ISTE Standard #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

     Standard five of the ISTE-NETS explains that teachers should continuously strive to improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning and exhibit leadership in their schools and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.  In other words, educators should continually learn about their field and encourage the viable use of different technological tools and resources.  There are four indicators of this standard.
     First, teachers need to be creative in applying technology to improve student learning.  To do this, they are encouraged to participate in local and global learning communities.  Many teachers who don’t have basic knowledge of incorporating technology might be fearful of reaching out to colleagues who are technologically savvy and who regularly intertwine technology with their courses.   Another issue is a real and perceived lack of time to learn.  To remedy these situations, teachers could take technology courses for required recertification points.  When I taught in Williamsburg, we were encouraged and expected to attend engaging and challenging technology classes from UVA.  This was a clear indication to me that the district where I taught valued an educated workforce.  Another way to participate in learning communities is to make friends outside school who use creative technology.  Charleston has a “technology corridor” where many creative people downtown gather regularly to share what they know.  
     The second indicator of this standard is to exhibit leadership and encourage others to embrace and implement a vision of technology.   A hindrance to comply with this is if there’s a fear of technology.  A way to overcome this fear is to regularly model how technology is being used inside the classroom.  It’s better to do this in smaller settings at first within departments.  Then at school meetings, each department could showcase what technologies are utilized within the classes. 
     The third and fourth indicators of this standard are to regularly evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice in regards to technology, and to make a real positive contribution to the school and community.  Many educators might find that there is too little time to study current research if it’s not intertwined in a sensible way.   Here again the teamwork and optimism of the school is really key.  If there is a vacuum of apathy then contempt and isolation rears.  It’s vital that the leadership in the school encourages technology education for the teaching staff without being authoritative or threatening.  During my department meetings, we are expected to share something new that we’ve learned whether from conferences or journals and our IT department regularly shares a new gadget or trend.  Everyone is expected to contribute, even the VPs.  The top down approach to this ISTE standard makes sense, but without hiring people who have a resilient and optimistic attitude, it’s difficult for any of these indicators to resonate.

ISTE Standard Four

Standard four of the ISTE-NETS states that teachers should understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in a changing digital culture, and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.  In other words, educators need to be aware of world events and model responsible digital use.   

Educators must provide access to appropriate digital resources with special regard to the different needs of all learners.  A hindrance for some teachers to comply with this part of the standard is the cost of gaining equitable access to appropriate digital tools.  One course of action is to become involved in community outreach programs through religious affiliates, universities and hospitals.  These institutions have a high stake in the success of their communities and particularly the children.  Universities might help schools acquire grants to attain needed technology for the communitty.

This standard also explains that it is the educators’ responsibility to teach the ethical use of digital information including giving respect for intellectual property.  A hindrance to comply with this part of the standard is some of the beliefs imbedded in our culture.  Anything that slows the transfer of information is viewed as extemporaneous.  It seems common for people to believe they won’t get caught if they steal information and to feel justified in that “everyone does it.”   Immature minds may not fully grasp that doing the right thing takes more time, work and empathy.  Time, work and empathy are not mainstream attitudes in our culture.  A course of action is for teachers to teach a lesson on piracy, its negative effects, and also teach how to properly cite.  This should be done every year before students first work on the computers at school.  The work on the front end will help instill and reinforce the right information and attitude toward information ownership. 

Teachers need to promote digital etiquette and social interaction when using technology.  In other words, teachers need to rise above the inappropriate, albeit popular ways people communicate through technology.  Communication has a chance to evolve, but unfortunately language has become bastardized to the point of commonly used insulting, cryptic language.  It’s unfortunate, but telling that teachers have been caught showing inappropriate content, like movies or photos, to students because pop culture deems certain information all right.  These teachers are rightfully terminated to the shock of students and shockingly to some adults who themselves are lulled into thinking that pop culture is the standard. This ITSE standard reminds teachers there is a line of greater responsibility they need to walk.

This standard also states that teachers should model and build a cultural understanding by communicating with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital tools.  In other words, instructors need to bridge communities using technological resources.  A hindrance to comply with this part of the standard is finding a schoolteacher in another culture who would be willing to communicate in a way to add value to instruction.  A course of action for the American teacher might be to speak to the school’s administrators and ascertain whether there are sister schools in other parts of the world.  If not, seek advice or permission to help find a district in another country that would be open to the idea. 

I am ready to meet this standard because I’m not afraid of seeking information.  My weakness is lack of practice, but I imagine being open to the ITSE standard is the biggest challenge teachers encounter.  When it comes to etiquette, I think I have a pretty good grasp of what’s ethical.  If a teacher has a strong moral compass, I would hope technology wouldn’t be the temptation to go off course.  There’s a challenge, many times, in teaching students right from wrong, because many parents pick and choose when they want teachers to teach life skills.  Ethics are part of life skills.  It would be problematic when parents’ behaviors counter this ITSE standard.  I imagine if there is any parental backlash, a realistic course of action is to team with administrators and ask for support.

        

Standard Three

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     Standard three of the ISTE-NETS for teachers explains that teachers should exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes that model an innovative professional in a global and digital society.   In other words, educators need to use different technological systems, and communicate effectively with students, peers, and parents.  They also need to delve into their subject matter while utilizing current and emerging digital tools such as credible teaching websites.

