Interpreting the "ISTE Standards for Educators" (Series 1 of 8)

As a member of ISTE (the International Society for Technology in Education), I appreciate the vetting process that the student, educator, and administrator standards go through to support best practice digital age educational environments. These standards focus on learning and not the tools to learn. While the standards have concrete ways to address technology integration, all of these standards are goals educators should and do have for themselves in general.

This is part one of an 8 part series that gives my views and suggestions on how educators can use these standards as a catalyst for becoming significant adopters of the digital landscape in regards to educational technology. Each of the 7 areas designated give educators agency in creating meaningful opportunities in their classroom that encourages digital skills for our students. I have quoted and requoted this statement: "65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report." With that we need to prepare students with skill sets that will transfer to any job that they might have. The ISTE Standards for Students  create a framework to make that happen but in order for that to come to fruition, there has to be an understanding of the role of the educator in this digital age. 

The following outline explains the goals of the ISTE Standards for Educators (the dates by each section is when I will be blogging about that particular standard):

• Empowered Professional

• Learner (week of 10/9/17)
• Leader (week of 10/16/17)
• Citizen (week of 10/23/17)

• Learning Catalyst
• Collaborator (week of 10/30/17)
• Designer (week of 11/6/17)
• Facilitator (week of 11/13/17)
• Analyst (week of 11/20/17)

Often when people feel they are being held to a standard they immediately hesitate or push back. It feels like another box to check, lesson to learn or reason to feel challenged. As with any standard we are striving for competency in, excellence is not immediately expected but forward motion is the key. Unlike other standards, I feel these standards empower educators in the classroom to be recognized for their stepping out of the traditional framework of teaching and walking the plank of change but instead of an awaiting group of hungry crocodiles, freedom to work with students that desire to be self-motivated learners can await. To adopt the ISTE Standards for Educators means a willingness to see cultural changes from what has been the norm in education. I can tell you from firsthand knowledge, it won't come easy. Students aren't use to having agency in their learning in the way their ISTE student standards provide. Teachers aren't use to the lack of "control" that their ISTE educator standards suggest.

I do believe these standards will be accepted and widespread in 5-10 years as the norm. If you look at the "life expectancy" and re-writes of all the ISTE standards, they change based on the norm catching up with them...and like any good goal, the finish line moves again. Right now I look at some of the above subsections and think "we just aren't there yet" or "wow, is that who we want our teachers to be?" but I believe the gauntlet is there for competency to be had. I believe the empowerment teachers would feel if they were in this type of educational culture would make them feel both needed and successful.

Often teachers worry that they will be replaced by technology but the goals of the ISTE Standards for Educators is to create opportunities for teachers to truly touch every life in a personal way by leveraging the use of technology to give more time to the teacher's and student's day. These standards encourage teachers to model what lifelong learning looks like as they learn their students and lead them. 

Educational "Air Time"

Over the last couple of weeks I have really started looking more deeply at the way technology can enhance different learning theories and instructional practice. I realize that has made me hypersensitive to critiquing teachers and teaching styles in a way that I don't want to be. Needless to say, I'm trying to look at methods from a non-marginalizing approach and make the assumption that every teacher is trying their best to meet the needs of their classroom goals and individual students.

That being said I am currently feeling a little overwhelmed with some things that have played out lately regarding academic roles. Believe it or not I was a quiet high school student that rarely would have added value to group discussions unless I was point blank called on because of my shyness. (I  know...you are wondering where that girl is and wanting her to come back occasionally). I mostly made A's and B's as a self-motivated student in above-average ability grouped classes. I was a listener and got what I needed to make the grade but I did not really enjoy high school. High school did not feel relational to me for the most part.

As I have been looking at teaching methods I find myself wondering what are we doing to pull out students like myself. I know there are strategies for pulling in the outliers but do we use them? Is there a reason our students feel like outliers? Is it a perceived intelligence issue? Language issue? Apathy issue? Shyness issue? You have to know who your students are to fill the needs. And of course for me, I'm wondering if digital discussion boards in an LMS might be a solution to give the "quietest student a voice" a quote about technology I often requote from Jerry Blumengarten.

On top of all this I helped lead Edcamp Gig City this past Saturday and when I'm looking at the feedback I can't help but think...even teachers don't truly understand how to best engage in group discussions. The overwhelming majority of the feedback from the 125+ attendees of  Chattanooga's 4th annual educational unconference was positive but the complaints all had to do with people taking up too much "air time," being dogmatic about their views, leading instead of facilitating, and griping about their world instead of speaking about disadvantages with hopes to find a solution by sharing. If educators themselves aren't good at this, that worries me a bit. When someone feels marginalized they shut down. That is the worst thing to happen in education. What skills can we use to prevent this from happening without seeming condemning and causing the opposite person to feel marginalized? And of course, as an instructional technologist I am digging and wondering how can educational technology best support the socratic method, small group instruction, lecture classrooms to best meet the needs of all students, or can it? What are your thoughts?

My Game Changers from FETC

Coming to FETC for the first time has been a major highlight of my edtech career. Being surrounded by great educational minds and both growing relationships and learning is one of my favorite things to do. I love how this conference is set up on tracks and how it actually has helped me realize just how much I think about where education is going and how I can best support it.

As I think about what I've learned to bring back to Chattanooga, Tennessee I'm feeling passionate about these things specifically:

1. Having the honor to attend the Future of IT Summit for two days prior to the opening keynote was an awesome opportunity. I attended a panel discussion on procurement of technology and the CIO of the Tennessee Department of Education was there. As he spoke on the way Tennessee works to leverage pricing for all districts no matter how big or small I thought "too bad that doesn't include private schools." Afterwards we met and he told me it does. I can't wait to get back home and contact him to see if this will benefit us at CCS. 1 hour in to being at the event and I learned about this- what could be a game changer for us.

2. As I walked the expo floor I saw two or three different options for throwable  microphone balls. Having a student in our elementary school with cochlear implants, this could be a game changer for her in hearing her fellow students in the classroom.

3. On a regular basis at our school there is a lot of talk about whether note-taking on devices is a good thing. When one of the Vice Presidents of Microsoft shared their white papers on digital inking I got excited to read the research. I have no idea what it says yet because I haven't had the chance to read it but research in this area could be helpful in changing some mindsets.  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/educators/digital-ink/download-whitepaper/default.aspx

4. Since going 1:1 I have struggled with the fact that the administrators at our school have not necessarily been equipped to know what to look for in terms of digital learning in their walk thrus. Listening to Steven Anderson share about the new ISTE admin standards and what a walk thru should look like made me want to scream "Yes! This!" And the beauty of it all is that he has shared his presentation with us all so I can come back to school and share it with our administrators. This concept has been working in my head for months but he just took the prep work out of my hands. This can be both a game changer for our admin in that they will feel more equipped and our teachers in that they will know what is expected.

5. Having the opportunity to present with Greg Bagby is always a pleasure. Talking afterwards with some of the 200 educators that attended our session was a personal game changer for me. Hearing how others relate to what you've shared or wanting to share something with you is a beautiful thing. It both affirms and grows me. It also reminds me that I am fortunate to be doing that which I am passionate about in life. Not everyone has that luxury.

These aren't all the things I've learned by any stretch. I go back home today with an edtech toolbox full of new ideas. I'm thankful for this opportunity to grow relationships and myself. I'm thankful to have spent the last few days surrounded by likeminded thinkers...to listen, reflect, disagree, and/or embrace new ideas.