ISTE’S Top Ten Edtech Priorities for 2010

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) recently released the organization’s top ten Edtech priorities for 2010. The overarching priority, so to speak, is a definite commitment to improving student achievement through the effective use of technology. According to ISTE, technology must be the “backbone of school improvement.”

With a growing expectation that both the Federal and State governments will provide a large infusion of funds in 2010 to facilitate school reform, it is important that school leaders consider the extent to which technology will shape this effort.  The purpose of the list, then, is to provide a general framework for educators and policy makers as they consider the role technology should play in educational reform moving forward.

According to ISTE, educatonal leaders and policy makers must

1. “Establish technology in education as the backbone of school improvement.” According to ISTE, effective ans sustainable school reform must involve a significant commitment to technology. The authors argue, “technology must permeate every corner of the learning process.” This includes not only student learning but other important areas, including professional development and school administration.
2. Effectively utilize technology to better prepare students for post-secondary learning and increase college attendance rates. According to the authors, “we must embrace new instructional approaches that both increase the college-going rates and the high school graduation rates. By effectively engaging learning through technology, teachers can demonstrate the relevance of 21st century education, keeping more children in the pipeline as they pursue a rigorous, interesting and pertinent PK-12 public education.”
3. “Ensure technology expertise is infused throughout our schools and classrooms.” District leaders must ensure each school in their districts have access to technology experts who can effectively build the organization’s capacity to effectively utilize technology to improve student achievement.
4. “Continuously upgrade educators’ classroom technology skills as a pre-requisite of “highly effective” teaching.” According to the authors, “[Educational leaders] must commit that all P-12 educators have the skills to use modern information tools and digital content to support student learning in content areas and for student assessment. Effective teachers in the 21st Century should be, by definition, technologically savvy teachers.”
5. Ensure all new teachers are prepared and able to use technology to educate students.
6. Use technology to “scale improvement” and “accelerate reform.” “School districts that have successfully led school turnaround and improvement efforts recognize that education technology is one of the best ways to accelerate reform, providing the immediate tools to ensure that all teachers and students have access to the latest innovative instructional pathways.”
7. Ensure broadband access for all students and teachers.
8. Utilize technology to more effectively collect and assess relevant data. Teachers must use technology to help them tailor instruction to meet individual student learning needs. In addition, teachers must utilize technology to collect the sort of data that can be used to inform their instruction.
9. Invest in research and development. “Increased investment in education R&D, particularly with regard to innovation in teaching and learning, ensures that we remain a global leader in education. By stimulating meaningful, broad-based research and the dissemination of such research, we can ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in our classrooms keeps up with the goals and expectations we set for our students.”
10. “Promote global digital citizenship.”

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