[5] Interactivity #5: NETS-S & NETS-T

My study was conducted with a middle school science teacher in the Fair Lawn School District. Based on their responses I would assume my teacher was not accurately knowledgeable about the NETS-S/NETS-T. They said they believed they were somewhat familiar with the NETS-S/NETS-T because they believed it was similar to the NJCCCS for Technology (Standard 8.1 Computer Information Literacy). This answer is not all wrong due to the fact they are both technology as a pedagogical means to curriculum goals and not technology as a separate content area (which is similar to the NAEP standards). My teacher did not know if their school had begun to use the new NETS-S/NETS-T but told me they thought it was in the planning stages. They mentioned that other technology initiatives their school implemented were Smartboard training for teachers. Additionally the middle school technology teacher was moved down to the elementary level because their students needed to learn technology skills at an earlier age. An earlier start in developing technology literacy will help increase students' proficiency and media literacy throughout their lives. Also, students' proficiency and media literacy increases with the more authentic practice they engage in. If teacher are trained on how to incorporate new and old digital technologies for teaching and learning, their students will gain exposure, increasing their overall media literacy. The workshop the Fair Lawn School District holds for their teachers will provide them with the confidence and knowledge needed to incorporate supportive technologies into their lesson plans (to ultimately increase students engagement in authentic learning experiences that allow them to practice and increase their media literacy). 

 I was surprised at first at the fact they moved the technology teacher to the elementary level but after I thought about it, it actually makes sense (as previously described); to keep up with the advances in technologies and medias, students need to be exposed at a younger age. As a future art educator I would use the technology teacher as a resource and discuss with them the students’ levels of technology literacy. I could also form and discuss lessons with the technology teacher in which I want to include the use of digital technologies. They could then prepare students and educate them on this certain media/technology. My lesson would enhance their learning and allow the students to transfer and apply their knowledge learned in their technology class to another situation outside of that class, my art class (and eventually they will apply it to a situation outside of their academic life). I would have them practice their developing media literacy by assigning them a project that authentically incorporates their learned materials (technology ) and my art objectives (content standards). I would definitely like to have a mentor to advise me, and to receive feedback on my lesson plans -specifically, how I integrated the NETS-S/NETS-T standards in my lesson.

My Lesson Plan with NETS-S Standards