ISTE*T2 Reflection

It’s been more than a few hours since I took the ISTE self-assessment so I’m not entirely sure how I rated myself at the beginning of the course. I do know that I have learned a lot, and I am not doing as well as I thought I was before I started this course. It’s not that I’m horrible at ISTE*T standard 2, developing digital age learning experiences, but more that with my current knowledge I am now aware of areas I need to improve.

I believe I am weakest in substandard B, developing technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. Although I have made growth in this area by providing a few experiences for self-design and assessment it is not the norm in my classroom. This is partially because of the lack of technology in my classroom, but I could do more with the devices I do have. For instance, if I let the kids stay at the iPad center for a week at a time, instead of rotating them daily, they would have a more realistic chance at completing a project. I could give them a guiding question, some project guidelines, maybe some key vocabulary I would like to see included, and if I really had it together I would provide a project rubric.

I am stronger in standards C (Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.) and D (Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.). I am good at seeing that a student cannot be successful at the learning activity using the tools I have provided, or anticipating the need ahead of time. Some students need more scaffolding, modifications, or accommodations to reach the desired learning goal. Likewise, I effectively use formative data to inform my ongoing teaching of the content and students of their current progress. And, I use summative data to give students a picture of their learning and to plan future projects and units.