On Wednesday, President Obama spoke to an audience of 110 superintendents from across the nation to address closing the technology gap. In “ConnectED to the Future,” Obama reiterated the five-year plan to have 99% of students connected to high-speed Internet. In the President’s remarks, he called upon the teachers and administrators to get on board with the focus on the future. Students are already more technology savvy than most adults, so it is time to reach them at a level that ensures that they are learning in circumstances in which they are comfortable and excel the most.
The President addressed many different ways to approach achieving the initiative of technology heavy education. For one, the FCC has doubled its investment in broadband for schools in an effort to connect more than 15,000 schools and 20 million students to high-speed Internet. The government is also releasing an infrastructure guide to help districts make the best decisions, according to resources, and a checklist to encourage turning tools into practice for students. This initiative is exciting because it transcends the idea of government-oriented education and instead requires cross programming across the board to get the job done. It requires more than just policymakers in Washington; technology companies are chipping in to ensure that classroom software is up to date, parents are signing up to learn to use the technology that their students will have access to, and superintendents are signing pledges to move their districts towards this time of change.
Another inspiring prospect of education reform that the President addressed was that of free advanced placements assessments. Obama noted that the districts that offered those classes for free saw improving results and better college-readiness. As someone who has benefited from this notion first-hand, I could not agree more. My high school was unique in the area because it was one of the only schools that offered AP courses for free and included innovative technology. Both of these newly implemented aspects of AP courses made students more motivated to do well and also made the course accessible to those who would have been discouraged from the class had there been a cost.
Achievement gaps are created by opportunity gaps, which coincide with economic gaps, all of which cannot properly close without addressing the increasingly widening digital gap. While technology can increase opportunities for students, it’s important to note that technology alone will not solve our nation’s student achievement woes, but rather the thoughtful implementation and infusion of technology as a tool for learning. Students are growing up in an age where they have their social lives digitally at their fingertips, and educational opportunities should be up to par with that level of accessibility. As the President stated, “In a country where we expect free Wi-Fi with our coffee, the least we can do is expect that our schools are properly wired.” Instead of harping on the negativity of technology-based learning, it is time for schools to be “yanked” into the 21st century.
– Brett Swanson, CER Intern