With much excitement around social media, serious gaming and the natural fit between today’s students and 21st century tools and technologies, it might seem that adapting our learning system would be a simple task.  But in all the enthusiasm and with an accelerating pace of technological innovation, many barriers persist.  Featured presenters at day two of NCTI’s annual conference shared their vision for technology in education and policy needs to address research, implementation, funding and other barriers  that block the way.

With the help of senior department of education decision-makers, Kwasi Asare (Special Assistant, Office of Innovation and Improvement) and Karen Cator (Director, Office of Educational Technology), and panelists Richard Bernstein, Larry Goldberg and Linda Roberts, NCTI conference participants explored the range of existing barriers and some solutions in the works.

Kwasi Asari spoke to the need for a data-driven and collaborative approach toward improving kids’ education.  Asari says that to understand individual students and needs we must adopt fewer and clearer standards and assessments, and track student progress across time and grade levels.   Advancement of technology-powered education depends upon thoughtful investment in an appropriate infrastructure, including data systems, and development of a data driven culture with an emphasis on human capital.

For students, the education system envisioned by Asari offers students an opportunity to enjoy a more personal learning experience including individualized instruction, easier access to resources, unique learning paths and platforms that support social collaboration between teachers, students and peers.

Karen Cator, Director of ED’s Office of Educational Technology, suggests that it will take a village to achieve successful technology-powered innovations in education.  Today, she says, “technology is everywhere and technology is nowhere.”  We need a research agenda that addresses three broad needs for 21st century schools and students:

1. Assuring a suitable infrastructure to support information sharing, specifically development of broadband capabilities;
2. Devices in the hands of every students (including students with disabilities); and
3. Content that people can find, and environments that help students learn things they couldn’t without technology

To assure that the voice of  special needs students are heard, Cator suggests that advocates rise above the niche, speak loudly and clearly about the value of innovative technologies for all kids.   To assure that all voices are heard, Cator takes a crowdsourced approach to innovation.  She says that the stories and ideas of researchers, educators, innovators and others  will help to shape our vision of a new education driven by our society’s advances in technology.  To encourage sharing of ideas, the Department of Education is inviting others to provide input into an upcoming National Education Technology Plan by visiting https://edtechfuture.org/.