ISTE+Standard+I+Reflection

ISTE Standard I: Technology Operations and Concepts

This standard stands at the base of the pyramid as the foundational skill set for anyone who works with technology, be it in the schoolhouse or the private sector. In 1999, Andrew Trotter found that significantly fewer teachers reported having training for curriculum integration than for technology skills training (as cited in Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 21). In developing activities for my own campus, I found this discrepancy to be present on my own campus. I knew from my own experiences that district training still tended towards a large group professional develop session devoted solely to the features and processes of an application without any classroom context (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 21). I wanted to create a training and support environment that provided skill, scope, and applicability. In reviewing the implementation guidelines of this standard, I found that my goals and expectations fall much more directly in line with the role of a facilitator vs. that of a leader, largely because I so value the more intimate, small-group professional development opportunities that arise (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 23). Specifically, I see this standard a foundation for Standard II: Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences, because of the need to incorporate technology into targeted instruction and assessment (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p.38). In particular, these two standards create the template for the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, where instruction is designed to be adaptive to the unique needs of learners. It is varied and flexible in presentation, scenario, and student response and can also be used to create authentic, formative assessment, a priority in the national plan (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 19, 28-33). In various courses, particularly Teaching with Technology, I utilized many of the standards' indicators in creating an earth science curriculum that could be scaled to various grade levels, learning styles, skill groups, and instructional environments. Because this project was a collaborative effort, I had outstanding input and perspective from colleagues in a wide variety of specialties and disciplines. Additionally, I focused my action research efforts on the effects of more project-based professional development and ongoing professional support on technology implementation and student outcomes. Because students drive the learning in a constructivist classroom through inquiry and cooperative learning strategies, it is in the effort to create a truly student-centered classroom that technology can prove so powerful. At the very outset of their book, //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works//, the authors remind us that “integrating technology into instruction tends to move classrooms from teacher-dominated environments to ones that are more student-centered” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 3). This research project afforded specific opportunities to focus attention on the needs of particular grade levels not only in terms of technical expertise but in terms of lesson-building in order to ensure student-centered learning. Moving forward, I hope to embark on a career path that affords me opportunities to put this standard into practice. At heart, I continue to be a teacher. While I would like to broaden my audience and adjust my scope, my love for teaching and learning has not dimmed. I want to show teachers that the benefits of having technology can only be reaped through true integration of resources into best practices.

References:

Office of Educational Technology. (2010). //Transforming american education: Learning powered by technology.// U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and// //Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to// //Do.// Washington: International Society for Technology in Education.