Reflection on ISTE-Standards

Consider how technology has become such an important part of learning. Technology allows for a finer, more individualized degree of interactivity in order to customize the learning experience based on the needs of the user. Technology provides new resources for learning that overcomes distance and time. Technology becomes integrated in multiple ways for instructional purposes. As a new technology is developed, educators think and reflect on how that too should become incorporated into their classrooms. Sometimes these insights arrive one idea at a time. At other times, there is a wild flurry of growth and activity while technology is added to support teachers' instruction and students’ learning when the conditions are right. It takes funding and committed support of all parties involved (administrations, boards, parents, students, teachers) to develop appropriate projects for the integration of technology into our education systems.
These standards talk about the implementation of teaching important lessons using technology as a support tool to supplement the lesson. However, this "laundry list" of requirements deals with the ideal situation. Teaching in the ideal situation is plausible, but not a practical assumption in the current state. I did appreciate one notion noted, that, "Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments." I appreciated that technology was listed last. I have an ongoing fear that the use of technology will pervade the learning process and both students and teachers will become overly dependent on the use of technology in order to produce "good lessons." When you overly depend on the use of technology, often the lesson gets pushed to the wayside and is lost in the clutter of visual aids and sound and video bytes. This particular standard suggests using technology as a supplement and not the primary tool in the administering of the lesson.