technology, policy analysis, USA, e-learning
This paper presents an analysis of dominant discourses in state
educational technology plans. The potential pedagogical, political, and
financial implications of state technology plans were the impetus for
the current study. Our primary purpose is to understand the views
promoted in these plans. The promotion of some ideas automatically
implies demotion of some others. We are thus also interested in finding
out what ideas are missing. We hope that, by highlighting both the
prominent and missing ideas about educational technology in state
technology plans, we have presented some insights that will be
beneficial to policy makers, teachers, and researchers. There are four
important dimensions of educational technology: technology, students,
teachers, and educational goals. How each of the aspects is viewed and
presented in the technology plans influences decisions on hardware and
software purchases, strategies for teacher professional development,
formulation of teaching objectives, as well as development of learning
opportunities for students. Our analysis concentrated on views of these
dimensions, specifically on the views endorsed and ignored by the
technology plans.
This paper presents an analysis of dominant discourses in state
educational technology plans. The potential pedagogical, political, and
financial implications of state technology plans were the impetus for
the current study. Our primary purpose is to understand the views
promoted in these plans. The promotion of some ideas automatically
implies demotion of some others. We are thus also interested in finding
out what ideas are missing. We hope that, by highlighting both the
prominent and missing ideas about educational technology in state
technology plans, we have presented some insights that will be
beneficial to policy makers, teachers, and researchers. There are four
important dimensions of educational technology: technology, students,
teachers, and educational goals. How each of the aspects is viewed and
presented in the technology plans influences decisions on hardware and
software purchases, strategies for teacher professional development,
formulation of teaching objectives, as well as development of learning
opportunities for students. Our analysis concentrated on views of these
dimensions, specifically on the views endorsed and ignored by the
technology plans.