Standard One 1

ISTE Standard 1 Equity and Citizenship Advocate

Ebony Dixon

EDIT*760*D1 Instructional Tech Leadership - 24/SP

January 22, 2024

Standard One 2

Introduction

Technology has evolved tremendously over the last century. One area that has been

affected the most is education. Technology has changed the way students learn and educators

teach in the 21st century. It has allowed for greater access to information, promotes

collaboration, and enhances learning. The International Society for Technology in Education

(ISTE) guides educators in using technology to create high-impact, sustainable and scalable

learning experiences for all students. There are four main standards within the ISTE. Which are

for Students, Educators, Education Leaders, and for Coaches. However, the standard that will be

focused on for this paper is the standard for Education Leaders. With permission from my

administrator, I will be gathering data and conducting research at the elementary school I

currently work at. I will also be interviewing the media specialist being that she can answer the

most questions about the various types of technology we have in our building.

The Standards for Education Leaders provides guidelines for leaders to follow to ensure

that educators and students are provided with a framework for digital age learning as well as

digital citizenship. There are five standards for education leaders to follow under the ISTE

Standards for Education Leaders. They ensure educators use technology appropriately to meet

the educational needs of all students.

The first standard is Equity and Citizenship Advocate. The main objective of this

standard is that leaders will use technology to increase equity, inclusion, and digital citizenship

practices. I believe this standard, and its indicators are the framework for what educators should

know before incorporating technology within their classrooms. One of the main takeaways I got

from this standard is the importance of digital citizenship and how digital citizenship should be

modeled for educators and students.

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Indicators

Educational Leaders should guarantee that all students have skilled teachers who actively

use technology to meet their learning needs. This is the first indicator under the ISTE- Standards

for Education Leaders: Equity and Citizenship Advocate standard. With the rapid advancement

of technology in the education field it is important that educators are trained on the latest

technologies. It is evident that appropriate and effective technology can drive instruction to meet

the learning needs of students.

This indicator made me think about the training of the educators at the school that I

currently work at. Personally, I know that I have been taking classes to better my understanding

of how to effectively use technology in the classroom. As well as some new ways to incorporate

it into my lessons. I decided to contact my administrator to set up a time to meet and discuss

educators' use of technology within the building and the training they receive. The first question

I asked was “How do you ensure that educators use technology to meet the needs of students?”. I

was informed that educators are encouraged to incorporate technology into their lessons and

classrooms. Some of the technologies that they use are Smartboards, Promethean boards,

computers, iPads, document cameras, and digital technologies. Educators are provided with

professional workshops that they can attend to learn more or receive training on physical

technologies. There are also professional development opportunities in the summer and on

specific days throughout the school year that they can attend to learn about various digital

technologies.

The second indicator states that all students should have access to the technology and

connectivity necessary to participate in authentic and engaging learning opportunities. It is

important that students are exposed to engaging learning opportunities. One way that is possible
Standard One 4

is by using technology, digital tools, resources, and actual devices within the classroom. I asked

my administrator “How do you ensure that each student has access to technology in the

classroom”. I was advised that during the previous school year the school district creates a

budget for each school based off the demographics and anticipated enrollment for the next school

year. The media specialist takes an inventory of the technology at the end of the school year and

its condition. With that information they can make sure that there are enough iPads for all

students and staff as well as extras in the event some are damaged or there are new students or

staff throughout the school year. Since the elementary school that I teach in, has a large

population compared to other schools. I asked about connectivity and what steps are taken so

students and staff can access the internet without interruption. The district maintains and controls

the internet in each building. Therefore, if there is a connectivity issue the media specialist will

contact the appropriate person at the district office. Hopefully the issue will be resolved in a

manner to not disrupt learning.

