with the  National Center for Technology Planning,   the National Center for Technology Planning is abysmally old and tired.

Look at the list of state plans, look at the age of most of them. I am amazed that the tech plan for the State of Maine is so outdated(1999-2002), yet our state has continued to move along championing the cause of the 21st Century Learner, for grades 7-12.(I want our new technology plan to include P-16+) It maybe that this site is not the most up to date since many links for several state plans were  bad requests, bad addresses. And it is a shame that a site for state technology plans is not up to date. Our next plan must stay up to date, our next plan must be dynamic. Kudos, however, go to  the following States for updating their state plans and remaining current and moving forward.  West Virginia  , Kentucky,   Kansas,   and Georgia.  (I apologize in advance for missing any current and up to date state technology plans!)

A couple thoughts while reading the national technology plan. The plan states that technology needs to be embedded in content areas. Learning sciences and technology need to come together to provide equitable educational opportunities for all learners. Preschool to grade 12 schools, community colleges as well as colleges need to work together. Learning needs to be on demand, online, collaborative, and mirror what are students are already involved with outside of school and most importantly, students must be using the same tools as professionals are using in the workplace.

The National Technology Plan  should make the acquaintance with  the Horizon Report.  If your technology plan is being re-written you will want to get involved with the report of the National Technology Plan. The nicest surprise in the National Technology Plan is that Universal Design is given plenty of credence and soon will be reflected in each state and local plan!

Since there are over 100 pages in the National Technology Plan, I wish a checklist had been included as we consider our state and local plans.

Do you know what your state technology plan looks like and what years it covers?  I hope this is not the last blog post on our National Technology Plan- we have a lot of ground to cover and visions to create

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