Students Meeting the National Educational Technology Standards for Students

Students in the 21st century are very different than the students even just mere a decade ago.   They are all very in tune with the latest technology either for recreation or in learning.  As a 21^st century educator, we, too, need to be in tune with the technology in order to motivate our students to learn, to explore, and to make their classroom learning relevant to real life.  Recent statistics shown that many employers are not satisfied with the performance and skills of the young employees.  As educator, we should find ways to equip our students to be a valuable citizen and employee.

In 2007, International Society for Technology in Education published the National Education Technology standards for Students for “the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world” (iste, 2007).

These standards are as follows: 

1.     Creativity and innovation

2.     Communication and collaboration

3.     Research and Information Fluency

4.     Critical Thinking, Problem solving, and Decisions making

5.     Digital Citizenship

6.     Technology Operations and Concepts

Implementing project based learning provides students great opportunity in meeting the standards that was set by the iste .  With a project idea in mind, students will have opportunity to use internet tools such as google doc, wikispaces, google hangout to learn to communicate and collaborate with each other, regardless of the personalities and interest differences. 

Students also have to find ways to present their finding, research, and express their opinion.   Utilize various tools such as power point, prezi, iMovie, Voicethread help them to discover various digital tools, be familiar with the potential and possibilities of the individual tool and make decision which is the best to represent them.  

Many school districts have written policy for internet usage and copyright issue.  Through working on the project students will learn how to be a responsible citizen of the digital world. 

The 21^st century web 2.0 tools also open doors for exploring outside our classroom nationally and internationally.  Students could use Skype to communicate with some one on the other states or other countries.  There are potential of collaboration in helping each other in learning languages and culture.   Video conferencing introduce authentic Mexican cuisine to the global cuisine class, Google+hangout make collabration easier when 2 or more students can meet and chat about how to complete and plan a project.

There are still lots of benefits of using web 2.0 tools in education and provide great learning potential for students to explore, investigate, and excel in order for them to meet the demands of the 21^st century in the workplace.  As educators, we need to be a  “co-learner” of our students, continuously improved and staying informed ourselves in order for us to be an effective educator, guiding, leading and go alongside our students and colleague to connect with the global society. 

International Society for Technology in Education. (2007).  NETS for Students 2007.  Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students

International Society for Technology in Education. (2007).  NETS for Student 2007.  Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007

International Society for Technology in Education. (2007).  NETS for Teachers 2007.  Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Project Based Learning

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Project based learning is a fun and enjoyable way to learn, explore and discover new knowledge.  The three examples we are to observe offer us great principles, guidelines and insight of how project based learning worked and what is behind the scene. 

What had students learn?

In “More Fun than a Barrel of worms?!” the classroom teachers guided the 1^st grade students in learning things about themselves and also around them.

Hands-on project make discovering worms, space, mineral fun.  With the habit of research and report, the first graders also attempt to find out the facts and information of the sickness that make a classmate ill -Cystic fibrosis – what it is, and how it feels, and students are learning having apathy for others when they try to “find out there is a cure for CF!”. 

The consistent increased of test scores and the improved of classroom behavior indicated that students are highly motivated in engaging in this “procedure” of learning and put all their energy and might into it.

For the high school students in "Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning", students are learning practical skills in life – solving problem, working with others, applying and stretching their knowledge and learning. 

The geometry class students also learn with the real life application.  Students have a “real life” goal to accomplish, the real life experience in meeting the professional, evaluate by them, and having discussion with them.  Most of all the students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to concrete object – architect.  Students are indeed owning what they learn.  The hands-on project gives them time to interact with one another and work with each other, Each student has opportunity to get to see other’s strength and weaknesses, have to learn to get along and accept one another.  These are the life long skills that each of us needs to learn.

In the project of “March of the monarchs,”  3^rd grade students are excited to have opportunity to explore and learn the new ways.  During the project, students are given the responsibilities keeping the observation record for their own finding and observing of the Monarch butterflies migration.  They also work with their own classmates to work at the school garden for their observation and report of the Monarch butterfly activities. 

What is the teacher’s role and responsibility in Project based learning?

The three teachers who had decided to not follow the step-by-step way of teaching according to the text book. Instead they choose to use Project based / hands-on learning.  Project based learning is not easy and do need much time to plan, to execute and to evaluate the plan.  The geometery teacher has a well-developed and organized

Plan for the students:  the guidelines telling students what is required of them, what are the expectations, and what should the end results be.   All three teachers demonstrated that they all have a well-organized plan and that they are excited about the end results and products that their students had shown.

What tools did the teachers used to accomplish the learning goal?

The teachers know that they do not have all the answers.  They brought in professionals from the field to further reinforce the “real,” learning, and the students have opportunity to learn from the professionals as well.   

Technology tools such as doing research in the computer, using program such as Power point to present their own reports, recording the butterflies observation in the website, and Digital story are some of the great examples.

References
Armstrong, S.  (2002).  Geometry students angle into architecture through project learning.  Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects
Curtis, D.  (2001).  More fun than a barrel of…worms?! Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms
Curtis, D.  (2002).  March of the monarchs: Students follow the butterflies’ migration.  Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs