New Tech Standards & Requirements

Three standards that I would like to implement at my grade level (M.S./H.S.) and within my classroom are:

1) Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making: By far this is the most crucial of the six standards set by the OETS. These are skills that go far beyond technology, but can be solved using technology. In my classroom, my students would be able to meet this standard by doing various activities via the web. An example of one of these activities would be in a health classroom. I would give each student a prompt with specific symptoms a person is experiencing. Using the web and credible sources, in groups they would not diagnose the illness, but decide what the next step of action should be. Realistically, there wouldn't be a right or wrong answer, but an explanation and presentation of how they arrived at the decision they did.

2) Research and Information Fluency: This is another important standard we would work towards achieving in my classroom. Research is by far an important part of any content area. It is supplemental to the learning going on in the classroom. Often, teachers think students automatically know how to perform this skill, however, it is a skill that needs to be learned. For this standard I would focus on incorporating it into my health or science classroom. Seeing as these two content areas go hand-in-hand, and research is a large portion of both subject areas, I would allow students access to various technological resources in order to further research units we had discussed in class. Also, implementing research projects on various species, diseases, environments, etc. would be an easy, but interesting way to allow students to practice researching various subjects. The most important part to getting students to actively participate in research is to make the topic being researched something of interest to them. Obviously perimeters will need to be set, but allow them the freedom to be creative within those perimeters.

3) Communication and Collaboration: These two essential skills need to be practiced. Students often don't realize they are practicing these skills daily through various social networking devices found only available via technology. Everyday on Facebook, millions of people collaborate and communicate on various "hot topics", discuss homework assignments that are due the next day in class, and chat with people across the country who have faced problems similar to those they are experiencing. In this class alone, I have learned how to use Blogger, a website that allows me to communicate with my classmate quickly and effectively. I have also learned how to use ScreenR, a tool I had never heard of before. Technology is quickly becoming the easiest way for us to communicate with those around us.

Special education students heavily rely on communication. They often need information repeated numerous times and tasks explained in various ways. By utilizing a class website or blog, I would be able to help target each individual student and their various learning styles. Special education students enjoying using technological aids to help them keep up with their school work. Being able to supplement material for students, would allow them to go home, in their own environment and continue the learning process. It would allow them to adjust the curriculum to what works best for them, at that given moment, without distractions.

Issues I WILL Encounter: 

Although these are wonderful, creative ideas (not trying to brag) of ways to implement technology while meeting the technological standards, as educators, we face numerous challenges when it comes to technology. The biggest challenge I have faced thus far is the lack of technology and support at home. Beginning college, I knew that my education was going to require me to have access to technology at home. If I didn't have a computer, printer and the internet, I would not have graduated. As a high school teacher, I have to be aware of the students in my class that do not have the luxury of having all the information on the web, at the tips of their fingers, at all times. In order to overcome this inequality, the work done in class would have to be exactly that, in class.

Another issue I will encounter will be a lack of funding for technology. Especially now, most school districts are running dry when it comes to technology budgets. This makes it difficult seeing as technology is consistently conforming to fit society's needs. Every other day there is a new upgrade or a newer model being released. This is something that needs to be addressed at the state level. It's hard to understand how as a state we can place standards on our teachers and students, yet provide them with inadequate resources to meet these standards. Luckily, there are various grants available for schools in order to provide students with access to new technology. Being able to seek out these additional resources is an absolute necessity during hard times and budget cuts.