Great Neck Public Schools Revised September 3, 2008 Elementary School Technology Standards Marc Epstein District Technology Director 0
Board of Education Barbara Berkowitz, President Fran Langsner, Vice President Donald L. Ashkenase Lawrence R. Gross Susan Miner Healy Administration Dr. Ronald L. Friedman, Superintendent of Schools Terry Horowitz, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction John Powell, Assistant Superintendent for Business Dennis Ryan, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Pupil Personnel Kelly Newman, Executive Director for Elementary Education Dr. Stephen C. Lando, Executive Director for Secondary Education Elementary Computer Staff E.M. Baker School Stephen Peck, Computer Teacher Lisa Malfi, Technology Staff Developer Karen Westerfeld, Computer Teacher/Teaching Assistant John F. Kennedy School Roy Viskupic, Computer Teacher Leslie Watnik, Technology Staff Developer Barbara Eisenberg, Computer Teacher/Teaching Assistant Lakeville School Susan Brodsky, Computer Teacher Eileen Magilligan, Computer Teacher Leslie Watnik, Technology Staff Developer Barbara Aronson, Computer Teacher/Teaching Assistant Vanessa Tawil, Computer Teacher/Teaching Assistant Parkville School Early Childhood Center Liz Natter, Library/Computer Teaching Assistant Saddle Rock School Nicole Brodsky, Computer Teacher and Parkville Technology Staff Developer Melissa Diamond, Technology Staff Developer Margie Frost, Computer Teacher/Teaching Assistant 1
Table of Contents Introduction and Overview...3 International Society for Technology in Education...3 Standard #1: Creativity and Innovation... 4 Standard #2: Communication and Collaboration... 4 Standard #3: Research and Information Fluency...5 Standard #4: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making...5 Standard #5: Digital Citizenship... 6 Standard #6: Technology Operations and Concepts... 6 Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding. -- Louis Gerstner, Former Chairman of the Board of IBM Anyone who has lost track of time when using a computer knows the propensity to dream, the urge to make dreams come true and the tendency to miss lunch. -- Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web Computers are like a bicycle for our minds. We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on. -- Steve Jobs, Co-Founder and CEO of Apple, Inc. Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living. -- Nicholas Negroponte, Former Director of the MIT Media Lab 2
Introduction and Overview The mission of our Instructional Technology program is to create an educational environment in every school that is strengthened and supported by information and communications technology. The dual goals of the elementary computer program are to develop student technology skills while at the same time integrating computers into the PreK-5 classroom curriculum. These goals are not mutually exclusive. Our philosophy is to view technology as educational tools to be used creatively, responsibly, and collaboratively for teaching and learning in order to solve problems and to access, analyze, present, and communicate information. This document revises our original guidelines for computer instruction at the elementary level that were first developed in 1996 and then subsequently revised in 2000, based on our experiences and the changes that have occurred in technology over the past twelve years. Our technology standards have been aligned with the recently updated National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) that were developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (see below). This ensures that our own program is consistent with, and externally validated by, a nationally recognized educational technology organization. Our technology standards are delivered to students through regularly scheduled computer instruction in fully equipped and networked Computer Instructional Centers (CICs) as well as in classrooms. All third, fourth, and fifth grade students receive lessons in CICs on a weekly basis, while all PreK through second grade students are scheduled for modules of varying duration throughout the school year. In addition to regularly scheduled CIC instruction, classroom teachers can sign up to use the one of the two CICs or a wireless laptop cart during available time slots and can use their own classroom computer clusters (five in Grades 1-5 classrooms, three in Kindergarten and Special Education classrooms) on a daily basis. The Elementary School Technology Standards not only guide our instructional technology practices but also drive our staff development program. We recognize that computer literate classroom and special area teachers with effective strategies to integrate technology into the curriculum is an essential component of our program. Computer teachers and technology staff developers are available for consultation during the school day and additional staff development opportunities are made available through a comprehensive Technology Academy during the summer, fall and spring semesters. Additional computer courses, workshops and tutorials offered before and after school and on weekends are sponsored by the Inservice Institute, Teacher Center, and Nassau BOCES. International Society for Technology in Education (http://www.iste.org) The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the largest teacher-based, nonprofit organization in the field of educational technology. It has been a leader for many years in helping K-12 classroom teachers and administrators share effective methods for enhancing student learning through the use of new classroom technologies. In 2007, the ISTE published an updated series of new technology standards for K-12 public schools (http://cnets.iste.org). A major component of the standards are a set of profiles describing technology-literate students at different grade levels. These profiles reflect the underlying assumption that all students should have the opportunity to develop technology skills that support learning, productivity, and communication. 3
