#1 Standards

NETS

The International Society for Technology in Education created the NETS, or National Educational Technology Standards in 2000 to produce the goals and scopes for the upcoming years in schols across America, both private and public. The NETS are updated every year to coincide with te edeveloping technology in teh classroom.

As of 2008, the NETS for Teachers are described as:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and CreativityTeachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student
learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning,
and creative processes
d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual
environments
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and AssessmentsTeachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to
maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning 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
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using
digital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology
standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success
and innovation
c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information
resources to support research and learning
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical
behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:
a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright,
intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools
and resources
c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information
d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using
digital-age communication and collaboration tools
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional
community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:
a. participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
b. exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community
building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
c. evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital
tools and resources in support of student learning
d. contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community


The official website for the National Educational Technology Standards is here.

MTT

The state of Texas also follows the standards of the Master Teachers of Technology.

The official website for the Master Teachers of Technology is here.

TEKS

The Texas Eseential Knowledge and Skills have their own unique goals and standards. They can be found in their entirety here.

I think the most important aspect of the NETS is 2a: "design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity"

Without relevancy to the students, the lesson will fail. I've learned this the hard way. I've created lessons that require several hours of labor, focus, and deep thinking only to see the lesson fall flat. Usually it was because the lesson had no real connection to the students. I'd provide examples, but it's not easy to see how the lesson wouldn't work in my classroom unless you were there.

Also, the purpose of any tech lesson should be to "promote student learning and creativity," not just to expose them to new technology. Too many times I've seen teachers pat themselves on the back because they incorporated a 'smart board' or some other 21st century gadget... those teachers should be proud of their lesson for its placement on the Bloom's Taxonomy Scale, not the coolness of their tech.