Top 10 in 2010
Ed Tech Advocacy Issues
VOICES CARRY
By Hilary Goldmann
Hilary Goldmann,
ISTE’s director of
government affairs, has
20 years of experience
in public policy and
advocacy. She serves as
a volunteer columnist
for L&L.
Please join the dialogue on ISTE Connects ( www.isteconnects.org) and help spread the word that, regardless of the specific
paths for improvement that a state or school
district charts, educational technology is nonnegotiable if we are to make lasting change.
ISTE has identified 10 ed tech priorities that
U.S. decision makers should consider in 2010:
1. Technology in education is the backbone of
school improvement. To truly improve our
schools for the long term and ensure that all
students are equipped with the knowledge and
skills necessary to achieve in the 21st-century
world, ed tech must permeate every corner of
the learning process.
2. Leverage educational technology as a gateway to
college and career readiness. By effectively engaging students through ed tech, teachers can demonstrate the relevance of 21st-century education
and keep more students in the pipeline as they
pursue a more relevant PK– 12 education.
3. Ensure technology experts are infused throughout our schools and classrooms. To support these
experts, as well as all those educators who help
integrate technology into the overall curriculum,
we must dramatically increase our support for
the federal Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program.
4. Invest in preservice education technology.
Funding the Preparing Teachers for Digital Age
Learners (PTDAL) program is a critical step to
train the most technologically savvy educator
workforce in the world.
5. Classroom technology skills are a prerequisite to
being a highly effective teacher. We must make a
common commitment to ensure that all PK– 12
educators have the skills to use modern information tools and digital content to support student
learning and assessment.
6. Leverage technology to scale improvement.
Ed tech is one of the best tools for ramping up
school improvement efforts because it provides
the immediate tools needed to ensure that all
teachers and students have access to the latest
innovative instructional pathways.
7. Provide high-speed broadband for all. We must
provide adequate bandwidth to our nation’s
classrooms and focus on the school-to-home
connection so that all students can succeed.
8. Boost student learning through data and assessment efforts. To maximize the benefits of real-time instructional and curriculum management
systems, we must provide educators with the systems, knowledge, and support to use data to improve instruction and better meet the individual
needs of each learner.
9. Invest in ongoing research and development.
Increased investment in education R&D, particularly with regard to innovation in learning and
teaching, ensures that we remain a global leader
in education.
10. Promote global digital citizenship. In a flat
world of growing competition, ed tech is the
great equalizer, breaking down artificial barriers
to effective learning and teaching.
As U.S. federal, state, and local policy makers
focus on education in 2010, these 10 issues must
be part of the discussion. They are paramount to
improving the instructional process and boosting achievement for all students. For more details
on ISTE’s Top 10, see www.iste.org/advocacy.
