The National Education Standards for students are very well thought out and reasonable. I think that each standard section serves a unique purpose for teaching children about technology. I highly doubt that all of these standards are currently being met in elementary schools, but from my memory of technology classes in high school, we especially knew a lot about the system operations and contents. My classmates were proficient with Microsoft programs and were able to develop quality presentations.
I think that teachers could ensure that these Student Standards were being met if the standards were incorporated into each Connecticut Content Area Standards document. Teachers address these goals on a regular basis as they cover curriculum and prepare for the Connecticut Mastery Test. I believe that if the technology goals were integrated into each individual document they would be more frequently met by elementary teachers.
From my observation, teachers today consistently meet many of the Teacher Standards. Much of what districts do is done through the use of technology. Everything from tracking test scores to writing lesson plans is done online and distributed among staff members. During data team meetings teachers often review test scores across the grade level. Grade level teams use electronically generated bar graphs to review children who are not meeting benchmarks and decide who may be eligible for intervention services. These practices are done not only in Connecticut, but across the nation!
Other than money, why is it that some districts thrive on the changes in technology, while others hold back and simply use traditional teaching methods?
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