Ed. Sec. Duncan pitches tech as key component of school reform

Education Secretary Arne Duncan pitched a slew of new, technology-based education reforms on Thursday, stressing schools needed to enter the 21st century to keep students engaged.

In a speech to the Association of American Publishers, the Education secretary lamented the reality that many public schools are still "throwbacks to the state of education 50, 20 or even 10 years ago," as many teachers and administrators have failed to "keep pace" with current trends in technology.

Consequently, Duncan framed his department's forthcoming National Education Technology Plan as an attempt to prepare students "for the future that awaits them, and the skills the world will require of them."

A draft of that plan is due out Friday, according to the Department.

"Most young people can't remember a time without the Internet. But right now, many students' learning experiences in school don't match the reality outside of school," Duncan said in his speech.

"We need to bridge this gap. We need to make school more relevant and engaging. We must make the on-demand, personalized tech applications that are part of students' daily lives a more strategic part of their academic lives."

According to the Education Department, Duncan's forthcoming tech plan is a "context and vision" for how information and communication tools can be better incorporated in all classrooms.

"The plan will provide a set of concrete goals to inform state and local educational technology plans as well as recommendations to inspire research, development and innovation," the department has said.

Duncan previewed some of those overarching strategies during his speech on Thursday. He said the proposal would emphasize five goals: creating a better learning experience, better measuring student achievement, improving teaching resources, connecting students to broadband Internet and boosting productivity.

The secretary described all of those goals — long part of the White House's education strategy — as more attainable with the help of a forward-thinking, tech-based education plan.

"With the first decade of the 21st century now history, we've committed to securing the vitality of our nation by transforming the way we teach our students," Duncan said. "We aim to build a public education system that helps all students set goals, stay in school, earn a high school diploma and secure college and career success."