ISTE Standards (International Society for Technology in Education)

Analyzing ISTE Standards

Although I have not been formally exposed to the ISTE standards, I am, however, looking forward to learning about the standards as technology will be one of the main focuses of our Professional Development at my current school for this academic year. Presently, I am making a conscious effort to incorporate technology into my lessons while collaborating with my students as they engage with these tools. Since technology plays such a critical role in the real world, my hope is that these lessons will prepare my students for college and beyond.

I believe my colleagues would describe me as a Collaborator. As a teacher always looking for tools that fuel collaboration and growth, I find that technology is the key to accomplishing certain goals I have created for myself. First, I try to collaborate with colleagues to plan meaningful and hands-on lessons using technology at least once per unit plan. Second, in collaborating with students, I debrief with them after certain lessons that involve technology to try and troubleshoot challenges. Lastly, as a 6th grade team, we collaborate with parents and school leaders to support the students with tracking their progress in their online programs for Math, Reading and Science.

As an Empowered Learner’s students are motivated to take control of their learning and track their progress through the use of technology. In my current role, we culminate our Math Units with a Canva project that the students complete online. First, students set their personal learning goals and share them with me through Schoology. Then, students use Canva to show mastery of the Unit’s concepts through the crafting of a video, a slide show, or a poster.

Of the ITSE student standards, the Global Collaborator seems the most foreign to me. I believe it feels foreign to me because it appears the most challenging to implement at this time. The concept of Global Collaborator is evident in the article, Using STEM to Connect Elementary Students Locally and Globally. This article describes a STEM project that was a collaboration between a fourth-grade class in Texas and a fourth-grade class in Australia (Goldberg & Effinger, 2021). I am always looking for ways to bring innovative ideas to my classroom and as a Global Collaborator, I can find innovative ways to connect with experts and peers outside the classroom, sometimes coordinating activities across different time zones. With proper planning, it would be a great idea to collaborate with a classroom in another state and work on a math project together.

I can integrate the Digital Citizen in my current plans as the 6th grade begins our 6th grade check-ins. For our Leader in Me program, every 1st Thursday of the month, the entire 6th grade meets in the cafeteria for a series of chats to cover topics such as bullying, time management, and the effects of overusing social media. Keeping the Digital Citizen standard in mind, I could introduce and discuss certain topics like, (1) “The Golden Rule” - treating people online the same way you would in person and (2) “Respecting Privacy” - asking friends or family before posting and being considerate of others’ privacy.

There are some overlaps between Global Collaborator and Digital Citizen that I recognized after reviewing both sets of standards. As Ashely Cooksey outlines it in her article School Librarians as Digital Citizenship Leaders, digital citizenship should be integrated into all curriculum and lessons to cater to different personalities, learning styles and strategies (Cooksey, 2021). As Global Collaboration becomes widespread, students should remember to act ethically online when dealing with communities outside of the classroom. Remembering to respect different cultures when collaborating globally means being a Digital Citizen and being respectful and mindful of diverse cultures. In using technology properly, Digital Citizens must remember that applying the standards of the Global Collaborator means making sure you use online tools safely, legally and ethically.

In the book, Instructional Technology and Media for Learning, Smaldino discusses the 8 principles of effective instruction for learners. These principles seek to improve your practice by increasing student engagement in the classroom (Smaldino et al, 2019). Since students perform at different levels and learn differently, these principles support teachers in challenging students and meeting their individual needs. As we align these principles with the ISTE standards, the connections between the two are evident:

• Assessing prior knowledge - the Empowered Learner standard allows students to set their own goals and objectives.

• Consider Individual Differences - Educators must be aware of individual differences and as a Designer, we must accommodate a learner’s differences and needs

• State Objectives - As a Knowledge Constructor, students seek resources that support their learning needs and display meaningful connections

• Develop Metacognitive Skills - As an educator, the Facilitator reinforces independent and hands-on learning

• Provide Social Interaction - As Global Collaborators, students interact with online communities outside of the classroom

• Incorporate Realistic Contexts - Students can be Innovative Designers and identify new ways to solve problems

• Engage Students in Relevant Practice - As Computational Thinkers, students use digital tools to find different ways to problem solve

• Offer Frequent, Timely and Constructive Feedback - Teachers can be Analysts and use data to provide individualized learning and communicate feedback

References

Cooksey, A. (2024). School librarians as digital citizenship leaders. Knowledge Quest, 52(3), 10–15. Retrieved from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/

Goldberg, R., & Effinger, J. (2021). It's a Small World After All. Science and Children, 58(6), 26-29. https://ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/small-world-after-all/docview/2628336808/se-2

Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., Mims, C., & Russell, J. D. (2019). Instructional technology and media for learning (12th ed.). Pearson.