Education Technology

George Lucas is my hero. As a kid, I sat captivated watching Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo as they made their way across the galaxy. They were smart, they were creative, they were brave, and they always won.

Education in America seems to be crying out for a hero of its own, and I think George Lucas is the man for the job. Why? Take one look at contined...

Standards, standards, standards. We hear about them every day as teachers. Each state has standards for math, social studies, reading, and almost every other school subject. We plan lessons around them and students take standardized tests for them. But what about computer class?

If our children are to thrive and compete on the international playing field, these skills will be their spring, summer, winter and fall training.

The International Society for Technology in Education, or ISTE, has published a list for just that purpose. According to the ISTE.org website, the emphasis of the current list includes not only specific computer skills, but also:

*creativity and innovation;
*communication and collaboration;
*research and information fluency;
*critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making;
*digital citizenship; and
*technology operations and concepts

Use the link to download your own copy of the NETS Standards, and think about how you can incorporate them into the things you are already doing in the classroom. If you're a parent, think about how to teach your children how to do the things you may take for granted on your own computer.

If you'd like to share how you use the computer standards, please let me know in the comment section below. Let's help each other!

Mac for Teachers and Parents
San Diego Kids