Exploring NETS for Coaches,
Standard 3
AS I SEE “IT”
By Kara Gann
Kara Gann is the
information technology
program administrator for Laramie County
School District #1 in
Wyoming, USA. She is
also secretary for the
Executive Committee of
ISTE’s Board of Directors as well as a member
of ISTE’s Policy and
Procedures Committee.
W hile gathered around the dinner table, my family often has discussions that require more information. Inevitably,
one of us will pick up our cell phone and begin
to search the wealth of information that exists
on the internet. That type of access brings challenges for the learning community. Students are
not interested in sitting in class while a teacher
shows them what to do. Students want to be
involved in their learning. They are accustomed
to having information at their fingertips.
As we look at Standard 3 of the NETS for
Coaches, we focus on the digital learning environment ( iste.org/standards/nets-for-coaches.
aspx). It’s critical that today’s teachers and administrators select and evaluate digital tools and
resources that create technology-rich learning
environments. Coaches assist teachers and administrators to build teaching practices that are
compatible with the school’s vision, curriculum,
and infrastructure. They guide the development
of policies, guidelines, and system-level management of resources and equipment to support
digital tools like never before.
Students no longer have to look in textbooks,
watch movies, or trust their teachers to learn
about their world. Blended learning opportunities create environments that extend learning
beyond the walls of the classroom.
In Laramie County School District 1 in Chey-
enne, Wyoming, USA, with guidance from tech-
nology coaches, second grade students are able
to learn about Grand Teton National Park using
video conferencing. A forest ranger came to the
school and communicated with rangers who
were on site at the park. The rangers used their
iPads to connect with the students remotely and
show them where they were, what the weather
was like, tracks left behind by wildlife, and the
outdoors at Grand Teton. The experience ended
with the students taking the forest ranger’s oath
to protect the environment. The students didn’t
have to look at a book or watch a video; instead
they could engage in the conversation. They
could ask real-time questions and receive
instant answers from the rangers.
