Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Technology Standards and 21st Century Skills

Click on the following links and review the grade appropriate documents. Please comment on how well you think your students are being prepared to master these standards Include at least one item you can add to your action plan that will provide your students with greater opportunities to achieve these goals.

Profiles for Technology Literate Students -Performance Indicators, Curriculum Examples, and Scenarios http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_profiles.html

The Next Generation “What students should know and be able to do to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital world…” http://cnets.iste.org/administrators/NETS_S_standards-1-6.pdf

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's clear that a school needs to develop a plan to implement technology from the students' point of entry (usually K) to their graduation. A second grader who has not had access to technology either at school or at home, is at a distinct disadvantage.

Anonymous said...

However the tech plan needs to incorporate all constituents, families, students, and staff.

Anonymous said...

nice.

Bababooey said...

In order for schools to meet the needs of students going into an age of rapidly developing technology, it is important for us to not only reach these standards but to think forward in our planning. These standards are a great starting point and are something we should strive to achieve at the minimum.

Anonymous said...

Good Morning:

As a middle school leader, my staff and I struggle with creating an environment in which students learn to check the validity and reliability of electronic information. I am happy to learn that there is a standard that addresses this challenge.

Anonymous said...

I find these documents incredibly meaningful and thought provoking. I am surprised that this is the first time I have be informed of their existance when the message is so important in today's world

Anonymous said...

We have reached a point where technology must be integrated into our daily teaching and learning. We owe our students the best opportunities to be successful members of society.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, I think we have minimal technology expectations for our students. Students must be exposed to all types of technology and schools must receive extensive funding to support students/staff/community. My three year old daughter met MOST of the technology standards for grades K-2. Let's expect more from our students so he/she can produce much more.

Anonymous said...

It is obvious to me that at my school the technology plan has to be completely reworked to incorporate all the standards beginning with Pre-k. I am happy that an experienced technology person will be joining the staff next year. This document will be his focal point for lesson planning.

Anonymous said...

I had no idea technology standards existed. Many of our students are far advanced in the requirements. The students are tech savvy and "my space" ready. It is the parents that need the knowledge to keep up with their children.

Anonymous said...

The plan addresses an important area whisch all students will need in order to compete and be successful today and in the future. However, schools must be prepared and able to meet these requirements. Also teaqchers and parents must be part of this process.

Anonymous said...

High school students can use technology as an organizational tool and preparing applications for college.

Anonymous said...

My first response upon reading the article was "WOW" is that what is expected of children in K-2, 3-5, ect...? It is quite obvious that we have a long way to go to get to where this particular school is but everyone has to start somewhere. The point is to start not just on paper with a plan but to implement the plan.

Ms. Henry said...

Throughout the first month of getting to know the high school where I have recently been assigned as principal I am amazed by the range of comfort that the students have with the various course offerings presented at the school. The courses range from understanding the rudiments of desktop publishing, graphic design, CISCO Networking, pre-engineering, and robotics. There are also some programs that need to allow students to further show their abilities in a more interactive manner. Two of the areas are physical education and automotive. Strangely enough in those two areas I do not see where there is evidence of students being able to integrate technology in a meaningful way.
One of the many goals for this year will be to try to help the teachers overcome their reservations about integrating technology such that students have skills that can be used across disciplines. Also it will be important to engage in collaborative planning sessions that will meaningfully help the entire school community understand the necessity of developing a plan such that every child enhances his or her achievement levels in every discipline.

Anonymous said...

Use of telecommunication technology is a powerful tool in moving the education community forward. Teachers may collaborate with people from all around the world. Pupils may also utilize this type of media to become true global learners.

Anonymous said...

Technology is an area where students have the greatest discrepancies and gaps in prior knowledge. There will also be gaps in their progress for reasons beyond their control, i.e. the availability of tech in the home, language, parent understanding, etc. Should we hold students to formal technology standards and if we do - where is the funding for schools to provide equitable access to technology for all students?
Dolores Peterson

Melodee said...

thank you for sharing

Anonymous said...

These standards are good indicators for schools to think about developing a long term plan for technology. It is very important that our students get ample opportunities to use technology in a way that personalizes their learning.

Anonymous said...

I agree with everything that you said. However, my students are not quite there yet.

Dolores

Anonymous said...

This was a very interesting task. The end results were that my students are approaching their grade levels in meeting these standards.

Anonymous said...

Technology standards needs to be made as important as ELA and Math standards in all grades, and student success monitored.

