Oregon Technology Standards & Requirements

Oregon Technology Standards and Requirements:

1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

I look at the standards above and I think of them as ensuring our students are technologically literate. It is proven that literacy should be brought into education in every content area and technology is not different. In order for our students of tomorrow to succeed in the ever-advancing, technological world of today (and tomorrow), they must have the tools listed above to succeed.

If it is possible at my school, I really want each student to have their own blog. If that is not possible then I will try to have a class blog. I think a blog is an easy way to introduce middle school students to different technologies.

1. Creativity and Innovation

One of the easiest ways to meet this standard is to have kids create a digital research project (or any approved project/report) using Screenr, Tokbox, or (insert cool web tool here). As I recently learned there are many easy options to create digital presentations.

2. Communication and Collaboration

This could be the students creating their own individual blogs. Or if that is not possible, using the classroom blog to showcase reports, individual projects, or just commenting on teacher posts. A blog is a great way for students to communicate and collaborate. Another great way to meet this standard is Google Docs - and we all know how much I love Google Docs.

3. Research and Information Fluency

One way students could easily research information on the web and store it would be Delicious. I could make a class Delicious account and they could label all their research links with their name or initials. Not only would this make one large research bank, but it would make it very easy for me to assess their research skills AND review their research content to make sure it was appropriate.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making

This is where it is my responsibility to show my students how to effectively use the web. It is one thing to stick a topic on a search drive and pull up related information. It is another to know what is valid information and what is biased and unusable. By helping them decipher what is usable information and what is trash, I can help my students develop critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

5. Digital Citizenship

I think a blog is a great way to teach about Digital Citizenship. Facebook would be another great area to educate students on this topic, especially legal, ethical and socially responsible behavior, but I do think Facebook would be a harder sell than an individual blog. Even if it was a classroom blog, it would still be a great arena to teach the students these important issues.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

My main thought for this last standard is for the students to create a short lesson on a topic of their choice. They would do the research, create the lesson, and then present the lesson in a digital medium of their choice. Not only would they be using technology to learn, they would be illustrating their understanding of this new knowledge by teaching it to others. Plus, how easy would it be to assess this project?

To sum up, I must add that since I am very new to a lot of these technologies myself, it will be a great learning experience for both the students and myself. It will also be a great time for me to listen to student ideas and try new things that even I have not done yet. If I keep my mind open as a teacher I know I will be amazed at what my students and I will be able to learn together in the ever-growing field of technology.