ISTE 5 Reflection

Holly Crosby

Reflection on Standard 5 - ISTE-NETS for Teachers

      Standard five of the ISTE-NETS encourages teachers to engage in professional growth and leadership. Teaching is a profession where you are never finished learning. Teachers must continuously grow and improve through professional development, in order to keep up with today’s technolgy. By growing individually one shows that they are becoming a better leader. As the use of technology increases, educators need to grow with technology as well so that they are able to allow their students to excel in a digital world. The indicators for standard five are as follows:

A.    Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications for technology to improve student learning.

B.     Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

C.     Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

D.    Contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.

When I reviewed these standards, it made me think about my own reflection on how I am growing as a teacher using technology.

A.    At James Island Elementary, we regularly meet with our PLC (Professional Learning Community) to discuss how to go about delving into the new Common Core standards. I think in the future we need to discuss the need for students using more technology in the classroom. Students need to know how to navigate on the Smarter Balance test, how to type, how to research on the Internet, and how to save documents on a computer or flash drive. Teachers need to take ownership that they need to advance students technologically. Educators do not want students going into a digital society with no basic computer skills.

B.     At my school, we may need to have a technology committee that would discuss how we could come up with ways to infuse technology into each grade level or computer class. They may be able to raise money to buy a typing program that we desperately need.

C.     Teachers need to stay current on the different technology applications and tools that are there for them to use. Teachers should also evaluate how well and how frequently they are incorporating technology into the classroom. Technology usage needs to be meaningful not a time waster when students go onto a website like poptropica to just play mindless games.

D.    Teachers must take ownership of their professional growth with technology. Recently, I took a technology course that helped me advance what I already know and apply it to my classroom. I learned many new programs and applications that will help my students get the technology that they need.

It is so important for teachers to grow professionally with their knowledge of technology usage and tools, because technology can help students become motivated so quickly to learn and do better in school.

ISTE 4 Reflection

Holly Crosby

Reflection on Standard 4 - ISTE-NETS for Teachers

      Standard four of the ISTE-NETS explains the responsibility that a teacher has while using technology in the classroom. Teachers are to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. Teachers are the example and model in the classroom. The teacher must be informed themselves about proper technology usage before informing their students about safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology. The indicators for this standard are as follows:

A.    Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

B.     Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learning-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

C.     Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

D.    Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools.

When I reviewed these indicators, this is what I thought it would look like for the teacher:

A.    Teachers must be the role model using the technology. They must be respectful, show etiquette, and be confident while using technology. Teachers must also teach students about plagiarism and how one must give credit to a source when credit is needed.

B.     Teachers need to give all students the opportunity to learn through the use of digital technology. Digital technology used in the classroom should allow students to meet their individual learning goals. Teachers need to be familiar with students’ needs and decide what technology application is best for them.

C.     Teachers must teach students etiquette for using the Internet, computers, and any other sort of technology before students are able to use them properly.

D.    Classrooms may participate in communicating with other students from around the world through a blog.

      In my classroom, I definitely model the responsible use of technology in the classroom. I think it would be a great idea for all of my students to go onto www.netsmartzkid.org to learn about online safety before embarking on any projects that I assign to them. I think that technology is a great way to get all students involved and to excel in their education. Last year, I had a student who was very low in reading so a lot of times she would get onto MyOn to practice her reading skills. At our school, we also had an intervention group that I thought was great where students would get onto the Lexia program to help them excel in reading as well. I think it would be really interesting to communicate with students from around the world. Technology in the classroom can be a really wonderful advantage, but the correct usage must be taught so that unnecessary problems do not occur.

ISTE 3: Modeling Digital Age Work and Learning

Holly Crosby

Reflection on Standard 3 - ISTE-NETS for Teachers

      Standard three of the ISTE-NETS exibits teachers modeling digital age work and learning. This standard encourages teachers to model, communicate, and collaborate with their students, colleagues, and school community using current technologies and digital media. Teachers can do this by becoming knowledgeable and skilled in the most up to date technology.  In today’s society, technology is everywhere so teachers must be able to prepare students for life in an increasingly digital society. Teachers must be on the cutting edge of innovation, constantly learning about and working with the growing number of technologies that are available at our fingertips. Standard three ultimately wants teachers to use a variety of technology tools to maximize each students’ way of learning. Standard three’s indicators are as follows:

A.    Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

B.    Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

C.          Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

D.    Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

After reviewing these indicators, I have thought about how this would look in the classroom for the teacher.

A.    Teachers would know how to use a variety of programs, such as Glogster, Wix, Animto, Movie Maker, Smart Board, Power Point, and Excel. Teachers may also learn how to utilize student computers, laptops, and iPads to the best of their ability in order to increase student performance.

B.    Teachers may use Edmodo or a classroom blog to communicate with students, colleagues, or parents. Students could be directed to take online quizzes that the student can utilize at home and in school.

C.    Teachers could set up a classroom website that gives pertinent information out to students and parents about past or upcoming events, homework, photos of what has been done in class, and easy ways of contacting one another.

D.    Teachers can set up an Excel data chart where they are able to analyze and evaluate information from the students.

      In my classroom, I feel like I know how to use a variety of technology tools; however, I feel very strapped for time during the school year and I don’t use what I know to my advantage. I would like to set up a class website for the upcoming school year so that my parents and students can be even more in touch with what is happening in our classroom. I love using my Excel files to analyze data for MAP testing and nine weeks grades. My goal is for my students to get to use technology a bit more in class. This upcoming year I am starting reading groups again and I would like my students to work on research projects when they are at the computer station. During the research project, I would like them to experience making a Power Point presentation, Photo Story with Movie Maker, Glogster Poster, etc. I feel that with the use of technology students will be able to excel and have a chance to practice being an active participant in a digital society.

ISTE-NETS 1 Reflection

Holly Crosby

Reflection on Standard 1 - ISTE-NETS for Teachers

      First and foremost, Standard 1 of the ISTE-NETS for teachers addresses that teachers need to inspire students to learn and express themselves creatively. Through the use of technology, students should be encouraged to collaborate with their peers and teachers face-to-face and virtually. In other words, students need to have skills to get their points across to others through personal and virtual encounters. Also, this standard states that teachers need to advance student learning. Educators need to encourage students to take risks and show their creativity. Some students may be a bit shy; however, through the use of technology their talents would be able to surface. The Internet is a great tool to allow students to research various real world issues. In doing this, students would then be able to get into groups and make an awareness presentation of a particular issue to share with the class. This is a great way to show that students can indeed have a voice in these issues. This standard also mentions how it is important for the student to reflect and evaluate the collaborative efforts during class. This could possibly be done on a survey.      

      As one now, I feel excited about incorporating technology into my classroom. I believe that through the incorporation of technology in the classroom my students will be more motivated to learn and engaged. I also believe that my increasing the use of technology throughout the day, students’ reading skills will sky rocket. One of my concerns in this debate about technology being incorporated into the classroom is that there are not enough computers in my classroom. It is a very daunting task to try and get my students to rotate the computer usage. I do feel strong in my efforts to create technology pieces that could be used in the classroom. Back in January, I took a course on incorporating technology in the classroom. I found it very fun and it made me want to revamp all of my lessons over this summer. We made virtual field trips, a webquest, a web 2.0 project, etc. As I mentioned before, my biggest task is getting my students to actively use the computers in my room for an appropriate amount of time. I think maybe I could have a log set up to allow my student one day on the computer for 20-30 minutes since I have a rather large class with only four computers.