Technology Standards in Education - The Big Picture

After going over the technology standards in our Ed Tech virtual class, I understand how important it is for us to take the initiative in giving our students access to technology and the skills to use it in all areas of their lives. Without technological knowledge and proficiency, our students will be left behind.  Their social lives, academic work and professional careers will require them to understand and use technology (even manufacturing requires a great deal of interaction with technology these days).  We need to make technological exploration and implementation part of their DNA (and teach them what is appropriate in different arenas) so that it is a spring board and not a road block.

In a high school social studies setting, I will have a great deal of opportunities to use, teach and learn about technology in my classroom...

• Teacher's Blog 
• Students check their assignments
• Students comment on a link or follow-up question to deepen in-class discussion
• Parents see what's going on in their kids' classroom
• Google Applications
• Students learn skills like word processing, spreadsheet, etc., to create a project
• Students learn how to collaborate online
• Students get practice with presentation skills
• Podcasts or Videos
• Students create presentations & see/hear other students' work
• Teacher Classroom Presentation
• Can incorporate music clips, video clips, art images, newspaper images, etc., all into a lesson or unit about a specific subject
• Internet Research
• Students explore more areas about a subject when working on a project

The list seems really endless.  However, with freedom given to high school students must come clear citizenship expectations/guidelines to make sure the exploration does not go awry.

A huge thank you goes out to Barry for helping us make the link from what we've done to how it applies.  Also, a big thank you for helping us understand how this helps our own marketability!