Comparative Analysis Between the Educator and Student ISTE Standards

D1: by Anna Clayton

Part 1: Look for similarities between the Educator and Student ISTE Standards and then look for areas where the two sets of standards possibly diverge.

I have experience with the ISTE standards as a teacher, student, and instructional coach. I attended a teacher training pro

gram through a 3-D printing grant and received information on student and educator standards as part of the training. Depending on which of my colleagues you ask, I would be described as a Leader by some, an analyst by others, and a designer by most.

Out of the seven (7) ISTE Student Standards, I place a higher value on 1.3 Knowledge Constructor and 1.7 Global Collaborator when planning learning activities. If I can teach students how to seek the tools needed to build on their knowledge base, corroborate facts, and then teach them to use these tools to share the knowledge they have acquired and think outside of the constrictions of the physical four walls, we work in, then I feel I have equipped them with skills they will use for the rest of their careers. I use them as a checkpoint when planning instructional activities. As I build their content knowledge, I ask myself, “What if they have more questions than I have answers for?” and provide tools and opportunities for them to continue their search and expand their knowledge outside of the content provided. When finalizing a topic, I try to include the opportunity for them to share what they have learned through digital means (message boards, author posts, ask-scientists discussions, etc.) and contribute to what others have learned by asking questions and providing answers to their peers.

The standards do not seem foreign to me because, throughout my educational career, I have worn many hats and have been in several positions, allowing me to be a student, teacher, leader, and coach. The ones I have the least experience with are the ones that 4.7a Digital Citizen Advocate because my position as coach was data-driven, and I needed more time or connections to show my staff and students how to become involved in their communities to improve them. I work in a low-income neighborhood where families strive to survive with their basic needs barely met, and most are not digital citizens. I sought to get technology and opportunities to learn to use it in the hands of those needing it. Teaching them to become digital citizen advocates would require them to have already the tools and skills needed to become involved and affect change.

As a science educator, teaching students to become 1.1 Empowered Learners takes up most of the first months of school. Students from schools that use textbooks and worksheets to transfer knowledge struggle the most with using their phones and resources responsibly and maintaining focus. For example, teaching them to properly contact teachers through email when asking questions or seeking feedback takes me about four weeks. Teaching them that they do not have to wait until they physically see a teacher to ask clarifying questions takes more time when students have not had the opportunity to do so. In my experience, students who come into high school from K-8 struggle the most because they have been in the same school, with the same staff, for nine years. They are used to the familiarity of the faculty and staff and go into shock when they have to learn to advocate for themselves.

Teaching them to find ways in which they learn best, get organized, and manage their time takes half of the school year. Once this is understood, we build knowledge and transition into 1.3 Knowledge Constructor, which I spoke of earlier. In my experience, these are not “taught” linearly but in combination and natural progression when students are ready. As far as teaching them to become 1.2 Digital Citizens, that is included in my syllabus. I begin with what a digital citizen is and their responsibility to share knowledge and become a 1.7 Global Collaborator. Students usually look at me like I have a third eye when I say this, but at the end of the school year, after completing the Biology course, they see how they are empowered to share their knowledge with the world and expand on what they have learned.

In a study by Aquel (2021), which they aimed to construct an ISTE standards-based classroom environment for students and teachers, they recommended training teachers and students.

When I read this article in 2021, I had just started my doctoral program. I immediately thought that was why I joined this ITDE program: to ensure students were correctly given the tools needed to become 1.7 Global Collaborators. My focus since has been on how to empower teachers to do that. I have discovered that if we do not involve parents, we are working against ourselves by making assumptions of what can happen outside of the school day when students are no longer in our classrooms. In doing so, we are not using our own 2.7 Analyst standards to ensure we are setting up students for successful experiences.

The ISTE Standards (2018) for Students and Educators ask students and educators to become learners, citizens, and collaborators. These standards ask students to participate in their learning actively and teachers to “improve their practice by learning from and with others” (p.5). This can be accomplished by becoming digital citizens, aware of their “rights, responsibilities, and opportunities” for students, and “inspiring students to collaborate and participate in the digital world” by teachers., (p.5).

These standards are clear guidelines on how to accomplish these tasks. However, teachers who have not mastered their own digital citizenship are often unable to lead students to master their own roles in this global community. Aquel (2021) suggest infusing these standards and samples of their use in building a positive learning environment into teacher preparation programs, which might arm the new generation of teachers with the tools needed to empower students with essential skills to thrive in a global community infused with fast-paced technological advances.

In analyzing where one pack of bars seems to support the other, in between the steps for Educator standards, we have standards for becoming 2.2 Leaders, 2.5 Designers, 2.6 Facilitators, and 2.7 Analysts. Educators must ensure their students become 1.7 Global Collaborators, and there are guidelines to do so.

Part 2: What similarities/parallels can you make between these 8 bullet points and the 7 ISTE Educator Standards?

