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 http://surveymonkey.com/s/knownets2.
Asixth grade class in California, USA, is studying plate tectonics. In this earthquake-prone area, many of the students have experienced seismic
events, and the topic is listed in the state standards.
The only computer in the room is the teacher’s laptop,
which projects a satellite image of the school’s region. As
students recall earthquakes they have experienced, the
teacher uses a geographic information system (GIS) to
display the epicenters. She turns her computer over to a
student and shows her how to choose earthquakes from a
menu in the application. The teacher does not touch her
computer again during the observation.
Another student takes over the computer, and the teacher directs him to a menu that displays all the earthquakes
for each year. The teacher asks students to discuss in small
groups what the patterns say about planning where to live.
When some wonder why people live in seismic zones, she
agrees the question requires more information, particularly
the question: “What causes earthquakes?” She accepts
multiple shoutouts from the class and invites a student who
mentioned “faults” to use another menu to overlay a chart
of faults. She has the student navigate the visualization tool
below the surface of the earth’s crust to show the faults in
three dimensions from the side. The teacher briefly lectures
on the relationship between faults and earthquakes.
The class moves to a computer lab, where students are
directed to a site with a tutorial, simulation, and quiz on tectonic plates, types of faults, and seismic waves. (The teacher
says the archaic lab equipment will not support the GIS application used in class.) Students move through the tutorial
and simulation rapidly. The teacher encourages students
to help one another with the quiz if necessary, and they do.
The quiz does not re-teach any missed items but merely
provides a correct answer and moves on. The first students
to discover this algorithm counsel their peers that the fastest
way to progress is to hit the Enter key without reading the
questions. The teacher says she had not used the website
with students before and had not realized how the quiz
module responded to errors. She says she will substitute
a discussion for the quiz in the next period.
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 page 40.