U.S. Department of Education releases education technology plan

On November 9, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan released the U.S. Department of Education's plan for transforming American education through technology. The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) was written and refined by leading education researchers over an 18-month period. Input about the plan was given by the public, industry officials, educators, and students from across the country. The IRA was among those that gave input as it filed comments about the plan in May 2010.  

The plan, titled Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, presents a model with key goals in five areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. Each section has guidelines for using technology to transform education, aiming to achieve these goals by 2015.

“With this technology plan, we have laid out a comprehensive vision for how teachers working with technology can transform student learning in classrooms across America. We must dramatically improve teaching and learning, personalize instruction, and ensure that the educational environments we offer to all students keep pace with the 21st century," said Duncan. Read the full plan here.