Smaldino et al. (2019) introduces us to eight (8) Principles of Effective Instruction (p.24-25). These standards are similar to ISTE Educator Standards in the following ways:

1. Access prior knowledge: This principle reminds teachers that to build student knowledge properly, we must know what knowledge they already possess (p.24). Similarly, ISTE Standard, 2.2b Leader, calls for educators to “advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students” (p.5). To achieve this, teachers must know their learners and advocate for their needs by assessing their background knowledge to include tools and support needed outside of the school day.
   

2. Consider individual differences: This principle reminds teachers to analyze the whole child in their full context of existence, not just in the isolation of the classroom. This includes what happens from the moment they leave their classroom to the next time they arrive. Similarly, the ISTE Standard 2b Leader, calls for the advocacy of our students and their needs. If we do not know what our students’ resources and needs are, we cannot help them outside of the classroom. Further, we may end up causing harm by making demands they are not equipped to handle.
   

3. State objectives: This principle highlights the importance of setting the tone for instruction and providing students with a preview of that they should know at the end of the lesson and clear expectations of what mastery demonstration will look like. Similarly, ISTE Standard 2.3.b. Citizen, calls for the building of a “learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online recourses and fosters digital literacy and media fluency” (p.5). If a teacher is to promote curiosity and critical thinking, sharing with students the objectives and the mastery measurement task can help by affording students a roadmap and setting the tone for the lesson. It can reduce the “why are we doing this?” questions and shift focus to “we need to figure this out because in the end, we must do this” mind-set. Additionally, ISTE Standard 2.5.b. Designer, calls for educators to “design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards” (p.5) and by sharing these standards with students before the lesson begins, the tone for learning and roadmap to success if built.
   

4. Develop metacognitive skills: This principle reminds teachers that above all, we are here to develop our students, not just evaluate them. To do so, we are reminded that monitoring and adjusting instruction is our responsibility. ISTE Standards 2.6 Facilitator provides guidelines for supporting student achievement and 7 Analyst, provide us with ways in which we can achieve this by providing “alternate ways for students to demonstrate competency”, use technology to develop a variety of assessment instruments and use the data to help students achieve and/or master the objectives. ISTE 2.5 Designer standards remind us to design “authentic learning activities” that lead to student learning.
   

5. Provide social interaction: This principle calls for teachers to allow opportunities for students to collaborate. ISTE Standards 2.5.c. Designer, 2.6.a. Facilitator and 2.6.d. Facilitator, asks educators to “create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning” to include individual and group learning as well as “model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge or connections” (p.5). This cannot be successfully implemented if teachers do not allow students the ability to work in groups, or share their findings, questions, or needs with others.
   

6. Incorporate realistic contexts: This principle reminds teachers that students need to be interested in order to “remember and apply knowledge” to their real-world experiences. ISTE Standard 2.5.c. Designer, calls for educators to “explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning” (p.5). The key here is engagement. Disengaged students are less likely to remember and master new, challenging content that engaged students (Amzalag, 2021).
   

7. Engage students in relevant practice: This principle clearly states that “the most effective learning experiences are those requiring learners to practice skills that build toward the desired outcome” (p.25). Although this may seem simple, in my experience, teachers often work under the misconceptions that students have the skills needed to complete the tasks assigned to them. Students then struggle to get to the final outcome and may become frustrated and lose confidence in their ability to complete the objective because they lack the skills necessary. If teachers take the time to know their learners and properly assess their content knowledge base and skills, then they can use ISTE 2.6 Facilitator standards for guidance. This ISTE standard reminds us that the role of educators is to facilitate learning by “fostering a culture where students take ownership”, “Manage the use of technology”, “Create learning opportunities that challenge students” and “model and nurture creativity”. To accomplish this we must engage students in using their skills, developing new skills and keeping the activity relevant to what they would use in a real-world problem-solving scenario.
   

8. Offer frequent, timely, and constructive feedback: This principle clearly outlines the teacher's role. We must guide students in their journey to mastery and ensure we address misconceptions, errors, and provide corrective measures. ISTE Standard 2.7 Analyst, provides ways in which this can be implemented in any classroom. Educators are reminded that by providing alternative ways to demonstrate mastery and using different tools to assess said mastery, we are fostering an environment that supports students by being student-centered and accepting of their differences. We cannot claim to differentiate instruction without also differentiating the assessment tools we use.

References:

Amzalag, M. (2021). Parent Attitudes Towards the Integration of Digital Learning Games as a Alternative to Traditional Homework. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 17 (3), 151-167.

Aquel, M.S. (2021). Designed learning environment based on ITSE standards. International Journal of Information and Communication technology Education, 17(4), 1-9.

ISTE (2018). ISTE Standards for educators: Computational thinking competencies. International Society for Technology in Education. www.iste.org.

Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D.L, Mims, C. (2019). Instructional technology and media for learning. Pearson.