Meeting ISTE Standards

Ensuring that students and teachers meet grade level ISTE standards has been a district goal within Corvallis. Beginning a few years ago, all teachers where provided with age appropriate benchmarks and basic knowledge standards. Teachers were to complete a self-analysis and then were highly recommended to attend professional development classes in order to be proficient in their classroom grade level standards. I was very impressed with the time and trainings made available for teachers to learn new computer skills and become digitally literate.

One difficulty I see is the equity of technology between the different schools. One school will still have chalkboards in the classroom and another will have smartboards. Some classes have multiple computer labs, traveling laptops and multiple computers within classrooms, while another school will have only one computer lab with limited upgrades. This equity impacts the professional development teachers seek out within the district and in turn impacts what digital literacy is taught to students. In our school, I do not have computer time for my class. During my class the computer lab is being used for elective classes, such as keyboarding and digital design. Although the technology electives are important, they are limited in the skills being taught.

In short, I have to rely on other teachers ensuring that students meet the ISTE standards. Within my school I use paper, pencils, laminates and eraser boards as my technological resources.

Below are a few thoughts regarding the reading, Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century:
1. Digital literacy is like a mainstream language within a society.
2. Access to technology within the educational system is inequitable. Within the article, there is an emphasis on ensuring schools have technology. This is a frustrating comment, when many schools are without toilet paper or soap. I feel technology is very important because our world is hig-tech, however, basic needs within every school, regardless of the neightborhood demographics should be a priority.
3. Computer technology is seen as a vehicle to extending and or applying one's learning and education.
4. The media is all around us, such as in magazines and on television. With the advancement in technology, it is imporant for kids to be able to analyze these influences and be media savy.
5. A digitally literate teacher may see the benefits, but digital immigrants may view technology as more of a struggle or excess.