A Peek at the National Educational Technology Plan

I want to take a quick look at the "National Education Technology Plan" drafted by the Office of Educational Technology which is a part of the Department of Education. This plan was drafted in March of 2010 and is available for all to read at http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf. The goals of this plan as set forth by our present presidential administration are; (1) raise the proportion of college graduates from 39% to 60% and (2) close the achievement gap so that all students graduate from high school ready for college. The plan is comprised of five areas of concern; learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. They are based in the "model of 21st century learning." Their are "Grand Challenge Problems" that the Department of Education realizes need to be addressed.
The plan calls for reforms to education on many levels and is very progressive. As ambitious as the plan is I hope that it does not override the everyday life of education. Part of the problem I perceive will be the funding of these changes and where those funds will come from. How will we help those under-performing campuses meet the needs of there students and have those students college ready without funds? How do we get educators to buy into this way of educational life? How do we encourage and instill in those students the love of learning when they are not getting their basic needs met? Technology can be one of the keys to this needed reform to help produce the life-long learners we want and need in our world. It is a way of life that I live in daily and will keep on trying to help others buy into this way of life. Hopefully I can be a small part of the big plan.