“ISTE's
[International Society for Technology in Education] NETS for Students (NETS•S)
are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to
learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital
world” (ISTE, 2007). The list
contains six domains including: 1. Creativity and Innovation, 2. Communication
and Collaboration, 3. Research and Information Fluency, 4. Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and Decision Making, 5. Digital Citizenship, and 6. Technology
Operations and Concepts. These
standards set the standard for operant, technological literacy and are applied
to an ever-increasing catalog of Web 2.0 applications available throughout the
World Wide Web.
The
first standard on ITSE’s NETS is Creativity and Innovation in which students
are expected to “demonstrate creative
thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes
using technology” (ISTE, 2007). To
meet this standard, students could utilize applications from Webspiration to create mind maps, diagrams at Lucid Chart, and create animated videos at Animoto. Using these sites allows the student(s) to develop ideas
using technology to share and collaborate.
The
second standard is Communication and Collaboration in which students are
expected to “use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and
contribute to the learning of others” (ISTE, 2007). This standard can be met through many applications. Skype
quite literally puts students face-to-face as a medium of both communication
and collaboration in real-time. Google Docs allows for real-time collaboration
on spreadsheets and other text-based documents and Diigo allows for a forum on bookmarks.
The
third standard is Research and Information Fluency. Students are expected to “apply digital tools to gather,
evaluate, and use information” (ISTE, 2007). Students can use such tools as Survey Monkey or even Geocaching (specifically for map-based
activities) to gather information.
Sites like Wikispaces allows for
students to publish their information.
The
fourth standard is Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making. In this standard students
are expected to “use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research,
manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate
digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2007). Google Docs and Survey Monkey would satisfy this
standard.
The
fifth standard is Digital Citizenship.
Students are expected to “understand human, cultural, and societal
issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior” (ISTE,
2007). This standard is more of an
overall, consistent practice rather than a creation tool. In order for students to become better
digital citizens they can access information at Digital Citizenship and of course
read the “Terms of Use” page on any website they are using.
The
sixth standard is Technology Operations and Concepts in which students are
expected to “demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems,
and operations” (ISTE, 2007). Like
the fifth standard, this standard is less of a creation tool and more of an
exemplar of technological competence.
In order to become better at using Web 2.0 tools, student can access
“About” or “Tutorial” pages at most websites.
Works Cited
International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). ISTE NETS Student Standards 2007. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007
International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). ISTE NETS Student Standards 2007. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007
