This is an interesting time of year to be reviewing these standards; it’s the start of the school year, with my new Physics class completing their online orientation, and the Principal of our alternative high school stating that curriculum development will be a priority this year. I can see opportunities for enriching the learning environment, and supporting students learning as I read the ISTE standards. This is also the time of year that I set my own goals, in my Annual Learning Plan. Reflecting on the standards helps me to articulate my plan for growth and leadership.
I recognize the first standard, Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, as a central challenge for me, in teaching online. In this course, I hope to learn ways to model creative thinking for students. I encourage students to use discussion boards to increase their engagement with real world applications, and model problem-solving for them using screencaptures (with smartboard). I would like to learn more about facilitating discussions in order to increase student interaction, and want to explore blogs. For example, I could have a blog about how the concepts of our Physics course apply in the world around us.
The second standard, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, is particularly relevant to my face-to-face work with my alternative students. The curriculum we use is print-based, and students use computers mainly for research, and as word-processors. I am working with a team of teachers to enrich our learning materials using digital tools, and to provide for students’ diverse learning preferences. Our school consists of many, small campuses, so our students generally work in isolation on their courses, interacting mostly with their teacher. In this course, I want to learn ways to provide for interaction among students at different campuses.
The fifth standard encourages me to think about my professional growth and how I develop my leadership skills. I promote the use of digital tools within our school, and act, on an informal basis, as a mentor for less experienced online teachers. Through this course, I want to improve my teaching, and I’m looking forward to learning together with everyone in this class.