Rapid advances in technology and living in a media-driven environment have had a major impact on the way we communicate, learn, and live. Education needs to adapt constantly to these new technologies and this means teachers need to adapt as well. Teachers need to support students to become lifelong learners by providing them with powerful learning opportunities and skills to face future challenges practically and creatively. “The teacher is no longer the center of attention as the dispenser of information, but rather plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources, moving from student to student or group to group, providing suggestions and support for student activity” (Technology and Education Reform). There is not one tool that serves as a full purpose tool that allows for teachers to use the technology in a way that benefits the classroom. Project one, “Come to the Edge”, has allowed me, a teacher candidate, to try out and critically assess technological resources that could be beneficial in the classroom. When creating products for this assignment, I kept the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards in mind. Out of all of the tools I made for this project I found that Quizlet could be the most beneficial in a classroom. This tool directly address the ISTE standard #7b, “Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students and inform instruction” (ISTE, 2018). Quizlet allows for teachers to make a variety of assessments that students can use as a resource to review materials, prepare for a test, and collect information on what terms they are understanding or need to work on. Quizlet can be shared among teachers, parents, and students. It can be accessed at school, home, or on the go, allowing for maximize use. This application helps students study by flashcards and various games and tests. This tool gives feedback on what terms the student is missing the most and should be reviewed. Students need to see content in a variety of ways and Quizlet allows students to be engaged and interactive. “Perhaps most importantly, these new media are interactive, and conducive to active, engaged learning” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). Teaching has changed significantly due to the rapid increase in technology. As a future teacher I want to insure that I am up to date on technology so that I can support my teaching in the classroom with technology. I also want to teach my students about technology and its uses to support them as learners and individuals. Technology will forever be a part of this world and it is our job as teachers to prepare and support students using technology. Quizlet is one of the many applications I plan to use in my future classrooms.
References: ISTE, (2017). International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Educators. Retrieved February 16, 2018 from www.iste.org/standards.aspx. Mishra, P. (2011). A Summary of Bruce & Levin's 1997 seminal article and Dewey's 1943 School and Society. Retrieved from Dr. Mishra's Website February 16, 2018. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2009). P21 framework definitions. Technology and Education Reform. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html#change
ISTE Standards
ISTE standard addressed 7 Analyst, "Educators understand and use data to drive their instructions and support students in achieving heir learning goals." 7B, “Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students and inform instruction.”