Please Remember to Make Technology, 21st Century Classrooms A Top Priority

Senator Obama and Senator McCain:
Please Remember to Make Technology, 21st Century Classrooms
A Top Priority

PSA Takes Ed Tech to Campaign Trail, Connects Technology in K-12 to Future of U.S. Competitiveness and Innovation

Washington, DC (August 26, 2008) – Four leading education and education technology associations have launched a  print and radio Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign, themed One Giant Leap for Kids, that asks the Presidential candidates to make K-12 student access to education technology and modern learning environments a top national priority. Developed by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the National Education Association (NEA) and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the PSA campaign is designed to drive home to the presumptive nominees that making investments in technology today is critical to ensuring the ability of U.S. students to compete and succeed in the 21st century global workforce. The overall PSA campaign also includes an online petition in support of making 21st century education a public policy priority, available at the EdTech Action Network Web site – http://onegiantleapforkids.org/.

“On July 20, 1969, Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong planted the U.S. flag on the moon, helping America win the coveted space race. Our great nation realized this seemingly impossible dream by making sound investments in education,” reads the PSA. “Student access to school technology, robust teacher technology preparation, and a renewed focus on 21st Century skills are critical to today’s missions.”

Following today’s launch, the four organizations will send the PSA to the campaigns of Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL), along with five questions about each candidate’s vision for the future of American education and the modern classroom. The associations will also place the PSA in a number of education and education technology trade publications, including Converge, eSchool News, Learning & Leading with Technology, Scholastic Administrator, Technology & Learning, T.H.E. Journal and Threshold/Cable in the Classroom.

“The future competitiveness of the United States is inextricably linked to the investments we make today to improve education, enhance learning and provide our students with the skills and knowledge that will afford them the opportunity to succeed among the best and brightest competitors in the world,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “The Presidential candidates have an opportunity to develop solid education platforms focused on achieving this goal, and we urge them to make education technology an integral part of their education policy.”

"We're no longer in the world of the 1990s, and our schools can't continue as if we were," said Don Knezek, CEO of ISTE.  "Today's students and teachers need more than a sprinkling of technology literacy to thrive. They need to learn to leverage 21st Century tools to think critically and creatively, collaborate across cultures and distances, and innovate. We hope the presidential candidates keep these realities in mind as they build their education platforms."

"Technology helps level the playing field for children in urban areas, where resources are often scarce, so they can compete with their peers in affluent suburbs,” said Reg Weaver, President of NEA.  “Technology plays a vital role in making sure all students have the 21st Century skills they need to be competitive. The next president will need to work with educators to ensure technology has an appropriate role in transforming our public schools for the future."

“The Presidential candidates continue to talk about the importance of the global economy, the energy crisis, and our competitiveness; and education is integral to addressing these issues and ensuring that our students are prepared for the 21st century,” said Mary Ann Wolf, Executive Director of SETDA. “The good news is that we have data that shows what makes a difference for kids and how technology can be maximized to improve student achievement and ensure that our teachers are prepared.  We and education stakeholders from all 50 states look forward to discussing the potential for technology as an integral part of education policy and programs to serve as a catalyst for transforming our schools for the 21st century.”

To learn more about each of the four organizations, please visit their Web sites listed below.

• http://www.cosn.org
• www.iste.org
• www.nea.org
• www.setda.org