My name is Jenelle Cohen, and I am beginning my ninth year of teaching. I teach visual art at a Title 1 school and have worked in classrooms in Jamaica, Japan, and the United States throughout my career. I have worked with students aged 2 to 18 years, and each age group has offered unique characteristics, challenges, and advantages. No matter where I am in the world, I always enjoy my work. I am motivated by helping students discover their creativity and seeing them take pride in their accomplishments.
Watching the ISTE videos showed how technology can support student learning. It can help individuals set and reach their personal learning goals, give prompt feedback, and offer hands-on experiences that prepare them for real-life situations. I am eager to implement these ideas in my art classroom so that students can create, explore, and share their work in more engaging ways.
As a Visual Art educator in Title 1 settings across Japan, Jamaica, and the U.S., I integrate the ISTE Standard of Creative Communicator by leveraging digital portfolios for students to express artistic ideas. Studies show that incorporating digital media into art improves creativity and encourages reflective practice (Calderón-Garrido et al., 2023). This indicates a change in the ISTE Standards from basic technology usage to focusing on Innovation Designer practices that promote student independence and problem-solving skills.
Figure 1. Portrait of the author (J. Cohen, personal photo, 2024).
This course has familiarized me with the ISTE Student Standards, and I have quickly recognized their potential to enhance a learning environment. The ISTE Standards provide guidelines for educators to help them use technology in ways that promote creativity, problem-solving abilities, and responsible conduct in the digital space. They have evolved to reflect the shifting role of technology in education, moving from basic computer skills to emphasizing critical thinking, collaboration, and innovation.
Figure 2. ISTE Student Standards wheel (Ed Tech Connect NC, University of North Carolina).
References
Calderón-Garrido, D., Gustems-Carnicer, J., & Sarmiento, P. J. (2023). Exploring perspectives, uses, implications and needs of the educational digital portfolio in the arts: A systematic review. SAGE Open, 13(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231185557
Cohen, J. (2024). Self-portrait [Photograph]. Personal collection.
Ed Tech Connect NC, University of North Carolina. (n.d.). ISTE Student Standards wheel [Image]. Retrieved August 17, 2025, from https://iste.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21984/2021/02/ISTE_wheel-2048x2048.jpg
International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). Infographic: I'm a digital citizen! ISTE. https://iste.org/blog/infographic-im-a-digital-citizen
YouTube. (2019, March 25). What are the ISTE standards? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_0QOD-ti9Q