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Sarah Cordes

Dr. Jaffarzadeh

TED 507

30 June 2019

ISTE Standards

As society and our world changes, technology is becoming more integrated into our daily

lives. We see it in the home, the workplace, and throughout our daily routines. Because of this

increased usage of technology, it would only make sense that technology would become

increasingly used in the classroom. The ISTE Standards are significant to education because they

provide a “A comprehensive practical approach to developing lifelong learners” (Introducing

Standards, 2016). The ISTE Standards provide the guidelines for using technology in the

classroom, both for students and for educators. The ISTE Standards are significant in education

because they give a framework for how to create and promote technologically literate students

and educators. Developing technological literacy helps students to understand how to use

technology and the internet safely, become critical thinkers and problem solvers, and how to

collaborate within their classroom community, home community, and the global community. The

ISTE Standards are also significant in education because they help to empower students to take

responsibility for their education through using different technological innovations, apps,

programs, etc.

In an ideal situation, I would use the ISTE Standards to provide a framework for how to

teach responsible technology use, but also how to use it as a learning tool. Before students can

use technology as a learning tool, they must understand how to be safe and ethical (ISTE Student

Standard 2b, 2019). When students are able to understand this, I would try to use technology in
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different ways in the classroom. Using a variety of programs, such as Google Drive, can allow

student collaboration on projects. This would also allow me to observe and monitor student work

by creating a Google Classroom and having all Drive work shared with me. Students could also

use other apps and programs to explore the world, such as Google Earth or Expeditions, create

art projects, pursue hobbies, and many other things. Allowing students to use different apps and

programs can allow them to help discover what they do and don’t like, while helping them to

discover who they are. Through using technology as a learning tool, students can complete

different assignments and projects as well. In an ideal situation, I think I would use technology

minimally at first, but as the school year progressed and students started understanding how to

use the technology wisely, I would integrate it more and more into my teaching.

When comments are made, such as “infusing technology with learning” and “teaching

technology vs. integrating technology,” they are talking about how technology is used in the

classroom. As educators, we need to integrate technology in the classroom and make it a tool for

learning/teaching. Technology should not only be used in the classroom “because it’s cool and

fun. We know it’s cool and fun,” but it should be used as a way to promote student learning

(Michelle Ostot, ISTE Standards: Preparing Students, 2015). Educators should not simply teach

students how to use technology because most of them already know due to increased exposure in

today’s world. However, educators should use it as a tool for teaching, similar to how teachers

would use textbooks, writing assignments, lab exercises, etc. When technology is used as a

learning tool, educators are integrating/infusing technology with learning.

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References

Introducing the 2016 ISTE Standards for Students. (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=mDCAnJ8NnFA

ISTE Standards for Students. (2019). ISTE- International Society for Technology in Education.

https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

ISTE Standards: Preparing Students for the Digital Age. (2015).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beb45Q4dsig