Can Technology Save Education?

Via: OnlineEducation.net

ITES Technology Standards

I have been given the task to relate the new ITES standards to a content area.  Since 2006 my workdays are spent in a school library media center.  However, my past professional life was spent in a Language Arts classroom.  I'm back in high school so let us first take a look at the four standards for 9-12:

1. SI: Sources of Information: Evauluate resources needed to solve a given problem
2. TT: Technology as a Tool: Use technology and other resources for assigned tasks
3. RP: Research Process: Design project-based products that address problems
4. SE: Safety and Ethical Issues: Analyze issues and practices of responsible behavior when using resources.

Here's a look at the English/Language Arts Standards for High School

My goal is to connect the following Common Core high school English Standard to ITES: 

• Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

This goal is an important one as it will be applied to the  International Baccalaureate (IB) students as they write the essays that determine their success in achieving the IB Diploma. The extended essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, culminating in a 4,000-word paper. As a required component, it provides:

• practical preparation for the kinds of undergraduate research required at tertiary level
• an opportunity for students to engage in an in-depth study of a topic of interest within a chosen subject.

Emphasis is placed on the research process:

• formulating an appropriate research question
• engaging in a personal exploration of the topic
• communicating ideas
• developing an argument.

Participation in this process develops the capacity to:

• analyse
• synthesize, and
• evaluate knowledge.

Source

1. Standard I: SI: Sources of Information: Evauluate resources needed to solve a given problem: IB Students are given the task to deveop a research question and find an engaging solution or satisfactory evaluation of the situation.
2. TT: Technology as a Tool: Use technology and other resources for assigned tasks: Part of ther research process is designed not only around books but online databases.  Utiliznig NC Wise Owl, NC Live and working with the UNCG libraries to give students online database access enables students to use technology to complete their research.
3. RP: Research Process: Design project-based products that address problems: The entire IB essay is designed to find a solution to a problem.  Acting as a guide to provide students with the tools to find online and in-library tools to solve the problem adds to their success.
4. SE: Safety and Ethical Issues: Analyze issues and practices of responsible behavior when using resources.: As a library media specialist my goal is to enable students to identify reliable websites for research.  Using the 5 point checklist of: validity, currency, content, purpose and accuracy, students are able to use non-online database resources with confidence.