National Educational Technology Plan

My first thought of hearing the National Educational Technology Plan was "Here we go again!". After reading the brief summary on the web page, I was more impressed on what was to come. The government might have actually gotten something right when they wrote this plan. 
I really like the goals of the Obama Administration. To think that we use to be the leading nation in education and have now fallen off to 9th is a slap in the face. I've seen it coming slowly, but now it is here and we have to face up to the world we have created. The graduation rate needs to raise in college education. 41% is a very low number to me and I am glad to see that Obama's team is wanting to raise the standard to 60%.
"Close achievement gaps so that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and in career" (National Plan, 7). We have to take this very seriously when it comes to our students. Many students go to college not prepared for what is coming and therefore end up flunking out or dropping classes repeatedly. In my school district, students aren't required to take math after they have finished their three credits. Well, if they took Algebra 1 in 8th grade, then Geometry in 9th, and Algebra 2 as a sophomore.... Think about the picture that it is painting. Unless that student has a parent that is on top of them and makes them take higher level math, they are going to go two years without math!! That is a scary and realistic reality.
The steps that were in the plan were very reassuring to me. I think we have to engage and empower our students when it comes to their learning. There has got to be a way to connect to every student and inspire them to achieve more. With that comes a battle with the way they are raised. It is hard to change learned behavior and I see that every day. I think that technology can be a way of inspiring students, because the traditional methods of reading a book and taking a test has to go out the window with the generation we are teaching.
Finally, some one was looking at assessments and got it right. "Measure what matters" is such a great statement. Not every student is the same and we keep putting all these students in the same bubble. Every student needs to have their own bubble to float around in, so they can learn the way that they do.
So many times, teachers hear a new plan is coming down the pike. It sticks around for a few years and they just have to "ride it out". I dont' see this one going away and it shouldn't. With that being said, teachers need to be more prepared and find that connection. If you are here to hurt students, then find a new job. If you want to inspire and mold students, then stick around and change your ways.
Infrastructure is the family structure that many students don't have in this day and age. Every one has to be willing to work together for the common good and the chain of command has to lead us to the common goals that we are trying to achieve. Probably one of the most key parts to this is productivity. The education system does have to be redesign, but I think in small amounts. We have to make the body of education work even if that means making it go on a diet or do some exercise. At one time, education worked excellent and I might not of read as much as kids do today, but I feel that I got a great education. We can't go away from everything that use to work, but we can revamp somethings to make the students of today learn better than they are now.