Technology Investment Fund:
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will build on existing federal education technology programs and create a $500 million matching fund to ensure technology is fully integrated throughout schools. This fund will:
- Integrate technology throughout the classroom so innovative learning technologies such as simulations, interactive games, and intelligent tutors can assist in improving the quality of learning and instruction.
- Develop better student assessments that allow teachers and parents to identify and focus on individual needs and talents throughout the school year. Technology can help get information about student. performance to teachers and parents in real time, and support ongoing efforts to improve student performance in an area of weakness and support student success in areas where the student shows particular interest or aptitude. Barack Obama will encourage states to use technology to provide regular reports to parents on student performance.
- Create new technology-based curriculum with leaders in the technology industry so schools can create courses around developing high-demand technology skills and working on authentic projects, as is done at High Tech High School or the New Tech High Schools.
- Use technology to allow teachers to work collaboratively with their peers across the country to share best practices and support teachers to provide more individualized assistance to students so that teachers are no longer the primary source of facts and information, but instead the coaches on how to best analyze and apply information.
We don't really talk much directly about how traumatic, on the grassroots level at least, the ending of Clinton-era ed-tech funding was. I think a lot of people's feeling on federal funding is "Fool me once... won't be fooled again." There is a weird malaise.
Although, to be fair, isn't everyone already voting for Obama anyhow?