OR Tech Standards Comments

 I think the Oregon technology standards are a welcome addition to state standards that until now, hardly addressed technology at all. Kids today are growing up in a world of multimedia communication that most adults could not imagine even twenty years ago. Yet too many teachers know less about technology than the students they teach. These standards are an excellent start to educating our students in this new world of multi-level, global and instant communication they are growing up in, but without being accompanied by wide-ranging teacher technology education, they are almost pointless. 

I have read research studies that show that many teachers are afraid of technology because they don't understand it. They simply do not have the experience. If we are to educate our students, we need to reach out to teachers, too - in fact, it needs to be a teacher requirement. But also, it should be available to teachers free of cost as part of their general education.

The whole face of communication is changing right now and I am happy to see that Oregon is working to stay atop of these changes with it's new tech standards.

In my own practicum class, an eighth-grade Language Arts class, I addressed almost every one of these standards by requiring students to create a news video segment that took place in the Yukon Territory, which they had to research on the web. It used a combination of team work, creativity, photography, writing, and sharing by uploading their scripts to Google Docs, and then publishing the segments on the web to share with family and friends. This project addressed communication and collaboration, sharing, research and technology concepts.

The difficulties in this kind of project are many. Some of the big ones for me are making sure that all of the students are given access to the technology on an equal basis, as well as having a teacher who understands and can use the technology. Also, in group work of this kind, it's easy for one or two technolgy-savvy students to take over a project, while the ones who need it the most hang in the back and don't get the experience they need. Also, a lack of up-to-date computer software can really slow these projects down, as well as someone who can offer tech support when things don't work.

But overall, this is such worthwhile information for our students and well worth any problems!

I think this kind o