Resolutions Related to Higher Education

B-66. Technology in the Educational Process

The National Education Association believes that technology in the educational process improves the learning opportunities for students, improves the quality of instruction, and improves the effectiveness of education employees. Technology can provide opportunities to reduce educational inequities.

The Association supports increased federal, state, and local resources, along with public/private partnerships, to fully fund equipment purchases/leases/upgrades, maintenance, technical support, training, evaluation, and staffing to support the full use of technology in public schools, public colleges, and publicuniversities.

The Association also believes that—

1. Education employees must have access to necessary technology for managing and advancing instruction. Such technology must be compatible with and on at least the same level as technology in general use outside education. Further, education employees should be provided training, encouragement, time, and resources to experiment with and to research applications of technology in order to integrate technology into all curricula as a regular part of the instructional day.
2. Education employees, including representatives of the local affiliate, must be involved in all aspects of technology utilization, including planning, materials selection, implementation, and evaluation. Additional preparation time and ongoing technological support must be granted to teachers using technology to enrich their instruction. Further, classroom teachers, higher education faculty, and library/media specialists must have collaborative planning time.
3. Teacher preparation in instructional technology, including the development of effective materials, and appropriate instructional strategies must be included in college and university programs.
4. Ongoing professional development must be provided for education employees in the use,
   integration, and applications of technologies to enhance instruction.
5. Students must have access to and instruction in technology and the responsible use of technology. Further, there must be equity in training, funding, and participation for all students.
6. f. Instructional technology should be used to support instruction and must be directed by a licensed teacher.
7. Instructional technology should be used to improve the learning opportunities for students, the quality of instruction, and/or the effectiveness of education employees, rather than to reduce positions, hours, or compensation.
8. The evaluation of education employees in any technological program should be conducted openly, be tailored to the medium, and meet the requirements of the local collective bargaining agreement or evaluation policy.
9. The impact of technology, telecommunications, and distance education on education employees should be subject to local collective bargaining agreements.
10. j. Education employees’ participation in distance education must be mutually established in employer policies, locally negotiated agreements, and/or other sources that establish the terms and conditions of employment for education employees.
11. Equity and freedom of access to information unimpeded by geographic, economic, social, or cultural constraints is essential.
12. Education employees should own the copyright to materials that they create in the course of their employment. (1981, 2005)

NOTE: Figures in parentheses represent the years when the resolution was first adopted and last amended or reviewed.