ISTE #1

According to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), effective teachers…design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide models for students, colleagues, and the community.  In an effort to reach this goal, teachers should aspire to meet five standards and twenty performance indicators. In discussing these standards and indicators over the next several weeks, I will reflect on my level of application, focusing on my current teaching practices. 

            According to ISTE #1, an effective educator facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity.  In accomplishing this goal, teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity and innovativeness, in both face-to-face and virtual environments.  As specified by these indicators teachers should promote, support and model creative, innovative thinking, and inventiveness. As well as, engage students in exploring real world issues by solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. Additionally, teachers should promote reflection using collaborative tools to help students reveal and clarify their conceptual understanding, thinking, planning and creative processing; as well as, model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. In meeting these indicators, I successfully make use of several practices and methods of instruction in my classroom.  To promote and support creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness of my students, I allow an excessive amount student choice based on their interest. Although, I am somewhat limited by school, district and state mandates, I often find ways to implement student interest in most of what we do.  I also promote an extensive amount of collaboration amongst my students, often giving them opportunities to discuss and plan methods and strategies for a variety of activities we encounter during content instruction. I demonstrate the importance of collaboration in helping one to succeed, by collaborating with and incorporating special area instruction in many of our classroom projects. Additionally, since technological resources are often limited for many of my students at home, or at times in school, I often provide students with opportunities to use personal technology resources I provide in my classroom.  With student reflection being imperative within our learning environment, digital journals and document camera sharing is a highly used within my classroom. In review of these indicators, I feel that I am doing well with the application this standard and its indicators within my current teaching practices.