Achieving ISTE Technology Standards With Web 2.0 Tools

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE^®) has created the National Educational Technology (Nets) standards in 2007 to promote the use of technology for students across the United States.  In Alberta, we refer to these standards as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) outcomes.  I have identified the following web 2.0 tools that can be used to have students accomplish these standards.

1.	Creativity and Innovation

In the Creativity and Innovation standard, students are asked to create original works.  A web 2.0 tool students can use is Pixlr.   This is an online photo editing tool to create, for example, a “six word” story.  Pictures with a creative commons licence that allows the photos to be modified can be uploaded into Pixlr.  Words are then added onto the photo to tell a succinct story with a choice of image.

Six Word Story Example

2.	Communication and Collaboration

Google Document is an example of a tool that students can use to communicate and collaborate with each other in the same classroom or across the world.  Fifty people can be collaborating on one document simultaneously.   The comment feature in google document allows groups to highlight samples of text and make comments or ask questions about the document they are working on.  I have been seamlessly using google documents with my Wilkes classmates that live in Pennsylvania, United States while I live in Alberta, Canada.

3.	Research and Information Fluency

Diigo is a research and information fluency tool that students can use to collect, organize, and annotate internet links that are used in a school project.  Diigo can be collaboratively shared with people as well.  Each group member can add links and organize the information.

Nicole's Diigo Chemistry Links

4.	Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Wikispaces is a tool that students can use to organize, manage, plan, collect, and analyze data.  Group members can edit and add information to individual pages.  This tool allows groups to focus and organize the task at hand.

5.	Digital Citizenship

Copying any image from the internet is basically stealing.  Google advanced search now allows individuals to search for images that can be modified for project use (that has a creative commons licence.)  There is a commercial or non-commercial setting.  Previously, you could search for these images within google drive.  Students need to know how to search for these images and properly annotate them to promote good digital citizenship.

Google search on penguin images that allow modification

6.	Technology Operations and Concepts

In terms of technology operations and concepts, students can choose a variety of web 2.0 tools to carry out particular tasks.  They need to be able to learn and use these applications to show they understand the concepts in any particular class. For instance, presentations can be made online through prezi, voicethread, slideshare, or animoto to name a few.

Water Project Exemplar

Sources

ISTE NETS Student Standards 2007. (n.d.). Iste student standards 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007

EDIM 502 - Week 1 Assignment - Why Use Project Based Learning

March of the Monarchs was an example of a project based learning activity by elementary students in Maryland.  In all three articles about examples of project based learning, our week one readings in EDIM 502, the role of the teacher is to design the project based lesson with curriculum standards in mind.  “Careful planning ensures that the students meet state academic standards” (Curtis, 2001.) 

The teachers start by asking an everyday, real question.  “Math, writing, reading, and other subjects are interwoven into classroom projects and applied just as they would be in the real world” (Curtis, 2001.)  Where are the monarch butterflies right now?  Engaging curiosity is what starts this process.  This is the hook to the lesson, drawing the students into wanting to find out where the butterflies physically are or are travelling through. 

Students take an active role in their learning.  They research information, collaborate, and create a project based on the question.  In the “March of the Monarch” activity, students recorded when they observed the butterflies in their geographic area and sent this data to the Journey North website.  They were participating as observers and scientists.  This ensures that they are engaged in the learning process.  Because they also create something as a result of their project, they will remember the information.  It is transferred into long term memory instead of just disappearing in short term memory. 

The last part of a project based lesson is the presentation of information.  Students wrap up their learning and share it with the class or the public.  Students are the experts.  The teacher or the public also assesses (according to a rubric) the project.  Self-reflection and self-evaluation are also important components of assessing a project.  "It demystifies grades, and most importantly, helps students see that the whole object of schoolwork is attainment and refinement of problem-solving and life skills" (Armstrong, 2002.)

I have had a personal experience with a project based learning lesson.  I went to a math conference session with Dan Meyer.  He showed us a picture of a room in the Guggenheim Museum that was completely covered with 1 dollar bills.  He asked us to generate a list of questions that we could ask.  Of course the most common question was how much money was on the walls?  I have never been sucked into a math problem like I was that day.  He gave us the blueprints of the room and a sample of the size of a dollar bill and away we went.  I didn’t want to stop until I figured it out.  I see that as the main goal of project based learning - to completely engage students in learning. 

Investigating how to carry out project based learning should be the goal of any teacher.  However it is easy as a teacher to fall back onto the old methods of teaching – what is comfortable and familiar.  I imagine the work involved to set up a PBL learning activity is quite intense.  I am looking forward to working with my science group in EDIM 502 to learn the intricacies of creating a project based learning activity.  “But resistance to projects doesn't last long once teachers see the enthusiasm, excitement, and quality of work. "The children actually sell it," he says. "It's harder to teach this way -- but one hundred times more rewarding" (Curtis, 2001.)

References

Armstrong, Sarah. (2002). “Geometry students angle into architecture through project learning. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/geometry-real-world-students-architects

Curtis, Diane. (2001). “March of the monarchs: students follow the butterflies’ migration.  Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs

Curtis, Diane. (2001). “More fun than a barrel of …worms. Edutopia.  Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/more-fun-barrel-worms

Contemporary art exhibition displaying 100,000 $1 bills at Guggenheim museum. Retrieved from http://freshome.com/2011/05/31/contemporary-art-exhibition-displaying-100000-1-bills-at-guggenheim-museum