NETS Reflection

     Although the current NETS standards do not specify what technology you must use to meet each standard I feel it is important to expose students to technology that is currently being used in the “work world.” Students need to be able to see the connection between what their learning in school and how it relates to the real world. I don’t believe the new standards should delineate what technology to use to fulfill a specific standard, however, a list of current programs/presentation software, apps, etc. (used solely as a reference of what is being used in today’s workforce) would prove to be beneficial.

      I think the digital citizenship standard needs to be revamped. I think it is redundant to include “Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology” and “Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.”  In addition, student access to certain sites and social groups is often restricted by the school’s network administrator, therefore, preventing them from participating in social media sites which can hinder collaboration. With that said, I do believe digital citizenship is a double edged sword so to speak. Teaching students to be digitally responsible is very important, however, if schools were to loosen their network controls and allow students to participate in social networking sites some parents may not be in agreement with this practice. It would be as if school administrators/teachers would be taking the power away from parents to determine what they deemed as appropriate sites to expose their children to. This may become less of a concern as children get older (Jr./Sr. High School).

      In order to make the NETS standards more relevant in today’s classroom there needs to be alignment across the board. By this I mean that the up-to-date technology must be accessible to students and teachers alike, the teachers must know how to effectively use it to assess students accordingly and school leaders must ensure that teachers and students are given the appropriate tech support and upgrades to fully utilize the technology in place. I realize this proves to be a difficult task due to the ever changing world of technology.

Gary Stager. (2007). Refreshing the ISTE Technology Standards. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/article/refreshing-iste-technology-standards