my Reflection on ISTE NETS
Our students are at the center of everything we do. As educators, our foremost goal is to prepare them for their future. The ISTE Standards describe the skills and knowledge they need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital society. Teachers have always held the key to student success. But their role is changing. The ISTE Standards define the new skills and pedagogical insights educators need to teach, work and learn in the digital age.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), is dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning through the effective integration of technology in education whereas the National Education Technology Standards (NET) are a set of benchmarks that help to measure competence for the integration of technology in education. Both initiatives are applicable throughout all curricula and at all age levels and are used to plan technology integration and develop the curriculum across both the primary and secondary school changing the way teachers teach and students learn.
Equipping students with 21st century technology and learning skills to become effective global digital citizens the ISTE NET encourages student creativity and innovation, critical thinking, communication and collaboration, and the effective use of technology. Equipping teachers to change the way they plan and teach through the integration of technology throughout the curriculum this will provide teachers with 21st century skills and knowledge for effective technology integration in today’s digital society as well.
The web 2.0 tools that I have learnt to create during this course are perfect aids to carry out this initiative. The web 2.0 tools such as websites/blogs will develop the student’s creativity and innovation where the students will demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology as well as apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
With google docs the students will develop communication and collaborative skills using digital media and environments to communicate effectively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. They will also be able to interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. Integrating this tool in your classroom will definitely encourage interaction and socialization which is crucial to the development of any child.
With these web 2.0 tools they will help the students to develop their critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research as well, manage projects, solve problems, make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. It will help the students as well to identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
From a teachers perspective both the computer based and the web 2.0 tools are very effective tools to use in the classroom. Using these tools to integrate technology in our lessons provides an avenue for teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance students learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-face virtual environments. It also develops technology-enriched environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.