It is evident that digital technology is changing the way students are learning in many

classrooms. Digital technology allows for instruction to be personalized and differentiated to

meet the widespread needs of students. In relation to differentiated instruction many educators

may find it difficult to find a tool the student will gain the most benefits from. Kilbane &

Milman (2023) explain that when picking a specific technology or tool for students. The

educational leader or educator should accomplish the “4Es” to determine if the tool will make

learning for engaging. The 4Es are equitable, efficient, effective, and engaging. By following the

4ES, instruction will drive the design of learning experiences and technology’s integration within

it (Kilbane & Milman 2023).

Standard One 5

Many schools including the one that I work at have adopted a blended learning model. A

blended learning model blends face to face classroom instruction and online learning through a

learning management system (Tang & Chaw 2016). The biggest goal of a blended learning

model is that it allows for instruction that was taught face to face to be reenforced through digital

technology. From interviews with educators and personal experience, I know that our

administrator ensures that we have the appropriate resources to provide authentic learning

experiences. One teacher mentioned that they found an app that helps struggling students with a

math concept that they were learning that was not available on the iPad to students. The educator

then presented the app to administration and after exploring the app and ensuring that it was

appropriate. The educator was then informed that the district purchased a license for her to use

and a few other educators on her teams well.

Indicator three states that Educational Leaders should model digital citizenship,

contribute to positive social change, as well as critically evaluate online resources. At first

glance, a person would think this indicators’ focus would be about showing students how to

safely use technology. However, the overall main idea of this standard is for educational leaders

to verify that educators teach their students safe and responsible ways to interact with technology

regarding emails, social media, and with interacting with peers on the internet. As leaders it is

safe to not assume that educators know everything when it comes to being a digital citizen. There

should be discussions about the legal, ethical, and safety issues that relate to technology. Which

is focused on in the fourth indicator. Which states Educational Leaders should promote

responsible online behavior, including the safe, ethical, and legal use of technology. In my

opinion, indicators three and four closely build on each other. I asked my administrator what

steps are taken to confirm that the educators in the building know the safe practices of the
Standard One 6

internet. During the summer and at the beginning of the school year the district emails everyone

“SafeSchools” to complete. These online virtual trainings are self-paced. They cover topics on

cyberbullying, fair use, how to keep students’ information confidential, legal, and ethical polices

in the workplace. The data from who completes them is sent to her so that there is a record of

who received the training. Also, during staff meetings at the start of the school year the educators

in my building sit through some technology scenarios in which we are given feedback. Although

the information that is covered are things we already know. There is always a scenario that is

unique which we learn something from every year.

There are nine themes that digital citizenship is broken down into. These themes help us

educators explain and model how to be a digital citizen for students. Common Sense Education

is a resource that provides grade level specific lessons on digital citizenship. When I asked other

educators in my building who should be responsible for planning and teaching students about

digital citizenship, they stated that it should be up to the media specialist. Educators should

reenforce those skills in the classroom. There was a study done where teachers in Utah were

asked who should be responsible for planning and teaching digital citizenship. The majority

voted that it should be a combination of educators and school librarians (Phillips & Lee 2019).

My administrator agreed that it should be a collaborative effort with her making sure that

everyone had the proper training which they do have.

After researching the first standard under the Standards for Education Leaders and its

indicators; I have a better understanding of the importance of the need for all educators to have a

clear understanding of what it means to be a digital citizen. As a result of the interviews with my

administrator, media specialist, and educators in my building I am confident in knowing that we

have had sufficient trainings to be able to teach and model for our students how to navigate
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technology safely and effectively. I am also confident in knowing that there is tremendous

preparation to ensure that all students and educators have access to adequate working technology

and digital tools.

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Reference

Kilbane, C., & Milman, N. B. (2023). Differentiated Learning and Technology: A Powerful

Combination: Dynamic, individualized instruction is possible when teachers intentionally

design learning experiences. Educational Leadership, 80(9), 20–25.

Phillips, A. L., & Lee, V. R. (2019). Whose Responsibility Is It? A Statewide Survey of School

Librarians on Responsibilities and Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship. School

Library Research, 22.

Tang, C. M., & Chaw, L. Y. (2016). Digital Literacy: A Prerequisite for Effective Learning in a

Blended Learning Environment? Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 14(1), 54–65.