ISTE Framework!

Empowered Learner: 

Technology could allow students to be more independent, empowered workers. For example, allowing them to have technology can allow them to work at their own pace and determine what time works best for them. Along with being able to work at their own pace, using different resources or websites to complete work would also help them to become empowered learners. If as a teacher, you are encouraging your students to expand their mind and be more independent, you are teaching your students to be empowered learners. 

Digital Citizen: 

Teaching students to be online citizens can be utilized though technology by having online interactions with the teacher and classmates. Websites such as Webex, Skype, Blackboard, and Google Classroom are all exceptional ways to communicate with the teacher and their classmates. If the student is interacting with the classroom, at the end of the year, you can go back and show the responses, highlighting the idea of their digital footprint. This can tag along with a lesson that highlights the fact that your responses to anything online are stuck online for the word to see forever. 

Knowledge Constructor: 

A good example of having students be knowledge constructors is having your students learn to be goof researchers. Many schools and libraries have books such as encyclopedias or just nonfictional books about topics to use for research. Another example of finding good resources would be to go online to Google Scholar or EBSCO to find credible sources. Learning how to find good sources not only makes your work better and more accurate but also it takes stress off of the teacher because he/she does not have to worry about the accuracy of the topic matter. 

Innovative Designer: 

Being an innovative designer is very important currently because technology is always changing. One way to accomplish this through your students is by giving them projects to work on. For instance, my teacher once assigned my class the project to build a marshmallow launcher and made it a competition between groups. There is also another way to challenge your students to be innovative. By using online websites that have to do with science, students can conduct science experiments that can challenge the students to try new processes to get to the goal they want to achieve. 

 Computational Thinker: 

Being a computational thinker can be important if a student wants to grow in STEM levels, specifically math. Finding solutions to problems is very important in math and often takes trial and error and lots of work to accomplish this. There are ways to practice this such as an online math lesson/game or through an in-person lecture, quiz, exam, homework, etc. Being able to problem solve is not only important in school with math and sciences, but it also will carry over into the real world and encourage students to be able to problem solve outside of school. 

Creative Communicator 

Being a creative communicator can be utilized in school and out of school. Classes such as art or digital design classes can help grow student’s minds on the topic of designing something. Art allows students to explore the physical features of an object while classes such as digital design or coding can help students work online to achieve a design or a goal that they have in mind. Students will be able to not only determine creativity in the classroom, but once this is achieved in the classroom, students can use it in the workforce or to help achieve a job for their future career path. Being creative allows for individual’s minds to expand to their fullest potential. 

Global Collaborator: 

To encourage students to be proper global communicators, teachers must be able to find a source of communication that works globally. One way of communicating could be by letter or by video chat. Teaching students the proper way to communicate through video chat is important. Some video chats that work internationally, most students are not familiar with, such as Skype. Many students use FaceTime, but that cannot be used globally. Teaching your students how to use Skype will help them in the future. Along with video chat, teaching your students how to communicate via letter is also important for the betterment of the student’s global collaboration.