Curriculum Integration

To effectively integrate technology, it's helpful to have a framework to guide your instructional design. The models below provide a foundation for creating lessons that are not only technologically rich but also pedagogically sound, fostering the essential skills students need for the future. 

The 4 C's: Essential Skills for the Modern World

The "4 C's" are a set of four critical skills that educators are encouraged to weave into their teaching to prepare students for college and careers in the 21st century. These skills are the cornerstone of modern learning.

• Communication: Sharing ideas and information effectively with an authentic audience where all voices are respected.

• Collaboration: Working together toward a common goal, either in real-time (synchronously) or on one's own time (asynchronously).

• Critical Thinking: Analyzing information, evaluating claims, and making reasoned decisions to solve complex problems.

• Creativity: Turning imaginative ideas into reality by perceiving the world in new ways and generating unique solutions.

Technology Integration Models

These frameworks help educators visualize how to blend technology with their content and teaching strategies.

• TPACK Framework: The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model illustrates the three primary forms of knowledge required for effective technology integration: Content, Pedagogy, and Technology. The goal is to operate at the center of these three areas, where a teacher has a full understanding of how to teach their specific subject matter using the most appropriate technological tools and teaching strategies.

• SAMR Model: The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model offers a path for technology integration, showing a progression from simple enhancement to complete transformation of learning tasks. As an educator moves along the continuum, technology becomes more essential to the learning process, enabling new and previously inconceivable learning experiences.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a global community of educators dedicated to transforming teaching and learning through the effective use of technology. The ISTE Standards serve as a framework for innovation, helping educators and students thrive in a constantly evolving digital landscape.

These standards provide a clear roadmap for the skills and pedagogical approaches needed to empower learners and create transformative educational experiences. They are designed to be a guide for achieving a shared vision of meaningful technology integration.

Key ISTE Standards

Below are the primary sets of standards developed by ISTE. Each one is designed to empower a different group within the educational ecosystem.

• ISTE Standards for Students: These standards focus on empowering student voice and ensuring that learning is a student-driven process. They outline the skills students need to be active, engaged learners in a digital world.

• ISTE Standards for Educators: These standards define the skills and pedagogical insights educators need to effectively integrate technology, redesign learning activities, and inspire students.

• ISTE Standards for Education Leaders: This set of standards guides administrators in supporting digital-age learning, creating a vision for technology integration, and cultivating a robust infrastructure.

• ISTE Standards for Coaches: These standards describe the knowledge and skills that technology coaches need to support their peers in becoming more effective digital educators.

Blender: Your Digital Course Companion

Blender is the district's content repository and a "one-stop-shop" for your instructional needs. Licensed for employees with instructional job codes, this digital companion provides guidance and resources for all core courses and many electives. It's a collaborative service designed to bring curriculum, instructional materials, and technology together in one convenient place.