Week 13 Part 1: Technology Application Standards

Educational standards and guidelines for the amount and degree of knowledge or content that must be taught is a very tedious procedure. Educators are required to cover each TEK for their given grade level throughout the course of his/her curriculum. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills are written out and teachers cannot ignore covering these or consequences will be faced, even jobs are at stake. As if there were not enough pressures already, living in a digital era only brings about more standards that deal with technology application into the classrooms. All teachers must learn the basis of technology and understand how to first use it themselves, so that they can then adequately integrate this into their given subject and lesson plans. While the task of following so many requirements and standards presumes lengthy, difficult, and time consuming; the work is well worth it to ensure no child is left behind. Knowledge, intellect, hands-on activities, and technology are the main components in teaching a child and preparing them for a 21^st century society that can’t eliminate technology. Every business, school, law office, doctor’s office, and sports arena use technology that is necessary for the job scene to run smoothly. This further proves why teaching our students using technology and digital tools is of great importance. One of the TEKS for Technology Applications that seems to effect the middle school age most is this: (3) Foundations. The student complies with the laws and examines the issues regarding the use of technology in society. The student is expected to:
(A) discuss copyright laws/issues and model ethical acquisition and use of digital information, citing sources using established methods;
(B) demonstrate proper etiquette and knowledge of acceptable use while in an individual classroom, lab, or on the Internet and intranet;
(C) describe the consequences regarding copyright violations including, but not limited to, computer hacking, computer piracy, intentional virus setting, and invasion of privacy;
(D) identify the impact of technology applications on society through research, interviews, and personal observation; and
(E) demonstrate knowledge of the relevancy of technology to future careers, life-long learning, and daily living for individuals of all ages.
The reason I chose this particular TEK is because I still remember the days when my 7^th grade English teacher would assign a writing assignment where research was involved. On many occasions I was left confused because my teacher would emphasize the bad things that came along with plagiarism, but never effectively showed us how to site our information and so avoid illegally copying someone else’s work. Where the Internet is now often used, teachers must make sure students understand the format of how to appropriately cite their sources.

After looking through the 6th grade math TEKS, the one that seemed to point most toward technology is:

(11)  Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 6 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and activities in and outside of school. The student is expected to:

(A)  identify and apply mathematics to everyday experiences, to activities in and outside of school, with other disciplines, and with other mathematical topics;

I will probably use this TEK in my classroom by taking my class to the computer lab and allowing them to play a math game online. I will find a game that allows children to shop only given a certain amount of money. This would engage students, giving them an opportunity to use a combination of technology and real world experiences to solve mathematics as they will have to add and subtract using decimals. Once kids understand that math does exist beyond the walls of the classroom, they will be prompted to want to learn the math process. So many children tend to become discouraged with the daunting task of having to solve a problem with numbers; but by using technology that drives our digital society and incorporating the use of technology, kids begin to form a love for math as they now understand how it applies to their daily lives.

The most important TEK for 6th grade math in my opinion, is:

(12)  Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student communicates about Grade 6 mathematics through informal and mathematical language, representations, and models. The student is expected to:

(A)  communicate mathematical ideas using language, efficient tools, appropriate units, and graphical, numerical, physical, or algebraic mathematical models; and

(B)  evaluate the effectiveness of different representations to communicate ideas.

I feel that this particular TEK holds the most importance because it ensures that each individual child knows how to compute math in a variety of ways. That way the material facilitates to the different type learners that exist. I will make certain this particular TEK is covered in my future classroom by using all types of methods for the same material. In my math classes, we have learned how to add and subtract with manipulative's, by hand, and through technology such as using the Geometry sketchpad. We have been required on tests to solve the same problem using the different methods taught in class. Upon taking these courses, I have begun to understand the importance of expressing different material in a variety of ways in an effort to reach all types of learners. So I will use manipulative's, base 10 blocks, tangrams, technological tools, etc to make the learning experience reachable for all.