Tracking US Trends in Technology Use

Today I read an article that is related to chapter 4 of the Williamson text.  This article specifically tracked the trends of how technology is used across the United States.  It focused a lot of the disconnect among states and the fact that many states don't measure up to parameters set before them.  A majority of the 50 states failed to meet the expectations placed in front of them and there are very few that meet the expectations in an exceptional manner.  That being said states are trying to improve and work on using the technology to the best of their abilities, but it takes a lot of work.  There are already a million different things that teachers need to fit into a single day and a single lesson and to expect them to get a grip on new technologies is a lot of initial work, yes it pays off, but it is a lot on the teacher at the beginning.  That is why having people who are technology specialists is important it is nice to have those people who can walk teachers through what they need to be doing and ways to improve their classroom instruction through the use of technology.  States are trying to improve on their low scores and improve education, but it is not as easy as it may seem.  Besides having funding for the equipment needed they must also have skilled and trained professionals who can proficiently and effectively use the technology at their hand.  This article mainly focused on how states are trying to improve and some steps that may help them in this process.