Technology Standards for the Classroom

Monday, September 14, 1998 Teachers.Net Chat with Susan Silverman author, presenter, Internet projects developer and teacher Technology Standards for the Classroom

Kathleen - Teachers.Net welcomes Susan Silverman for a session on the topic of Technology Standards for the Classroom. Thank you Susan. What would you like us to know first?
Kathleen - International Society for Technology in Education http://www.iste.org/
Susan/2nd/NY - For starters, I think it is wonderful that we are finally having national standards
Susan/2nd/NY - Is everybody here familiar with the Net standards?
Susan/2nd/NY - Right now...education is in the hands of the states...each state makes their own standards....and it seems to me that when students graduate..they all are not equally prepared for future jobs ... we know just sitting here in this room that the world is shrinking...people are collaborating..and jobs are not necessarily going to be in just one state
Kathleen - So the standards are not just meant to govern and control students in school, but to apply in the workplace as well?
Susan/2nd/NY - people will be working on projects in many different states and countries...so in all fairness students should be given the same opportunity to learn
Susan/2nd/NY - the standards are what we need to use to teach students technology to prepare them for their jobs
Kathy/5/IA - Are the Net Standards at the national level similar to the ones we have for science and math?
Susan/2nd/NY - Right now ISTE came up with technology foundation standards for students, by the year 2000 they will be finished with the entire project and that will deal with assessment,. etc
Susan/2nd/NY - they are about what students need to learn in technology
Kathleen - Who is the ISTE?
Susan/2nd/NY - ISTE= International Society for Technology in Education
Ken - Will there be standards and credentials for those who teach technology and/or use it in the classroom?
Susan/2nd/NY - That is in the making right now! There will also be standards about what teachers should know in technology
Sandy/k/mo - this is the first I have heard about ISTE who can belong (private school)
Susan/2nd/NY - anybody can join ISTE
Janny/IL - national or state standards?
Susan/2nd/NY - These are national standards - NETS=National Educational Technology Standards
Mr.C - I wonder how assessment standards will be made... when people have such a wide variety of skills. I believe focus should be on collaboratation... not national standards.
Susan/2nd/NY - Mr. C. feel free to e-mail ISTE with your ideas...they welcome feedback
Ken - What will there be some sort of national credentialing and will it look like?
Susan/2nd/NY - Yes, Ken but they are in the process of working on it now...it will be ready by 2000
Mary K&1 - Will the States be required to apply the Standards or will they still have the option to "do their own thing"?
Susan/2nd/NY - The states have the power to adopt these standards...and hopefully they will
Jon-Paul - If there's "National" standards - who will try to "enforce" them ? It's the states that have the "teeth" in imposing standards now. National credentialing ? Not around my state.
Susan/2nd/NY - So far, there are 6 broad categories...and I think they are excellent....we are here to discuss category #2...Social, ethical, and human issues
Susan/2nd/NY - As I said, the states choose to adopt them or not
Kathy/5/IA - If they are setting national standards, does that mean the state money we get for technology will change. I agree we should have similiar standards, but many schools around the country are way a head of us as far as equipment. We aren't even fully connected to the internet yet - It would be hard for our kids to be at the same level.
Susan/2nd/NY - these standards don't require very sophisticated equipment...
Susan/2nd/NY - But I agree Kathy...states need money if technology is to work
Sandy/k/mo - who all is involved in designing the assements AND what kind of things are we looking at for this?
Susan/2nd/NY - This is a project partnership....with very fine organizations...eg. American Fed of teachers, National Educational Association,
Susan/2nd/NY - among others
Mary K&1 - What incentive will there be to encourage the States to adopt the Standards?
Susan/2nd/NY - Mary...the standards in my opinion make such sense that I think the states will want to have them. The bonus is that the states won't have to come up with their own technology standards...why reinvent the wheel?
Mr.C - There is a local grant... BASRC (Bay Area School Reform Collaborative)... they have $50 million to give to schools... and almost all the money is going towards standards and benchmarks... very little towards tech... people are jumping through hoops (for the money) and not getting very far in either reform or collaboration. As for credentialing... why should I pay a standard university money so that I can train their phds.? I've been doing that for free for years. Currently there are several organizations, the World Association for Online Educators for one, that is developing ways to accredit work done online... and assessed by online educators. I'm in favor of focusing on issue #2 as well... if we focus on *motivating students*... a topic which often gets completely lost when discussing standards. The Net can be a tremendous tool... if we shift pedagogy away from teacher centered didacticism towards student centered andragogy. Let the kids explore. And view the Net as something beyond the WWW (an electronic encyclopedia)... how about team teaching using Educational MOOs (only need a 386 and a shell connection, no fancy tech needed)... break down the classroom walls... sorry for the spam!
