Vision Statement
My vision for school technology is to put technology into the hands of students. When students are the ones creating content, thinking critically about their choices, collaborating with one another, or communicating with experts through technology, they are the ones learning. ISTE’s standards for student learners require students to become proficient technology users (ISTE, 2020). All other stakeholders in the school community will work to support this vision: technology coaches will stay up-to-date on classroom technology and advise teachers; administrators will work to promote policies that encourage digital equity and literacy; teachers will select technology for their classrooms and guide students in their technology choices; and, parents will advocate for students’ technology use. If we work together, we can empower students to use technology meaningfully to reach the highest levels of learning.
Putting technology into the hands of students encourages the development of 21st Century Skills (Boss, 2012, May 2). Students will work collaboratively with technology to solve real-world problems. Students will weigh information from online sources to evaluate or synthesize ideas. Students will create products with productivity tools to creatively teach an audience important information. Students will communicate and defend their findings with the class or stakeholders outside of the school. In each scenario, content, pedagogy, and technology combine to keep students engaged and strengthen their 21st Century Skills (LoTI Framework). Furthermore, empowering students to create their own content engages a diverse population of learners (Hobsgood & Ormsby, 2010). To prepare students for life beyond k-12, we must encourage 21st Century Skills by teaching and empowering students to make their own technology choices.
References
Boss, S. (2012, May 2). How Project-Based Learning Builds 21st-Century Skills. George Lucas Educational Foundation. www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-
skills- pbl-suzie-boss
Hobsgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2010). Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology--Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice. UNC School of Education. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/
ISTE Standards for Students. ISTE. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from www.iste.org/standards/for-students
LoTi Framework. Loticonnections. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from www.loticonnection.com/loti-framework
Putting technology into the hands of students encourages the development of 21st Century Skills (Boss, 2012, May 2). Students will work collaboratively with technology to solve real-world problems. Students will weigh information from online sources to evaluate or synthesize ideas. Students will create products with productivity tools to creatively teach an audience important information. Students will communicate and defend their findings with the class or stakeholders outside of the school. In each scenario, content, pedagogy, and technology combine to keep students engaged and strengthen their 21st Century Skills (LoTI Framework). Furthermore, empowering students to create their own content engages a diverse population of learners (Hobsgood & Ormsby, 2010). To prepare students for life beyond k-12, we must encourage 21st Century Skills by teaching and empowering students to make their own technology choices.
References
Boss, S. (2012, May 2). How Project-Based Learning Builds 21st-Century Skills. George Lucas Educational Foundation. www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-
skills- pbl-suzie-boss
Hobsgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2010). Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology--Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice. UNC School of Education. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/
ISTE Standards for Students. ISTE. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from www.iste.org/standards/for-students
LoTi Framework. Loticonnections. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from www.loticonnection.com/loti-framework