Requirements of a Grades 6-8 The NETS standards for all entail six broad categories, ly Creativity and innovation, Communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, Digital citizenship and Technology Operations and concepts. These broad categories are converted into ten specific performance standards for Grades 6-8 students. These specific grade level standards involves the students troubleshooting both hardware and software problems.
They are not only required to utilize the relevant and necessary ICT tools to support their learning but they are also required to demonstrate appropriate ICT behavior. Further they must become aware of the dangers of misusing these tools whether it is for publication purposes or for depending wholeheartedly on the accuracy and possible bias of electronic sources. Technologies available to teachers in K-12 education According to Hannafin and Vermillion (2008) the technologies that are available to teachers to facilitate teaching, learning and communications include ‘educational (nonadministrative) uses of computers, peripherals, curriculum and productivity software, personal digital assistants (PDAs and other wireless devices, as well as all Internet-enabled applications (e.g., e-mail, Web sites, Webquests, wikis, Massively Multi User Virtual Environments (MMUVEs), vidcasts, Web conferencing, online discussion boards, simulations, course management systems, games, simulations, podcasts, blogs, digital storytelling).
’ Computers through the use of the Word processor for writing or Excel for Mathematics can be used to enhance reading and writing, personal digital assistants which offer audio recording, the various Internet applications, and software has been created for almost every imaginable curriculum content therefore they should be available to teachers. Requirements that is right on target and will be easy to implement One requirement for the Grade 8 appears to be appropriate in this explosion of information in the 21st Century is the requirement of students to ‘exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology, and discuss consequences of misuse.
’ Students spend hours using online social networking. In particular, they spend hours on Face book, MySpace and the like. It is absolutely vital that students be as responsible as possible in their involvement with these social networks. Thus, ensuring that students are aware of the dangers involved in the misuse of these social networks may save many lives due to the vulnerability of students against certain perpetrators. Moreover, uploading and downloading information from YouTube, a video sharing site, is another activity in which many Grades 6-8 students indulge.
Discussing with students the consequences of misuse of this site would save the student from possible disgrace in the future if inappropriate materials were uploaded. How technology can be used in the typical K-12 classroom It is noteworthy that researchers have discovered that technology in itself would not enhance learning as seen in the failed attempts of the television, radio and the like (Larson and Miller 2011).Teachers must utilize the most suitable resource to enhance teaching and learning.
Nonetheless, technology has been found to improve the creative writing ability of students and simulations and games using the technology have been proven to increase the motivational level of students (Hannafin and Vermillion 2008) . One example of how the K-12 teacher can use the technology in the classroom is to allow students to utilize individual computers in a classroom to create e-books and picture stories. The teachers could then use multimedia to display the students’ work. The students could then use the multimedia activity as an Author’s Chair activity where the student would present the story to his/her classmates.
There is a plethora of ways in which technology can enhance teaching and learning but the teachers must be certain that they are not using the technology because it is a mandatory practice but teachers must carefully plan how they integrate the technology in the lesson. It must enhance not stick out as a sore thumb. The most difficult requirements to support For me the most difficult requirement to support would be the one which requires students to ‘demonstrate knowledge of current changes in information technologies and the effect those changes have on the workplace and society.
’ Information technology is forever changing. Knowledge of current changes suggests that the student would have to be a slave to the ever changing IT. If the students cannot keep up with the changes in information technologies, it would be even more difficult to ascertain the effect that these changes would have on the workplace and society. Missing specific skills The NETS appears to have taken a thorough and systematic approach to creating these requirements. At present every skill that is relevant and suitable for the Grade 6-8 students have been identified.
Read More
