ISTE 2017: New Standards for Educators Focus on Data, Digital Citizenship

ISTE has released an updated version of the ISTE Standards for Educators, which supports educators by providing a framework for learning, teaching and leading that is amplified by technology.

ISTE CEO Richard Culatta provided a preview of the new 2017 ISTE Standards for Educators Sunday at ISTE’s 2017 Conference & Expo in San Antonio.

“The ISTE Standards for Educators set the vision for how educators can use technology to create next-generation learning environments,” Culatta said. “They reflect the transition from using technology to deliver content to using technology to empower learners — that empowerment also speaks to educators as valued professionals within their organizations and communities who are enabling student-centered learning and are entrusted to carry out their practice at the highest levels.”

For the update, ISTE received input and feedback from 2,200 educators and administrators from around the globe. The Standards for Educators were last updated in 2008.

Educator Curt Mould from Sun Prairie Area School District in Wisconsin collaborated with 10 other members of the Standards Technical Working Group for more than a year, listening and sifting through research and feedback from the field to ensure the new standards would effectively support and inspire educators in their classrooms. They focused on areas such as making sure educators are preparing students to be responsible citizens in the digital age and can grasp new technologies to help all students succeed.

“We received an incredible amount of feedback that helped us create a roadmap that would be easy for educators to adopt and be helpful to students,” said Mould, who is director of innovation, assessment and continuous improvement for Sun Prairie. “We are excited about these new standards and empowering educators to embrace them and tailor them to meet the needs of all of their students.”

The seven educator standards are:

1. Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning.
2. Leader: Educators seek out opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success and improve teaching and learning.
3. Citizen: Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world.
4. Collaborator: Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems.
5. Designer: Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability.
6. Facilitator: Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the 2016 ISTE Standards for Students.
7. Analyst: Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals.

View the full educator standards and their indicators on the ISTE website. The ISTE Standards for Administrators will be released June 2018.

Check out more ISTE 2017 coverage by heading to EdTech’s event page.