Can you observe the NETS for Students in practice?
Try this exercise: Read the scenario below, then check
off any NETS•S performance indicators (on the right)
that you think the lesson addresses. Next, turn to
page 40 to see how ISTE’s Research & Evaluation
Department would rate this lesson against the NETS
using the ISTE Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT,
iste.org/icot). You can also do this exercise online at
surveymonkey.com/s/knowthenets.
You are observing a fourth grade classroom. Twenty students are grouped in five clusters of four desks each. The room is decorated with
posters from numerous countries, charts of state standards, and diagrams of mathematics and language arts
concepts. Ten computers sit at desks around the room,
booted up to an interactive reading program.
This period is devoted to geometry. The teacher
works on an interactive whiteboard connected to a document camera and laptop. He reminds students
that they have been working on triangles and displays
a series of pictures from around the world, many of
which he has taken himself. Other images are scans
of magazine pages or have a “stock photo” watermark
indicating that they come from a commercial site. The
teacher asks students, working in groups, to identify
the number of triangles in each image and classify
them as equilateral, isosceles, or scalene.
The task is harder than it looks. The 12 stocky
buttresses of a first-century Roman bridge are easy
to count, but the iron webwork of a modern cantiliver
truss in Central America forces students to close one
eye and finger-count the shapes. Groups get one point
for finding each triangle and another for correctly
identifying the type of triangle.
If students have trouble identifying the shapes, they
can consult their textbooks. Some students refer to
their smartphones, until the teacher reminds them
that phones are forbidden in class.
When the last picture has been counted and classified, the teacher displays a variety of triangle images
on the board. He hands out a paper quiz form with
questions about the images. Students take turns reading the questions aloud in their groups, but each answers the quiz questions on his or her own. “Do your
own work,” the teacher reminds them. However, he
travels from table to table until the end of the period,
clarifying quiz questions and prompting students to
think about the geometric concepts in new ways.
KNOW THEnets
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
h 1d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
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 effectively 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
h 2d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems
Research and Information Fluency
h 3a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
h 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
h 3d. Process data and report results
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
h 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
Digital Citizenship
h 5a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of
information and technology
h 5b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward technology that supports
collaboration, learning, and productivity
h 5c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
h 5d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
Technology Operations and Concepts
h 6a. Understand and use technology systems
h 6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
h 6c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
h 6d. Transfer current knowledge to learning new technologies
Find our answers on the next page.
