The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards

The increasing use of technology in the classroom requires that certain responsibilities of using adjunct methods be adhered to, which is why the ISTE Standards have been developed. There is virtually no classroom environment that is not augmented with some type of technological device, therefore it is important that standards be set, much in the same way that certain texts are used to fulfill academic requirements. As such it is expected that technology will be incorporated into the classroom to help educators with their teaching methods, and to help students learn through such methods. Another reason why these Standards have been devised is so that expectations of using technology, and support of its use for educators, administrators and students, are consistent. The ISTE sets guidelines as to how such standards can be achieved. There are five: ISTE Standards-A; ISTE Standards-T; ISTE Standards-S.

• ISTE Standards-A: The Standard-A Specifies the knowledge and skills that administrators must demonstrate so they can perform their leadership responsibilities when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom.

• ISTE Standards-T: The Standard-T sets the guidelines of the skills and knowledge teachers need so they can effectively incorporate technology into the classroom; additionally, this Standard covers leaderships’ responsibilities in ensuring that teachers receive the proper support in learning these skills and acquiring such knowledge when it comes to technology. By doing so, deficiencies can be identified and improvements made.

• ISTE Standards-S: The Standard-S is designed to ensure that students are learning the technologies so they are being prepared for the future. It is also incumbent upon the educational leader to understand how technologies are being taught and learned so students are being properly prepared for life in a technologically based world.

• In addition, there are Standards for technology specialists and coaches and for computer science educators. Leadership should also understand these Standards.

In essence, we can think of the ISTE Standards as being something of a technology equivalent of Common Core Standards for the digital age.