TELL THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES THAT YOU SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

CoSN and ISTE have teamed with the National Education Association and the State Educational Technology Directors Association to initiate a PETITION, found at http://www.onegiantleapforkids.org/ that offers a collective vision of what a 21st Century Education should include.

Excerpted from the site:

Recent data shows that the stakes for our students acquiring 21st Century technology skills and knowledge have never been higher in terms of their own and our nation’s economic prosperity. For instance:

• The Department of Labor reports that out of 55 industries, education is last in its use of technology.


• By 2010, if current trends continue, more than 90 percent of all scientists and engineers will be living in Asia.
  

We call on the next President, in partnership with Congress, to take these bold steps to ensure a 21st Century Education, including:

• Supporting access for all students to technology and the Internet.


• Increasing federal funding for education technology through the Department of Education’s budget.


• Preserving the E-Rate and providing robust bandwith in all classrooms to allow students and educators to use the cutting-edge digital applications and services.


• Incorporating technology literacy and facility into state teacher standards, teacher training, and professional development.


• Encouraging student technology literacy by the eighth grade.