If you are not familiar with National Education Technology Standards or NETS for teachers indicated by 'T' you should consider it as it is a tool to use technology in the classroom. The standard I will use today is the very first standard as I have used it many times either in my student teaching or substituting. According to NETS-T the first standard is Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. To paraphrase it is the use of technology and especially your knowledge of the subject matter to advance the learning and creativity of your students. In terms of the environment you use face-to-face and virtual environments. NETS-T, ISTE (2008).
One reason I have some strength in this issue is that most of my training from my first credential, social science, focused on student creativity. Most of my lessons held students responsible for making something and presenting it. This is in response to the fact that two minutes into a lecture on the chinese empire most students will have tuned out or attempted to text someone. I liked using real-world issues in history and broadened it to include things that mattered to students as well as issues that I felt they should know. doing a current event in-class doing either individually or in partners is great if you have access to news papers, iPads, or a computer lab. I was able to use a computer lab to have students learn about an issue and I used partners so that they could learn to plan and collaborate on a common goal.
To further promote the NETS-T standard I offer two resources that promote implementing this standard. The first one is specifically on creativity called 'Grow Creativity' where Candace Shivley presents the idea of Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration. this may sound complicated however they are very easy steps to follow. Fluency is essentially brainstorming and the gathering of ideas what every student must do to start almost any assignment you give them. Flexibility is having your students think outside the box in terms of either presentations or looking at a problem in more than one way such as analyzing a historical issue from the people whom are effected by a decision rather than the dominant figure whom is making the decision. Originality is using ones own ideas and finally elaboration is to tell or give details on what and how your original idea works or is.
Shivley, Candace H., "Grow Creativity." http://www.iste.org/store/my-virtual-products click here for site
The next source is an ISTE-NETS-T document outlining the creative process and technology. Under the first category one of the ideas it offers is the use of models and simulations. You can use this to demonstrate or teach a subject and you can have your students do this to demonstrate what they know using a computer program or self made video. Secondly they may need work collaboratively on it, even if it is an individual assignment encourage your students to help one another. When researching, item three on the document, using technology is easy and is a main tool that any one uses which covers the application of digital tools. The last category is a relatively new one called Digital Citezenship. this basically lets you know that as a teacher you will be responsible for teaching your students to practice safe, legal and responsible use of the technology. ISTE-NETS-T, (2007) http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-s-standards.pdf Click here for document
No comments:
Post a Comment