Top-10 Ed Tech Priorities

What Are the Top-10 Ed Tech Priorities for 2010?

• By David Nagel
• 01/13/10

Which issues in education technology should drive policymaking in 2010? Start with establishing technology as the "backbone of school improvement," and we'll be on the right track, according to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), which published a list of its top-10 priorities for decision makers for the coming year.

According to ISTE, it released its "Top Ten in '10" list in an effort to provide a framework for policymakers and educators when making decisions about how education funds will be spent--with a particular emphasis on employing technology for school improvement in the context of new and pending federal funding programs tat are demanding education reforms.

"No matter what kind of improvement path a state or school district may follow, the use of technology in learning and teaching is essential for real and lasting change," said ISTE CEO Don Knezek in a statement released this week.

ISTE's recommendations include the following:

1. Establishing technology "as the backbone of school improvement" for student learning, professional development, and administration;
2. Integrating technology to prepare students for careers and keep students engaged;
3. Increasing federal funding support for technology through Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT);
4. Keeping educators up to date on the latest technologies to help them be more effective in their teaching environments;
5. Increasing support for pre-service education technology programs to help produce more technologically adept teachers;
6. Using technology to "scale improvement" and "accelerate reform";
7. Ensuring universal access to broadband services, which ISTE described as "critical so that students and parents have access to school assignments, grades, announcements and resources";
8. Developing systems and strategies that will help educators use assessment data to improve student learning;
9. Investing in research and development focused on "innovation in teaching and learning"; and
10. Promoting "global digital citizenship" through technology-based, cross-border collaboration.

ISTE's complete "Top Ten in '10" with explanations and additional calls to action can be found within the organization's education technology advocacy pages here.

About the Author

Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com. He can now be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/THEJournalDave (K-12) or http://twitter.com/CampusTechDave (higher education).