Michigan’s 2009 Educational Technology Standards for Students (http://techplan.edzone.net/METS/) is an outline for our school systems to use to train our students into becoming responsible, smart, strategic users of the technological tools surrounding their lives. Starting in Kindergarten and moving all the way through 12th grade, teachers will be providing students with access into learning how to use the tools that they encounter. The Standards appropriately begin with kindergarten by providing a basic framework for the students. They provide students – no matter what income level they come from – the opportunity to learn about the Internet, digital resources, terminology, and other digital environments. By beginning at such an early age, students will be equipped to build upon these skills inside and outside of the classroom.
As a high school teacher, it is good to know that these students have the foundational basis. The Standards for 9-12 are properly built right off of these standards and will provide students with the necessary skill set that they need to flourish in almost all careers.
A few Standards stick out as being most important to me if we are to develop not just kids who can use technology, but develop kids that can use the technology to synthesize information, draw conclusions, and think abstractly. Standards 9-12 RI 1-8 are absolutely critical. With infinite information (and misinformation), I, as a teacher, have the responsibility to teach students to think, analyze, and research. As I noted in the Wikiality blog, we , as a nation, cannot raise children in an environment where they think that the answer is just a click away. We must teach them, as the Standards state, how to sort fact from fiction. Students need to understand propaganda and bias. It is imperative that they learn how to research properly. If these particular Standards are neglected, students will be able to turn on the computer and open up the Internet. I’m going to wager to say that they’ll even be able to open up a podcast or streamline a video or know the difference between .jpgs and .mp3s. However, they will not know how to use the web for its most important use: learning.
Luckily, Michigan’s Standards expect me as a teacher to teach kids to think and not just surf.
The Michigan Educational Technology Standards for Students does provide the necessary framework for students to become educated users of technology. Starting early and continuing though 12th grade and building upon previously learned skills is essential. Exposing students to technology in school is only the first step and I agree that the standard related to digital literacy is vitally important. Without thoroughly instructing students how to evaluate web sources they will unprepared to be productive citizens in the 21st Century. As you stated they will be life long learners and access all the available information for learning. I’m so glad the state expects us to teach students to think and not just surf!
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