Susan/2nd/NY - The NETS standards are incorporating new strategies....traditonal learning environments....new learning environments....teacher-centered instruction-student-centered....single media to multi media...isolated, artificial context to authentic, real-world context...information delivery to information exchange
Susan/2nd/NY - passive learning to active learning...
Jon-Paul - Another thought - how about the pre-service college students ? Do they meld with the new NCATE Technology standards ?
Kathleen - Jon Paul, define NCATE
Susan/2nd/NY - The idea is to prepare all students throughout the nation in technology...and the NETS standards begin in PRE K !
Jon-Paul - NCATE = National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
Susan/2nd/NY - If you go to the ISTE website there is a big section that talks about NCATE
Abby/4/NC - What is your definition of sophisticated equipment. To our school, equipment that can get yo on the internet is sophisticated!
Susan/2nd/NY - lol...I'm talking about video cameras....etc.
Mary K&1 - Can you please explain more about the category #2 Standards?
Susan/2nd/NY - Yes...The category is Social, ethical, and human issues
susan - students understand the ethical cultural and societal issues related to tech...how would you teach that to your students? Any ideas...
susan - If you state adopts these standards...you will need to support them in your classes...
Mary K&1 - Social, ethical, and human issues - how do these relate to technology? I'm having difficulty seeing how this fits
Nelda/HSBio/AL - Susan, if "tech" covers everything, we cover that somewhat in our curriculum when we address the ethics of genetic engineering, etc.
susan - very simply..for example..just how we teach fire safety...etc. we need to teach students how to be safe with the web since it impacts their lives
Kathleen - Susan, you are referring to privacy issues, for instance?
susan - that is one thing Kat..
susan - also a respect...spamming...
Sandy/k/mo - copy right issues?
Kathleen - netiquette
susan - On the secondary level copy right issues are very impt
Nelda/HSBio/AL - How about censorship?
susan - For example...how would students feel if work that they worked so hard on were abused but their peers
Kathleen - Susan, would you address copyright issues?
susan - YEs Nelda...on the secondary level
susan - This fits in with acceptable use policies
susan - You bet I would Kat!
susan - The same way I would address copyright with books
susan - For those who are interested, Bellingham has a wonderful site that addresses copyright
Kathleen - OK, can you tell us how to find the Bellingham site?
susan - http://www.bham.wednet.edu/policies.htm
susan - copyright laws and the principles of intellectual property should be discussed...
susan - As secondary educators we can discuss why and what of intellectual property law. This would be great for a debate class on the secondary level
Abby/4/NC - We teach "Character Education" in our district. Responsibility, Honesty, Respect, Courage, Kindness, Perserverance, Good Jugment, etc... Is that what you mean? Appling these things to the technolgy field as well? Internet, to be more specific?
susan - Part of category 2 deals with students developing positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits and productivity
Nelda/HSBio/AL - Since these are controversial issues in some respects, will the standards dictate the answers???
susan - no Nelda...these are human issues and we need to address them in a professional and sensitive way
Ken - As an elementary school teacher...I address protocol issues in e-mail, pen pals...manners if you will.
susan - Ken...congratulations..you are supporting NETS standards!
susan - The beauty of these standards are that they are so easy to support and make such sense. Most of us here in this room are supporting them every day...
susan - A great place to steer young children to learn about safe behavior on the net is Safe. Kids.com http://www.safekids.com
Mary K&1 - Teaching students to read critically in order to ascertain truth from garbage - as we do now with printed material ... is this part of category #2?
susan - that would fall under standard 5 technology research tools and standard 6 technology problem-solving and decision making tools
Ken - Where do we get a copy of these standards?
susan - You can get a hard copy for $5.00 or get it off the ISTE site
susan - I odered my hard copy from ISTE...I telephoned them
susan - I highly recommend getting a copy of the NETS standards and sharing them with your building
Sandy/k/mo - Is this something we all should have at school now or wait a bit?
susan - I wouldn't wait...I would get a jump start on NETS!
susan - For those of you that have Classroom Connect, I wrote an article about tonight's discussion
Kathleen - Susan, what haven't we covered on this topic?
susan - I think we covered the category..and I think everybody sees the connection to the human issues and technology
Nelda/HSBio/AL - Susan, I called Classroom Connect this afternoon for a sample issue. (Hope they send Sept.) Number is 1-800-638-1639
Ken - Ken?
susan - The one thing that I do want to impress is that these standards are easy to follow and nobody should feel overwhelmed
susan - Supporting these standards should not give teachers "extra work"
Sandy/k/mo - I really like Classroom Connect :-)
susan - Nelda, if you ask them for the Sept. issue they will send it...they are nice people..like the teachers net folks!
susan - So...do I have everybody psyched???
