New Tech Standards & Requirements

I think that it is great that there are standards in a classroom for technology. I can understand that these standards may not work in every classroom setting. Students do need a basic understanding of technology.
NETS-Students

• creative
• collaboration
• use
• responsibility
• concepts

These standards don't seem like they would be hard ones to follow in a standard classroom. Lets let students work together and be creative to learn instead of throwing information at them and assume they will soak it up like a sponge.


NETS-Teachers

• facilitate or inspire
• design & develop
• model
• promote
• engage

As teachers we have a responsibility to show our students how things work and let them know the right from wrong. Depending on the age of the students will determine how much you need to tell them or work with them to learn. Students need to be challenged and need to be taught how to figure out what sources they can use on a research paper. Teachers need to encourage students to use technology and not shy away from it.

OETS

• Creativity
• collaboration
• research fluency
• critical thinking
•  digital citizenship
• concepts

Students need to be able to use their good brains to critically think and problem solve. They need to be able to research topics using the internet. They need to learn responsible behavior will using technology. Students need to also have fun with it and collaborate with their peers. Students need to understand the tools that they are using and be able to explain them.

Technology in a Science classroom.


I can have my students work on a group presentation (3-4 per group). Each group will pick a topic from the list. Then I will spend part of a class period going over different computer programs that my students will be able to use for their presentation. I will give them a week to gather their resources on their topic. As a  class we will visit the media center and have the students put together their presentation.I will give them 1 more week to finalize their presentations and then they will present their topic to the class.

This lesson will allow students to explore and be creative with technology. Working in groups and presenting their findings satisfies being collaborative. They need critical thinking and problem solving skills to make their presentation flow and to figure out how to put it together, especially if they haven't worked with the program before. While gathering their data, they need to learn which web sites are okay and which ones are not. They need to learn how to be good digital citizens. While they are getting hands on experience with computers, they are learning computer concepts.

As a teacher, I am facilitating and inspiring my students to use technology by introducing them to different programs. I am modeling some of the different programs that they will be able to use. I am promoting technology and encouraging my students to engage in the use of technology. By having the computer part of the presentation be an in class activity it allows all of my students to participate.