Special section: technology in the classroom
The Why
Technology is everywhere. Kids and adults alike utilize at least some form of technology in their everyday lives. From socializing to shopping, to reading and working, technology is inevitable in today’ s society. Parents, teachers, community leaders, and governmental representatives are speaking up for their kids and pushing to redefine success and rethink measuring success in the classroom. Skills such as knowledge, social abilities, emotional intelligence and dispositions are all crucial for a student’ s success in the workforce, yet many of these skills are overlooked in the typical classroom setting. Educators are working toward providing students with meaningful learning opportunities through technology that encompass all of the aspects that make up success for a graduating high school senior entering college or the workforce.
The Who
Teachers
Near the end of 2015, the U. S. Department of Education released the 2016 National Education Technology Plan as a commitment to supporting personalized professional learning to provide greater equity of access to technology for students across America. In addition, the Future Ready initiative, developed by the department in 2014, had more than 2,000 superintendents across the country who pledged to integrate digital learning into their districts’ curricula. The National Education Technology Plan also includes a focus on providing each student with the chance to engage in educational experiences led by technology.
In addition, Education Week states that digital instructional content is the second largest spend in the K-12 educational technology market,
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