The ISTE standards are perhaps more important now than ever as we are all diving into the technology world of education. This year, your Building Tech Series will highlight an ISTE standard each month and we are kicking off with Empowered Learner.
Empowered Learner sets a goal for “Students [to] leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.” As we work and teach in this remote learning environment, this standard will help support students in achieving their own learning successes.
ISTE breaks each standard down into four criteria each with a video of the criteria in action. The emphasis of the Empowered Learner standard is having students take a more active role in their own learning – from setting goals, creating a learning network, gathering feedback, choosing their learning product, and transferring their learning. The remote learning environment is a prime time to empower our students more than ever. They have access to technology on a daily basis and we can leverage that to allow our students to customize their learning experience and make their own goals. This is a wonderful time to allow choice and make use of their home environment to encourage authentic learning experiences. They can build an online network of relationships which might encourage content-based discussions, supporting one another with challenges, and gathering feedback from their peers, all skills that will support students in further school, community and life-long situations.
Our Ed Tech TOSAs and Ed Tech Leads are working on lessons to highlight one or more of the standards criteria for you to use in your class. Here are some BNP posts that can support Empowered Learner as well:
Engage Students through Seesaw Choice Boards
Learning Mastery Paths in Canvas
Make sure to ask your Ed Tech Lead about your Building Tech Series date and time to learn more about Empowered Learner.