National Technology Plan 2010

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) released by the U.S. Department of Education is a plan proposed that will move education in a direction to address the needs and expectations of 21st Century learners. The NETP proposed a model for learning that emphasizes the use of technology in all facets of teaching and learning. The plan suggests and gives recommendations in five essential areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. The plan also proposes broad changes to programs that should be funded and coordinated at a national level. The plan is driven and inspired by President Barack Obama in his address to Congress in February 2009,
“By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” (Obama, 2009)
The Plan proposes goals and recommendations that can help states, districts, and other important stakeholders plan for integration of technology that will facilitate increased productivity for all learners. The goals include:
Learning
The plan suggests that state-of-the art technology be used to facilitate learning which will enable, encourage, and motivate all students to achieve. The plan subscribes that technology will provide personalized education that can differentiate for all learners.
Assessment
The plan sets expectations gather data that can be used for more effective measurement of strength and weaknesses of student performance so that continuous improvement can be made in order to administer a contiguous program to all students.
Teaching
The plan suggests that by using technology educators will be able to enhance their ability to deliver relative and current information to their students by work together in collaborative teams. These teams should be connected locally but also globally in order to offer 24/7 access to data, tools and resources to help them teach the more diverse learners of the 21st century.
Infrastructure
There is support for comprehensive infrastructure to provide 24/7 access. The infrastructure acknowledges not only the equipment and hardware resources but also the people to support an uninterrupted flow of teaching and learning.
Productivity
The plan recommends that education like business enterprises needs to be focused on the budgetary constraints that allow effective productivity while being fiscally responsible.