The ISTE standards for educators truly outline the different ways that technology can influence the classroom of today. These seven standards for educators provide a clear framework for how to innovate the classroom for creativity and collaboration beyond the traditional paper pencil world. I feel that my own progress with these standards has transformed immensely throughout this semester as studying and becoming more familiar with these standards.
An educator is always learning and exploring new innovations to better their education content. Thus, the learner standard provides educators with ideas for how to stay informed and up to par with the new technologies of today. To ensure effective education educators must collaborate with their peers, students, parents, administration, and all members of the education community. Technology provides many unique avenues to have compelling and creative collaboration between individuals. As an educator you are always facilitating and guiding your students through content by designing unique lesson plans and creative initiatives to elaborate or differentiate material. The integration of technology allows for unique and immediate feedback from assessments to provide information on your class profile and how it compares to others. Finally, by participating in online communities and stating your own personal role with technology you can become a true innovative leader that has the ingenuity to excite and engage students in their educational journey.
Personally, my struggles come from the citizen and collaborator standards as I have not been a member of online communities for a long time to be all roles of digital citizen. However, my plan as a leader states that I would like to continue with my engagement in these online communities. I would say that I am proficient in teacher-facilitated learning as I engage my students through my role as a teacher’s assistant in long-term inquiry with student input in my planning. Student-centered learning is something I am in full support of and try to incorporate in everyday activities. I view my classroom as a collaborative and collective environment so that we can all work together to develop the best plan of action. My classroom environment is engaging and exciting to promote a community of learners utilizing technology and curating amazing content-based projects through collaboration.
I thoroughly enjoy the models of TPACK and SAMR to integrate technology in my lesson plans. I used to believe the misconception that technology needed to replace the classroom content for it to be integrated correctly. However, these models truly show that this is not the case. The SAMR model allows for enhancement and transformation with technology to be established on a level to truly allow for the best integration of technology within the classroom. I plan to use these models to structure my classroom with numerous opportunities for students to engage with technology so that all learners get the opportunity to experience new innovations of the world. My classroom will be comprised of many diverse learners who will all get the change to use technology in the classroom and be prepared to be the best digital citizens they can be.
