InTASC and ISTE standards - What's in it for me?

What are InTASC and ISTE standards?
InTASC:

• "The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), through its Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), created Model Core Teaching Standards that outline what teachers should know and be able to do to ensure every PK-12 student reaches the goal of being ready to enter college or the workforce in today’s world. This “common core” outlines the principles and foundations of teaching practice that cut across all subject areas and grade levels and that all teachers share"(CCSSO). 

Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium

ISTE:

• ISTE stands for International Society for Technology in Education. There are ISTE Standards for both teachers and for students. "The ISTE Standards for Students are designed to empower student voice and ensure that learning is a student-driven process of exploration, creativity and discovery no matter where they or their teachers are in the thoughtful integration of ed tech" (ISTE). "The ISTE Standards for Teachers define the new skills and pedagogical insights educators need to teach, work and learn in the digital age" (ISTE).

International Society for Technology in Education
Standards for Students

International Society for Technology in Education
Standards for Educators

Why do we have them?

InTASC:

• "The purpose of the standards is to serve as a resource for states, districts, professional organizations, teacher education programs, teachers, and others as they develop policies and programs to prepare, license, support, evaluate, and reward today’s teachers" (CCSSO).

ISTE:

• These standards encourage both students and teachers to take a more engaging approach to education. These standards emphasis collaboration and creativity while using technology as a means to achieve engagement and activate students' HOTS.

More on the standards

InTASC:

• The standards are written in a way that offers guidance for the teacher. An example of this is, "The teacher can, the teacher will." I like how this is written because it allows for easier adaptation into I Can statements. This makes it much easier to blend technology into the classroom because the use of I Can statements specify exactly what you will be doing. These standards guide teachers when creating lesson plans and integrating technology in the classroom.

ISTE:

• The standards are written in a way that puts educational decision-making and power in students' hands. For teachers, the standards are written so educators can utilize technology to not only create engaging lesson plans that require in-depth critical thinking and analysis, but also to encourage professional development. I appreciate how the standards make sure to include for educators how to set rules/guidelines into order to better use technology in the classroom. These standards put power in the hands of both students and teachers, giving students a voice in their classroom and allow teachers to be agents of change.