International Society for Technology in Education Standards

Apart from the twelve MELS Professional Competencies, teachers should also meet the ISTE standards, which revolve around the use of technology in the current day classroom. There are five main standards, the second one being “Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments”, which requires teachers to design and develop learning situations that incorporate contemporary tools. Specifically, the first subset is as such: “Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.” This standard stood out for me because I think it is crucial for teacher practices to stay relevant and updated with regards to contemporary technology resources. As Rose explains in the 2013 article, “On reflection: An essay on technology, education, and the status of thought in the twenty-first century”, teachers are expected to adapt to changes in technology. Some teaching practices may no longer be appropriate for the kind of learners that teachers have in their classrooms. Educators must consider using new teaching strategies that are better suited to the needs of their students because these students represent a new type of learner.

Despite not having had the chance to actually teach in many classrooms, I feel as though technology is brought up in almost every class I take at university. In other words, I would like to have more hands-on practice, since I’m currently learning a lot of theory. However, when I think back to my own experiences with technology as a learner, it helps me reflect about what kinds of technological interventions were useful in the classroom. For example, in my Grade 9 history class, I got the chance to make my own website for a citizenship project. The teacher didn’t choose the medium through which we were to express our work, but gave us the option. The website creation process was really engaging, fun and educational for my partner and for myself. I also got the chance to make several short films and videos in high school, which were some of my best learning experiences. Experimenting with technology was definitely a challenge, but it was always stimulating, exciting, and different from our regular schoolwork! I’m glad that my teachers were able to design learning activities that incorporated contemporary technology.

In the lesson plans I’ve been writing, I’ve been trying to incorporate the use of technology in order to make it a habit of mine. It isn’t easy, but I feel as though it adds another level of engagement for students. One of the lesson plans I previously wrote included the use of a digital camera with which the students had to take pictures of their home. However, my professor made me realize that this was not the most effective implementation of technology in the classroom, so I’ve been trying to improve and think more creatively. Therefore, I’ve been browsing the web to find ideas and Edutopia offers some great ideas for teachers. It suggests using the interactive website BrainPop, which I actually saw my cooperating teacher use in her classroom during my first field experience. One of my professors also provided us with a great resource for using iPads in the classroom, which I can refer to for ideas. It is resources like these that I will continue to collect during my time at McGill, and even beyond that. My efforts in the implementation of technology in the classroom relate to Competency 8, but I can also look to the ISTE Standards to evaluate my teaching practices.

With regards to my teaching practices, one of my goals is to learn and gain knowledge of as many contemporary technologies as possible. In our fast paced and constantly evolving society, I know it will be difficult to stay as relevant as I can be, but I think a good place to start is to master the most recent classroom tools that will most likely be in use for a while. For example, the Smart board device can be a great asset to any classroom, if used appropriately. I have not had much practice with this tool, and so I feel unprepared to use it in my teacher. Last year, the McGill Education Undergraduate Society gave a workshop on the Smart board, but I was not able to attend. Therefore, one of my goals is to attend any upcoming workshops on educational tech tools. I hope to have gained more experience with education technology by the time I graduate from McGill. In order to do so, I will also seek out advice and guidance from teachers during my next three field experiences.

ISTE Standards, (2008). ISTE Standards Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf