Technology Working Group Proposal #2 Incorporation of NETS S and NETS T into Teacher Licensure Courses

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1 Technology Working Group Proposal #2 Incorporation of NETS S and NETS T into Teacher Licensure Courses Need/Purpose/Fit to TPI Mission Executive Summary The International Society for Technology in Education has developed a series of nationally and internationally accepted standards for the integration of educational technology across the P-12 curriculum. This proposal requires the inclusion of the six standards for students and the five standards for teachers into all courses that are a part of a teacher licensure program. Objective Professors of teacher licensure courses will model the National Educational Technology Standards NETS. Teacher licensure candidates will be able to identify and apply the NETS for Students (NETS S) and the NETS for Teachers (NETS T) in their teacher preparation courses. As they become teachers they will integrate these standards into their teaching. Methods Members of the Technology Working Group will introduce the standards to the SCSU Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC). TEAC will work with all departments offering courses that are part of a teacher licensure program to assist them in adjusting course syllabi and assignments to incorporate these standards. The TEAC will make recommendations in the curriculum approval process as to whether these standards are successfully included into teacher licensure courses. Expected Outcomes Teacher preparation candidates will see the uniform integration of the NETS into their teacher licensure coursework and, as a result, they will become familiar with and able to apply the NETS S and the NETS T as they complete their programs for teacher licensure. This will prepare them to integrate these standards into their teaching of P-12 students. 1

2 Technology Working Group Proposal #2 Incorporation of NETS S and NETS T into Teacher Licensure Courses Need/Purpose/Fit to TPI Mission Narrative The Partnership for 21 st Century Skills is a national organization dedicated to preparing P-12 students to successfully compete in a global economy. Its members include the American Association for School Librarians, Education Networks of America, the National Education Association along with for-profit businesses such as Apple Inc., Cisco Systems, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, and many others. The P21 Partnership has defined the 21 st Century Skills as the 3 Rs (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) plus the 4 Cs (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity). These skills are represented graphically below followed by an explanation of each component of the graphic. Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes Mastery of core subjects and 21st century themes is essential for all students in the 21st century. Core subjects include: English, Reading or Language Arts, World languages, Arts, Mathematics, Economics, Science, Geography, History, Government and Civics. 2

3 In addition to these subjects, the P21 Partnership believes schools must also promote understanding of academic content at higher levels by weaving the following 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects: Global Awareness, Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy, Civic Literacy, Health Literacy, and Environmental Literacy. Learning and Innovation Skills Learning and innovation skills are recognized as those that separate students who are prepared for a more complex life and work environment in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future. Information, Media and Technology Skills People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment, marked by various characteristics, including: 1) access to an abundance of information, 2) rapid changes in technology tools, and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information literacy, media literacy, and information, communications and technology literacy. Life and Career Skills Today s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills which include flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and crosscultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and responsibility. 21 st Century Standards, Assessment of 21 st Century Skills, 21 st Century Curriculum and Instruction, 21 st Century Professional Development, and 21 st Century Learning Environments are the critical systems necessary to ensure student master of 21 st Century Skills. (P-21, 2004) The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) led a collaborative, international effort to develop and refresh National Educational Technology Standards for Students, Teachers, Administrators, Coaches, Technology Directors and Computer Science Educators (NETS) to align with the 21 st Century Skills. Their purpose is to integrate educational technology standards across the curriculum. The standards are not subject matter specific, but are a collection of skills required for P-12 students to be competitive and successful in a global and digital world. These standards are recognized and widely adopted throughout the United States and internationally (ISTE, 2011). Specifically, the NETS Students are: 1. Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. 2. Communication and Collaboration 3

4 Students 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. 3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. 5. Digital Citizenship Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. 6. Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. (ISTE, 2011) The NETS Teachers are: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-toface and virtual environments. 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS S. 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. The goal of TPI is to recruit, prepare, place and support effective teachers who are best prepared to educate young people. This is based upon the Bush Foundation s charge to radically change teacher preparation programs. With this in mind, it is logical to include the 21 st Century Skills and the NET S and NETS T into the licensure program of future teachers so that they, in turn, will incorporate them into their teaching. There is substantial evidence in the literature that a new approach is needed in the educational system for students to compete in a global world. The more that K 12 teachers use technology, the more they recognize and value its strong positive effects on student learning and engagement and its connection to 21st Century Skills. (Grunwald Associates LLC, 2010, p.4) A study by Gary Small and associates found that people experienced significant brain activity while searching online as compared to reading a book. This result was despite the amount of previous experience with online searching. (Barseghian, 2011) This suggests that our educational system needs to increase the strategies and stimuli that 4