     This standard also states that teachers need to collaborate with students, peers, parents and the community to support student success and innovation.   A hindrance for some teachers to comply with this standard is first gauge the digital access and fluency of students, parents, peers, and the community. 

     One course of action for these teachers to take is that during in-service days, all gathered teachers should talk about and explore their technological modes of communication.  At the least, ensure that all colleagues use the school’s email.  If there’s a board or blog, suggest that others to start using it.  I used to regularly communicate with colleagues, and continually converse with department colleagues so at the minimum, the history department had a consistent way to communicate with teachers, students, and parents.

     One way for teachers to assess students’ technological fluency is ask colleagues which technologies they utilize in their classes.  Also, many schools have websites where teachers are expected to post current information such as projects and grades.  School websites should be user friendly since a lot of the school’s information is public.  This is a great way to expose the community to different levels of technology. 

     Educators can assess parents’ digital savvy during open house by simply asking parents their preferred method of communication.  A good way to gauge ongoing accessibility and fluency is to revisit this discussion during parent conferences.  Teachers should have a variety of technologies with which to communicate.  I used to regularly communicate with parents via simple technology like telephone and email.  There is an inevitable hindrance with a teacher utilizing new technologies:  Money.  If schools and families simply don’t have access to the latest and greatest technology, teachers and parents should agree on a common way to communicate.

     If student projects required more advanced technology that the school owned, it was my responsibility that there was computer time for students.  In all the schools I taught, I usually had two computers in my room. The computer labs would have about 20 computers.  Using the computer lab was the most efficient way to work on more involved projects that exposed students to different technologies.  It was resourceful to have help from the librarian, and to allow the all students to have their own computer.  The hindrance for any school is cost.  At-risk communities and schools would find it more difficult to implement more advanced technology due costs such software licenses and hardware.

     This ISTE-NETS standard also encourages teachers to be able to transfer knowledge between technology systems.  Some schools may only work with Microsoft while many personal computers work on Macintosh.  Students need to know how to translate any familiar language for things like menus and palettes in the event they work between different systems.  Teachers should glean if this will be an issue before starting a project, so that they could prepare students with tips or guides.   This part of the standard is important because this happens all the time for many people, not just those in academia.  Many businesses have systems that use jargon that is different than many common personal computers.  Learning and teaching about common technological terms would be beneficial. 

     This standard supports ongoing technology classes for teachers.  The more educators use technology, the richer their learning and teaching will be.

Standard Two: ISTE-NETS

          Standard two of the ISTE-NETS for teachers states that teachers should design and develop technological learning experiences and assessments by using modern tools and resources.  This means that teachers should be more creative in building more technologically based learning environments and evaluations.  This standard also explains that teachers need to build learning activities to fit different learning styles of students.  Modern tools and resources can help develop knowledge and help effectively measure learning comprehension.   Additionally, students should be active participants in their own learning goals and assessments.   This standard also states that teachers should use resulting data to better measure students and to sharpen their teaching.

            A hindrance for some teachers to comply with this standard might be that they don’t know where to find credible, modern resources.  One course of action for these teachers is to start exploring nationally recognized educational websites that offer creative, user-friendly resources.  Teachers could research tools by navigating the US Department of Education site or the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards site.  Through this type of research, these teachers might find creative online technological teaching tools such as math minutes found on Mathdrill.com or social studies webquests from Scholastic.com.  I had a lot of success using geography webquests as creative teaching tools that engaged students in different grades and students with different learning abilities.

            This ISTE-NETS standard encourages teachers to allow students to pursue their own educational goals and assess their own progress.  For example, a teacher might develop a project rubric with the help of students.  A few advantages become obvious to reluctant teachers.  If students participate in the assessment, they would be engaged and more empowered in a project from beginning to end.  Also, by involving students in the assessment, they should never be surprised by a grade.   If teachers don’t know where to find basic rubrics for projects, a remedy is for them to do a simple search on the Internet for rubric samples and they will likely find a site such as Rubistar.  Rubistar offers templates for rubrics.   A teacher who visits this site could select a specific project and customize the assessment with the help of the students.  I readily implemented this concept by designing my own rubrics with the help of templates found from online sites and with the help of students.  This encouraged “buy in” from students while building legitimate rubrics.  I got rubrics, tailored them with the help of students, and the students had clear roadmaps of expectations that they helped articulate.     

            This standard states that teachers should use resulting data from assessments to better measure learning and teaching.  In other words, by using quickly formatted data, it would be easier and quicker to see a snapshot of student progress and results.   Teachers would see where a student’s baseline is and how they progress with objectives.  I would use digital tools and resources to help me communicate better and faster with students, parents, and administrators.  Faster, more detailed feedback would help me focus on specific student issues that need attention.   This feedback would also highlight which teaching styles have more success.  A hindrance for some teachers to comply with this standard might be a perceived lack of time to tailor lessons and assessments.  I would feel anxious about time consuming searches, myself.   One course of action I would take is to suggest that this particular ISTE-NETS standard be discussed during a department meeting.  We could discuss examples of how colleagues design authentic lessons and assessments through technology.  After exploring some tested sites, I’m sure I would find that many tools are easy and quick to implement.

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