Ken - Could you get out the crystal ball? How much of our teaching will be on the internet, "without walls", vitural classrooms..., in the next twenty years?
susan - According to my crystal ball...most of it! Only I don't know if I'll be alive to see it!
Kathleen - Susan, it seems as though the standards are based upon common sense, no surprises. But we need to be sure that everyone everywhere is covering the information with students because, as you point out, they will all be in the same cyber-room with us soom:-)
susan - yes...Kat...and just think about it..if you go to school in Mississippi, does that mean that you will spend your whole life in that state?
susan - All students in the US should have the same preparation...
Abby/4/NC - Susan, if there was one publication that you would recommend for elementary teachers in the area of technology, internet, what would it be?
Kathleen - The Internet erases geographic boundaries, in effect.
susan - I think Classroom Connect newsletter is excellent...and of course...for electronic..nothing beats Teachers Net!
Sandy/k/mo - the internet has changed a lot of my teaching... Abby I really like Classroom Connect
susan - Classroom Connect monthly newsletter is excellent...but for online..nothing beats Teachers.Net!
Nelda/HSBio/AL - Obviously you feel the $39.00 subscription price is justified. It sounded a little steep...
Ken - I teach in a title 1 school and the internet has very much even out access to information for my students(low SES).
Sandy/k/mo - Teachers.net is in a class of its own. :-) Nelda, my school buys it
Kathleen - Ken, that is a good point
susan - Nelda, I pay the 39.00 and think it is worth it
Kathleen - Ken, if only 'poorer' districts could have equal access to the technology, right?
Nelda/HSBio/AL - Maybe I can persuade my principal after Oct. 1 when we get to start spending money again.
Sandy/k/mo - and private schools... :-)
Kathleen - So, we should all ask our school library/media person to order Classroom Connect
Ken - We're working on it...grants, utility companies, etc.
susan - ISTE also has nice newsletters and you can order them onine from their site
Abby/4/NC - You mean they don't give discounts to people who write articles for them? I'm thinking twice Susan! LOL
Sandy/k/mo - Kat... I think so.. it really explains the sites and does it by grade level
susan - I paid for my subscription!
susan - Learning and Leading with Technology is the ISTE magazine and it is excellent
Abby/4/NC - Susan, how long have you been using the internet with your second graders?
Kathleen - Susan, thank you very much for bringing this important topic to our attention! The transcript of this session will be in the Archive tomorrow. Thank you all for coming! (Stay to continue the topic for as long as you wish) Goodnight :-)
susan - This is my second year
Sandy/k/mo - Abby my kinders get on it everyday.. ,my second year
Abby/4/NC - Susan, give me one good example of way I can approach the internet my fourth graders? I have three Macs in my room, two are on line and I also have a computer lab with 15 computers on line!
Sandy/k/mo - just a note about this.. one day last year Rita/ky and David of Arabia were on and my kids asked them all kinds of questions. David was awesome
susan - Abby....visit some of the Think Quest projects...and create a worksheet for the students..they can explore the site and answer questions...if you get real ambitious...join Think Quest..there are great prizes
Abby/4/NC - Where are Think Quest projects located?
susan - I wrote an article about using Think Quest in my classroom...you can read it in the Well Connected Educator
susan - Abby...you can find it at the global school house...I have them linked on my website...
susan - Also, if you go to my site...go to the link "teacher" and click on articles...
susan - or e-mail me and I'll send you the URL
Abby/4/NC - What is the address to your web sight?
susan - http://www.kids-learn.org
susan - then go to class 98-99
susan - the_teacher@kids-learn.org
susan - you will find my addresses on all of the sites too
susan - I've got tons of e-mail addresses
Abby/4/NC - Susan, how do you have time to teach, write, and do lectures?
abair - Is there any way to get the entire transcript for this evening for those of us who are late arrivals.
susan - Abby...I never could have done this when my kids were young and at home
susan - And believe me...I am getting very tired!
jess - where do i find international holidays
susan - jess.... go to Yahooligans or Ask Jeeves
susan - well guys...I have a long day tomorrow...25 second graders...and then parents orientation tomorrow night!!!!
susan - I'm showing the parents a Power Point presentation...it is on my website too!
susan - so...I am going to bid farewell...have a great day tomorrow everybody!