Anonymous said...

It is a great idea for students to be aware of cultural differences and respect one another in social interactions.
My students have not had the opportunity to work on activities using the computer that align with standard 2. They will be introduced to such activities this school year.

Anonymous said...

Clearly, we have not respected the role and capacity that technology can assume in K-6 instruction. It's high time our school take as close a look at the Technology standards as we do the ELA and Math standards. Thank you for the enlightenment!

Anonymous said...

I plan on using these technology standards with staff and parents in September to jumpstart conversations about increased use of technology as a tool - and not just CAI.

J. Ambert said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

The selection and utilization of the appropriate technology tool is vital in solving problems as well as for students and teachers on a daily bases

Anonymous said...

The Performance indicators for technology literacy will be very useful in developing a technology plan and curriculum for my school-Lennel

J. Ambert said...

It is important to have a technology schoolwide plan and to design that plan with the end goals in mind. Prior to creating the tech plan, surveying your staff to find out what their needs are, as well as what their background is [technological], is crucial in order to develop a differentiated plan. This year, I used a UBD model to design and launch a school-wide technology plan to integrate technology into the curriculum and have teachers use technology as a tool to organize/analyze student data. The professional development plan/calendar with benchmark targets and next steps were needed in order to understand where the staff needed to go, as well as what foundational technology skills they needed/how to get there were essential prior to expecting the staff members to use computer technology.

Denise Vittor said...

It is true that all students should meet technology goals such as those stated in both articles. However, it is the availability of technology for every student that concerns me, as this is what is deterring us from using these tools in our classrooms.

WGoldberg said...

I was particularly interested in the scenerios presented in the first article (by grade). The idea that K-2 children can utilize the internet in such sophisticated ways is mind boggling!

WGoldberg said...

I particularly enjoyed reading the scenerios by grade. I was wonderful to read about K-2 children who are internet sauvy. I would like mine to be too- but then I will want my staff to feel that the children are capable, too!

WGoldberg said...

I particularly enjoyed reading about how internet sauvy K-2 children can be!! I will want my staff to understand and apreciate the fact that all children can achieve- in technology as well as core curriculum!

Anonymous said...

It is evident that students are now exposed to more technology than ever before prior to starting school. One problem is that the technology they are exposed to is often limited to: video games, cell phones, etc. We need to make an effort to expose them to the world of computer technology within the classroom. Many students in low income environments will not have access at home to some of the technology available.

Anonymous said...

It's clear we are even further behind than I thought. Using web based technology, communicating work collectively and using digital media with our current resources is a challenge. "The World is Flat" but my school still seems to be round.

Anonymous said...

I feel that the standards are universal and can be adapted for any school environment. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Technology must move out of the computer lab and into the classrooms and homes of our students.It is imperative that we work towards meeting these standards.

Anonymous said...

To meet these standards, it is also important to align teacher technology standards with the standards to be mastered by the students in all subject areas. How can we, as school leaders, affect this change through teacher training?

Anonymous said...

I am thinking that my school/staff does not have the infrastructure, resources, training and tools to begin to incorporate technology into the instructional program in a way that supports student achievement. I feel terribly behind the times and feel a sense of great urgency to bring this wonderful learning tool to my students.

Anonymous said...

We need to train our kids to think differently than we do! They are going to use people in other countries as a resource, where we simply visited the classroom next door! As administrators we have to understand the world is flat, and teach our students to be problem solvers of the 21st century.

Anonymous said...

A Technology Plan is a way to insure that K-5th grade students are having programs and resources made available to them on a routine basis.

Anonymous said...

A Technology Plan is a way to insure that K-5th grade students are having programs and resources made available to them on a routine basis.

Anonymous said...

A Technology Plan is a way to insure that K-5th grade students are having programs and resources made available to them on a routine basis.

Malissa Mootoo said...

I am really glad to have access to the technology standards. i will use these standards to further develop the work we started yesterday on my school technology plan. I will use these standards to hold my technology teacher accountable for student achievement. Additionally, I will use it to help develop my own professional development plan in technology.

Cindy Diaz-Burgos said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cindy Diaz-Burgos said...

About time

Anonymous said...

Reading the national technology standards, student profiles and essentials, lets me know we have a lot to do and we must get busy doing it so that our students wont be left behind. The technology plan is key.

Anonymous said...

I think this is wonderful material. Our expectations must be high for student achievement.

Anonymous said...

My students are far behind, but at least I have a clearer organizing point.