Tech it or leave it - My top ISTE standard picks

I've recently learned about the existence of ISTE, The International Society for Technology in Education. These guys have understood and put a lot of thought into the whys, whats and hows of the inevitable, ongoing integration of technology in all aspects of education and life. As part of a world that rapidly moves towards, around, and alongside a tsunami of technological advancement, there's no question that an organization like ISTE is not only useful but necessary. 

As part of their mission they have established some standards following Bloom's taxonomy model, for both educators and students. I have gone ahead and read the linements/standards and their further ramifications on what they would entail. I've chosen to briefly share with my dear fellow colleagues and blog readers the two that sound the most desirable to implement in my own practice, as well as the one I find to be the most important for students. 

Let's start with my two picks of standards for teachers:

1) ISTE Standard number 2: Be a leader

My first pick is based on the deep belief that we as teachers tend to already be natural leaders in several diverse areas of our teaching practices. 

Besides, I just know in my heart that all of us aspire to empower our students in every possible way we can, so it almost feels like we are compelled to aspire to students thriving when it comes to technology. I also particularly like how this standard has expectations for us beyond what happens inside the classroom and challenges us to take a more active role when we talk about truly understanding the potential of the use of technology for instruction, and consequently advocating for it purposefully and consciously. 

2) ISTE Standard number 7: Be an analyst

My second choice is what I would like to become myself the most in terms of incorporating technology into my own teaching. I know and I understand that no category is better than other, but to me being able to positively drive instruction is where I would ultimately like to land at, and here is why.

To drive your instruction means to have the energy, the determination and the control in spite of the challenges you may face, and there is a sense of power in being able to do something as grand and relevant as educating future minds, even if sometimes feels as if we are climbing Mount Everest or something. Having this awareness not only will make you a more proactive, influential professional, one who seeks to effectively prepare the new generations for a world full of technological advancement, but also presents you with a unique opportunity to be creative. You have the chance to outbetter yourself in every possible situation by coming up with, for instance, new and innovative assessment alternatives, like evaluating students through projects where the final product has to be done using a tech tool. This standard also aims for the teacher to share assessment results in the hopes of creating a real, tangible rippling effect, that would lead students to more autonomy, using technology as a means for constant self-learning. 

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As for choosing the single student standard I find to be most important, I can admit I had it more difficult, since I wish that my students met ALL of those standards! Each is unique and targets specific aspects of technological proficiency. 

Finally, upon reflection I decided that the one I would consider to be the most relevant and in accordance to my earlier picks, is...

Standard number 6: Be a creative communicator

So the main reason as to why I chose this standard over the others is that it directly aligns with the teacher's goal of being an analyst. From what I can grasp, having students communicate clearly is the other side of the coin to providing them with alternative assessment opportunities. In turn, students will ideally use technology not only to complete the assignment required, but also to problem-solve and create products of their own, further devoloping their own autonomy and self-service. 

They will be able to explore and effectively use a wide range of technological tools and options they draw from, to select the most suitable to fulfill their particular goals. They'll also be able to transform the complex into the simple, through technology. All in all, teachers who aim to meet this standard will help build students who are rich in creativity, originality, autonomy, problem-solving techniques and technological competence. 

As a conclusion I wanted to reflect on the particular situation I find myself in at this very moment as not only a teacher but also a student again, after many years. So, in order to write this blog entry I had to think both as a teacher and as a student. While ideas come from my teacher's brain, the choice of words, style, structure and overall look of the entry comes from my own creation as a student. 

To take it a step further and specifically illustrate how students can use tech tools to assist in creating something new and innovative, I can tell you how I have come up with the beautiful pictures that represented each of my standard picks. I wanted to have pics becuase it makes the blog more engaging to the reader and ideas overall more appealing and understandable. I didn't want to add some random pic I found online though, I wanted my pictures to distinctively convey my message. All the pictures you've seen in this entry were AI generated, a new creation born out of my ideas and reflections.

So, my TLDR woud be something like this: In writing this blog entry I could not only reflect on ISTE standards for teachers and students, I actually lived them.