Standards and Conditions in Technology for Learning

Today, technology has developed in a way that most people could never have imagined. Youth are living in the technological world and have never known any different while older individuals are forced to try and keep up with it. However, it seems that the older generations have a sense of discernment that Generation X might be lacking.

To help students and teachers the International Society for Teachers in Education has developed five standards and performance indicators. A detailed explanation of each of the standards and performance indicators can be found at: http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2.  Each of them are interesting and important however, I will focus on the first one for this entry. Technology provides a new way for people to illustrate their own creativity.  How can teachers facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity through technology? Teachers can demonstrate and encourage students to use technology to show their own unique ways of thinking and inventing. They can help students grapple with life problems and world issues from research and other Web 2.0 technologies. Teachers can encourage student reflection by helping them develop their thinking and understanding of issues. Finally teachers can encourage creativity through technology by teaching their students how to communicate and share ideas responsibly. Technology can help develop creativity in students who may not fall into the studies that are traditionally considered creative such as art and music.

ISTE also has fourteen essential conditions for teachers: http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/netsessentialconditions.pdf?sfvrsn=2. Two that I find particularly interesting are ongoing professional learning and student-centered learning. As I mentioned before for those of us who remember a time before the internet and not having a computer in our house it takes effort to stay up to date with technology. Teachers need to continue learning about technology, how they can use it to teach more effectively and how they can teach their students to use it responsibly. During my placement in a SK/ Grade 1 class I saw the benefits of using technology for student centered learning. Students could work on independent reading online at home and the teacher is able to see what the students are reading, how they are doing, and how frequently they are using the program. This program is called Raz- Kids and a great resource to add to your classroom. Class Dojo is an app that was also beneficial to this classroom to help with behavior. There are so many fantastic resources out there that, when used effectively can be very helpful in the classroom.