Interactivity #5

Lesson Plan Analysis with NETS-S

 

      The teacher I interviewed for my interactivity is employed as a full-time English teacher at Camden County Technical School. She was actually very knowledgeable and proactive in incorporating the standards. I discovered quickly that her district was not pushing for the NETS-S just yet, but the NETS-T had already begun their entrance into the school.

      

Her school had begun to implement the NETS into their school.  She explained that at the rate things were developing, it would take the school about 2 years to reach full completion of implementation of these standards.  She said teachers at her school have begun to model proficiency in technology.  Every lesson that they need to teach must use some form of technology.  These technologies can include anything from projectors to online tools to proficiency with Microsoft.  The skills they learn in the classroom must be skills that enhance real life skills in the outside world.  It is interesting that the school is pushing the standards, but not the district yet.  She said this means that not all of the teachers in the school have become familiar with these standards yet and are not making technology a part of their lessons as they should.  These standards help bolster the level of interest for students especially in an English Classroom where students may not be fond of reading.  For example, the first standard is to Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning 
and Creativity.  Incorporating technology into lessons that students find boring may provide some intrinsic motivation for the students.  They may want to actually complete projects or assignments because they deem it “fun” and do it because they enjoy it.

When we began talking about the standards, I was definitely surprised.  She seemed to be very knowledgeable about what was going on.  She easily provided me with the path that the school wanted her to go on; however, then she began to talk about things that are needed in order to make these standards work.  She said that something important is for teachers to know what resources they have.  She said that training was an important aspect of this implementation that is needed in order for it to succeed.  This made me think of two things: 1) Teachers are not being proactive in their quest to provide the students with the most comprehensive teaching.  Why would the teachers not be aware of the resources provided to them? As a future educator, I would actively seek out this information myself; even before school wide training sessions were held.  I would especially make sure that other teachers were knowledgeable and helping their students to the best of their abilities. 2) Technology is needed in the classroom.  Those standards aren’t only there to be set requirements, but they also provide excellent support.  We as educators should incorporate any support we are given into our planning.  In this way, we can provide students with a more synergistically valuable education.