Student Technology Standards Standard #1: Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues d. identify trends and forecast possibilities 1. Create original graphics and use clip art in drawing and painting programs to illustrate concepts and ideas. 2. Apply computers to the writing process using word processing software and grade-appropriate functions. 3. Use graphic organizers to brainstorm ideas and organize learning concepts. Standard #2: Communication and Collaboration 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. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures. d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. 1. Work independently using presentation software to develop multimedia slideshows with text and graphics. 2. Work cooperatively and collaboratively with peers to develop slideshows or movies with audio and video. 3. Engage peers or experts beyond the school in a collaborative project via e-mail, Web, or videoconference. 4
Student Technology Standards Standard #3: Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of courses and media. c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. d. process data and report results. 1. Use online encyclopedias, databases, and Internet Web sites to access information for research assignments. 2. Develop Internet search strategies which will enable efficient access to online information. 3. Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, and bias of electronic sources for curriculum-based research assignments. Standard #4: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & 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. Students: a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation. b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. 1. Use spreadsheet tools and/or graphing programs to analyze and represent numerical data. 2. Use programming languages to develop logical thinking and problem solving skills. 3. Use a variety of digital tools to locate, analyze and/or interpret primary source documents. 4. Select and use the technology tools and resources that are necessary to solve an interdisciplinary Webquest. 5
Standard #5: Digital Citizenship Student Technology Standards Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students: a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology. b. exhibit a positive attitude using technology to support collaboration, learning, and productivity. c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning. d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship. 1. Understand the structure, rules, and nature of Cyberspace as an online community. 2. Use Internet addresses with adult supervision to access specific educational Web sites. 3. Navigate educational Web sites without linking to ads or being distracted by unrelated content. 4. Develop an understanding of accounts, passwords, and the nature of personal information. 5. Understand the purpose of filtering systems and why only known sites should be visited. 6. Understand that IM, chat, e-mail, and postings are forms of interactive online communication. 7. Develop an understanding of proper "netiquette" when communicating with others online. 8. Develop safe and responsible online communication strategies for creating screen names, managing buddy lists, keeping personal information private, and ways of responding to others. 9. Understand the benefits of online communication (i.e. socialization, collaboration, education). 10. Understand the dangers of online communication (i.e. strangers, scams, viruses, spam). 11. Understand the nature and hurtfulness of Cyberbullying and develop prevention strategies. 12. Discuss the legal issues of copyright/intellectual property as they relate to plagiarism and file sharing sites. 13. Review Cyberbullying prevention in terms of respecting oneself and others while online. 14. Understand the social, emotional, and legal consequences of irresponsible online behavior. 15. Apply Internet safety knowledge to social networking sites (i.e. MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube). 16. Evaluate the accuracy and bias of online sources of information during the research process. Standard #6: Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate an understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively. c. troubleshoot systems and applications. d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies. 1. Identify the parts of a computer and understand and use basic keyboard functions and mouse operations. 2. Use icons to launch software programs and navigate and operate the application. 3. Use individual account names and passwords to log onto the network and manage files in a personal folder. 4. Understand and apply basic file management concepts such as opening, saving, and printing files. 5. Develop proper keyboarding technique using both hands and all fingers for fluent data entry. 6. Understand and use multiple applications simultaneously, navigate between them, and cut/copy/paste data. 7. Introduce peripherals (scanners, digital cameras, drives) as ways to add functionality to a computer system. 6