This is how ISTE’s Research & Evaluation Department evaluated the scenario on page 11.
Creativity and Innovation
h 1a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
h 1b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
h 1c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
■ 1d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
Rationale: The teacher explicitly asked for predictions (1d). Otherwise, this scenario did not offer much creative opportunity for students. The activities and
problem-solving approaches were largely teacher directed. Had the teacher challenged the students to come up with parts of the experimental design and
perhaps assigned viewing of an animation depicting the movement of ions, we would have checked 1a–c.
Communication and Collaboration
h 2a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media
h 2b. Communicate information and ideas to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
h 2c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures
■ 2d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Rationale: The fact that students worked in teams to complete the lab resulted in a check for 2d. Why not 2a? The intention of that indicator has to do with
the use of technology to carry out a collaboration, such as by conducting the experiment with a remote class or under the guidance of a remote chemist. We
did not check 2b because the lesson lacks the concept of “audience.” Had the teacher extended the lesson to preparing a formal lab report or poster, we
would have checked 2b. 2c was not evident at all in this scenario.
Research and Information Fluency
h 3a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
■ 3b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
h 3c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
■ 3d. Process data and report results
Rationale: As with Standard 1 (Creativity), students did not have much opportunity to practice or demonstrate their skills in planning inquiry and selecting
resources. The teacher did, however, ask students to organize the information she directed them to find and asked them to process the results as a summary in
their own words.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
h 4a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
h 4b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
■ 4c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
h 4d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions
Rationale: By this point, you should be able to predict how we would score these indicators. Students made and justified informed decisions based on lab
procedures. However, they did not identify the issues or how to study them. The lab might have referred to a prior lecture, text, or simulation to make the
activity a problem-based quest, which would have invoked additional indicators.
Digital Citizenship
h 5a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
■ 5b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
h 5c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
h 5d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Rationale: We checked 5b because of the collaborative nature of the classroom, as students spontaneously helped one another. This scenario did not
describe any of the other digital citizenship indicators, but they could have appeared if students had questioned the authenticity of the web sources, reminded
one another of safety, or independently proposed extensions or connections to future study.
Technology Operations and Concepts
■ 6a. Understand and use technology systems
h 6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
■ 6c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
h 6d. Transfer current knowledge to learning new technologies
Rationale: We check indicator 6a any time students gain useful practice with technology. Evaluations often miss 6c because something has to go wrong for
it to be evident. In this case, knowing how to reset browser preferences is a good example of troubleshooting. Again, the scenario did not include examples of
student selection or adaptation of technologies and technology skills.
What was your interpretation of the NETS? Do you agree or disagree with ISTE R&E’s coding? How could a teacher modify this scenario to create a richer
lesson? What additional time, student preparation, technologies, or other resources would the lesson need? Find out how other readers responded and share
your insights, comments, and questions on the NETS Assessment Wiki ( nets-assessment.iste.wikispaces.net).
