Reflection Standard 4

Reflection Standard 4

             Standard 4 of ISTE-NETS for teachers is to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility. In order to comply with this standard, teachers must stay up to date with digital concerns that are local and global. With this understanding, teachers carry a responsibility to show and teach their students appropriate ways to use technology and ways to conduct themselves while using technology so they may not become engaged in illegal or unethical practices. Some areas that should be of primary concern for teachers are teaching student s to respect copyrighted material, intellectual property, and, if using those types of materials, appropriate documentation of sources.  Also within this standard, the teacher must provide all students with access to digital tools and resources from which they may select in order for them to experience and showcase their learning in a way that is most advantageous for their individual needs.  Furthermore, it is also the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that students know and understand digital etiquette and how to engage in appropriate social interactions while using digital tools. Finally, teachers need to socially interact with colleagues and students whose cultural backgrounds are diverse. The teacher needs to collaborate through digital communication applications and tools. Through this collaboration, teachers are able to model for students and help them develop an understanding of cultures in a global sense.

            My readiness to meet this standard is very strong and is certainly increasing. Most of the standard, I already address with my students. For instance, I always address the appropriate use of copyrighted material and intellectual property. Now, I am able to provide students with wizards that assist them in accurately citing material that they do use in their work. I also have discussions with the students about digital etiquette and their social interactions; we often discuss the consequences of having poor etiquette and interactions. Students provide personal examples which make for a very interesting conversation. My weakness in this standard is in addressing a diversity of cultures and providing a global awareness. I see now that I could use the conversations about social interactions as a segue to cover other cultures which would make for a perfect opportunity to cover this portion of the standard. Other ways that I could address this portion of the standard is by using web sites that provide virtual tours in other countries. As a class, we could connect with students and teachers from other countries via email and collaboration on online documents such as Google Docs or Prezi. It would be great to use Skype to communicate; however, our computers are not equipped with cameras so we wouldn’t have a visual. I am not sure that Skype is allowed through the school internet security, but it is a topic that could be addressed with administration in order to gain permission and access.