This actually isn’t a book, but it almost is. It is a report issued by the State Educational Technology Directors Association, a national organization that is serving the educators and leaders in each state. The title is - Maximizing the Impact: The pivotal role of technology in a 21st century educational system. It covers areas such as “proficiency, innovation in teaching and learning, and developing robust educational support systems”. It chronicles how different states have applied technology in the classroom and what has worked and what has not worked. Unlike some reports that seem to put a sugar coating on anything labeled “technology,” it asks some hard questions and thinks of concerns that stakeholders have in educational changes. Even though the target market is K-12 education, the principles still apply to the college level. It is also important for us to be aware of what exposure to technology the new college students have who are coming into the university level. Things are changing at a very rapid pace in some districts and states, while others have barely budged.
Key words that pop up in this document are “comprehensive” and “proficient”. The danger in teaching a technology based class is that we pick all the newest and coolest software and apps without thinking about the overall picture and what our goals are. The second danger is that we introduce too many things too quickly...this forces the student to race to just finish the projects and complete the tasks needed to get their grade and never become proficient at anything. I found the report easy to read and having some very interesting points.
Vockley, Martha. Maximizing the Impact: The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 1 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-312-6429; Fax: 202-789-5305; Web site: http://www.p21.org, 2007. ERIC. Web. 12 June 2012.
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