4 Steps to Standards Integration
By Vanessa Domine
Learning and Leading with Technology
September, 2006
With the overwhelming state core curriculum, the NETS and the NETS-S, where do teachers start? There are more than one set of technology standards that most teacher have to focus on. This article breaks down just how teachers can look at the technology that their school has, focus on what’s important and align their teaching style with what they need to teach. It’s a really good reference guide for new teachers or experienced teachers that don’t have much knowledge of technology.
The first step is to take inventory of all the technology that your school has available. This not only means the computers, but the TV’s, audio equipment, projectors, software, hand-held devices, interactive white boards, microphones, etc. You should also locate the schools technology plan or library plan if they’re available.
Once you have a comprehensive list it’s important to categorize the technology. The article suggests document, object, multimedia, and audio-visual as good categories to start with. If you’re unable to do this alone, contact the schools (or districts’) tech expert to help you. It also suggests classifying software by its type: simulation, authoring, database or drill-and-skill.
After your classification is complete take a good look at it and ask yourself questions about your schools in relation to the technology. Do they already know how to use some? What do they need to focus more on? What sort of digital divide is apparent in the classroom? These questions, and the inventory, are important because they allow the teacher to: know the real options of technology that they have at their disposal, identify the technological needs of their students and create a document that will let them set aside the technology and focus on the curriculum.
The second step to full integration is to establish a simple curriculum goal statement that’s grounded in the content areas and aligns with the school, or district, goals. The school or district goals are usually something very broad like ‘Reach for the Stars”, “Peacebuliders” or even raising math or reading scores. You’re goal, in turn, should be very broad as well. Once it’s set you must define it through the state and national standards. This has to be a bit of an interpretation because it may not fall directly inline. You should then make a list of your selected core standards that define the curriculum goal.
The third step is to identify teaching strategies. It’s important to make a list of teaching strategies (lecture, demonstration, discussion, team-teaching, tutoring, listening, brainstorming, etc) and list them in two categories: teacher-centered and student-centered. This list allows you to reflect on, and if necessary refine, your own teaching style to accommodate the needs of the students and the specific standards that you have set your goals for. This exercise leads to discussions on how techniques and media of instruction form the curriculum that’s enacted in the classroom.
The forth and final step is to solve the problem. The article suggests to lay out the lists in front of you and to generate a technology integration matrix. Each list represents a column on the matrix and the rows are determined by the amount of time you have to complete your goal. It’s important to remember that media literacy requires students to access, analyze, evaluate, produce and communicate using a variety of materials. Make sure to include formal assessments that are appropriate to the material and age of the class. Choose from the technology inventory list the most appropriate technology to go with the standards and goals you are trying to accomplish. Once the matrix is established it provides the width and depth of the curriculum, establishes a teaching and learning style and incorporates technology into it seamlessly.
By Vanessa Domine
Learning and Leading with Technology
September, 2006
With the overwhelming state core curriculum, the NETS and the NETS-S, where do teachers start? There are more than one set of technology standards that most teacher have to focus on. This article breaks down just how teachers can look at the technology that their school has, focus on what’s important and align their teaching style with what they need to teach. It’s a really good reference guide for new teachers or experienced teachers that don’t have much knowledge of technology.
The first step is to take inventory of all the technology that your school has available. This not only means the computers, but the TV’s, audio equipment, projectors, software, hand-held devices, interactive white boards, microphones, etc. You should also locate the schools technology plan or library plan if they’re available.
Once you have a comprehensive list it’s important to categorize the technology. The article suggests document, object, multimedia, and audio-visual as good categories to start with. If you’re unable to do this alone, contact the schools (or districts’) tech expert to help you. It also suggests classifying software by its type: simulation, authoring, database or drill-and-skill.
After your classification is complete take a good look at it and ask yourself questions about your schools in relation to the technology. Do they already know how to use some? What do they need to focus more on? What sort of digital divide is apparent in the classroom? These questions, and the inventory, are important because they allow the teacher to: know the real options of technology that they have at their disposal, identify the technological needs of their students and create a document that will let them set aside the technology and focus on the curriculum.
The second step to full integration is to establish a simple curriculum goal statement that’s grounded in the content areas and aligns with the school, or district, goals. The school or district goals are usually something very broad like ‘Reach for the Stars”, “Peacebuliders” or even raising math or reading scores. You’re goal, in turn, should be very broad as well. Once it’s set you must define it through the state and national standards. This has to be a bit of an interpretation because it may not fall directly inline. You should then make a list of your selected core standards that define the curriculum goal.
The third step is to identify teaching strategies. It’s important to make a list of teaching strategies (lecture, demonstration, discussion, team-teaching, tutoring, listening, brainstorming, etc) and list them in two categories: teacher-centered and student-centered. This list allows you to reflect on, and if necessary refine, your own teaching style to accommodate the needs of the students and the specific standards that you have set your goals for. This exercise leads to discussions on how techniques and media of instruction form the curriculum that’s enacted in the classroom.
The forth and final step is to solve the problem. The article suggests to lay out the lists in front of you and to generate a technology integration matrix. Each list represents a column on the matrix and the rows are determined by the amount of time you have to complete your goal. It’s important to remember that media literacy requires students to access, analyze, evaluate, produce and communicate using a variety of materials. Make sure to include formal assessments that are appropriate to the material and age of the class. Choose from the technology inventory list the most appropriate technology to go with the standards and goals you are trying to accomplish. Once the matrix is established it provides the width and depth of the curriculum, establishes a teaching and learning style and incorporates technology into it seamlessly.
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