Most New Mexico teachers, new and experienced, have not completed enough training to prepare them to use technology in teaching or in running classroom business. In addition, most schools in New Mexico lack the staff to provide curricular development, technical assistance and ongoing support necessary for using technology. Many students in New Mexico have more technology available in their bedrooms than is available in the school room. For most students who do not have access to technology at home, school is the only alternative for learning how to use the technology tools necessary to prepare for higher education and career opportunities. We know that technology can play an important role in the learning process by enabling more active learning.
Distance education can bring classes unavailable by any other means to rural and urban students.
Appropriate use of technology can also provide more individualized instruction along with powerful tools for researching, creating and publishing new knowledge, and training which prepares students for the job market. First, we need to identify the current situation in New Mexico schools. Second, we need to utilize a combination of local decision making and state leadership in identifying how we want to use technology in the classroom. Third, we need to develop a plan of action tied to the Educational Plan for Student Success which fully integrates educational technology into the learning process. The New Mexico Council on Technology in Education implemented the above statewide planning process to develop the recommendations for action contained in this plan, Road Map to School Improvement Part 2.