Wired Educator

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the National Education Association (NEA),  as well as three other powerful educational organizations, have joined together to develop a public service announcement aimed at the presidential candidates, and the need to emphasize the importance of both education in our nation’s future and the role technology will play in it. The public service announcement calls for the next president to address their vision of the 21st-Century classroom and make technology initiatives in education a major part of the upcoming debates.

The 2008 Presidential Race debates are on their way.  Much will be said about the war in Iraq, Health Care, and the economy.  Hopefully this public service announcement will bring some much needed attention to schools.

The groups funding the ad are concerned about the shrinking number of college students majoring in math or science and the need for technology in our schools. They use the ad to show how the focus decades ago on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) helped America in the 60’s win the space race and paved the way for economic progress of the 80s and 90s, a similar focus will help determine the United States success in the new global economy.

“Today, nearly 40 years after this historic accomplishment, we’re facing new challenges–including a flattening global economy and climate change,” the ad reads. “Now, more than ever, we must engage and train the next generation of scientists and innovators to address these 21st-century problems and opportunities. Student access to school technology, robust teacher technology preparation, and a renewed focus on 21st-century skills are as critical to this mission as they were to the Apollo astronauts.”