5 students are exposed to in a learning environment. Ian Beatty discusses use of classroom communication systems as a way of moving from a teacher based approach to one that is student based. (2004) A review of research findings related to the use of technology in education and in teacher preparation programs by Ringstaff & Kelley concludes that the application of technology is associated with a more constructivist approach to learning. There is a substantial body of research that suggests that technology can have a positive effect on student achievement under certain circumstances and when used for certain purposes. (2002, p. 24) Further, Robert Kozma reports that based upon a review of 174 case studies on innovative pedagogical practices using technology from 28 participating countries the outcomes reported in our cases suggest that when teachers go beyond these basic practices and use technology to also plan and prepare instruction and collaborate with outside actors, and when students also use technology to conduct research projects, analyze data, solve problems, design products, and assess their own work, students are more likely to develop new ICT [Information and Communications Technologies], problem solving, information management, collaboration, and communication skills. (2003, p. 13) Based upon these studies and reports and in order to successfully prepare educators to incorporate these 21 st Century Standards with their future teaching of P-12 students it is necessary for university students to become familiar with and to be held responsible for these standards. This proposal is a step in that direction, by requiring faculty to incorporate these standards into the curriculum of teacher licensure programs. Objectives Short Term Objectives Faculty will be able to model the application of the six NET S and the five NETS T into their teacher licensure courses. University students will be able to identify the NETS S and NETS T embedded in their teacher licensure courses. University students will be able to apply the NETS S and NETS T to specific requirements and assignments as they complete their teacher licensure courses. Long Term Objective Teachers prepared through this program will be able to integrate all of the NETS S and NETS T into their P-12 teaching and design and deliver instruction that demonstrates these knowledge and skills. Methods Present Members of Technology Working Group will present information about the 21 st Century Skills and the NETS S and NETS T and their incorporation into teacher preparation courses to the Teacher Education Advisory Council (TEAC) to gain that body s endorsement of the policy that all teacher licensure courses incorporate these standards into their curriculum. 5

6 Train Members of the Technology Working Group and TEAC will provide information to the faculty offering teacher licensure courses and offer assistance in incorporating the NETS S and NETS T into the appropriate courses. Certify A subcommittee of TEAC will take on the role of becoming ISTE certified on these standards and take the lead in examining coursework for evidence of the incorporation of the standards. As part of the curriculum process TEAC will make recommendations on teacher licensure courses as incorporating these standards. Evaluation TEAC will work with unit-level and university-level curriculum committees to make recommendations on proposals for teacher licensure courses attempting to meet the criterion of specifically identifying the six NETS S and the five of the NETS T within course syllabi. The university standard will be that all teacher licensure courses must meet this criterion. Assignments demonstrating the incorporation of these standards are to be listed in the materials submitted for course approval. Students must provide evidence through class assignments of meeting each of the identified standards. The faculty member assigned to the class will be responsible for evaluating the students as to the level to which they met the standards through the assignments. As teacher preparation candidates complete their program and begin their teaching career, they will be required to demonstrate the integration of these standards into their curriculum. Members of the Technology Working Group will work with the Support Working Group to determine if this is being accomplished through examination of teaching materials and observation. Sustainability This procedure works with existing university procedures and organizations. As TEAC is defined and developed it will provide recommendations to faculty, departments, unit-level and university-level curriculum committees concerning the incorporation of the NETS S and NETS T into teacher licensure courses. Initially, this will increase the workload of TEAC and its facilitator(s) with recommendations needed for all teacher licensure courses. After this initial phase, TEAC will have a much lighter load of courses upon which to provide recommendation. Timeline Early Spring Semester 2012 Members of the Technology Working Group will work to receive the approval from TEAC for the proposal. Spring Semester 2012 through Spring 2013 Faculty offering courses that are part of a teacher licensure program will adjust syllabi and assignments to incorporate NETS S and NETS T and submit to TEAC for a recommendation. 6

7 Spring Semester 2013 Students admitted to teacher licensure programs begin enrolling in approved courses. Budget.25 FTE reassigned time for facilitator(s) of TEAC for four semesters ( ). This will provide the time needed for the initial increased workload for TEAC. This funding will be provided by TPI. References Barseghian, T. (2011). How Technology wires the learning brain. Retrieved from Beatty, I. (2004). Transforming student learning with classroom communications systems. Educause Center for Applied Research Research Bulletin, 2004 (3) Grunwald Associates LLC. (2010). Educators, technology and 21st Century skills: Dispelling Programs/Report_Summary_-_Dispelling_Five_Myths.pdf Kozma, R. B. (2003) Technology and classroom practices: An international study. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36 (1), Retrieved from five myths. Retrieved from International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). Standards: Standards for global learning in the digital age. Retrieved from Partnership for 21 st Century Skills. (2004). Framework for 21 st Century learning. Retrieved from Ringstaff, C., & Kelley, L. (2002). The learning return on our educational technology investment: A review of findings from research. Retrieved from 7