Measuring NETS Competence

Mod 10-1

Describe how we will know if teachers and administrators are meeting these competencies. At the end of your post, pose one hypothetical situation in which one or more of these groups may be working toward one of the NETS. Be sure to provide enough context so that your classmates can respond to the hypothetical with potential methods for measuring the competency or competencies


ISTE's NETS-S lists criteria to measure students' competence with technology.  In the same vein, the NETS-T and NETS-A measures teachers' and administrators' technology competence.  Using the following list of competencies, we can assess the level of integration of technology into their practices. Basically the NETS for teachers requires that educators use technology to:

1. facilitate learning experiences that promote active learning, collaboration, innovation and reflection in face to face and virtual environments
2. design authentic instruction and assessment that incorporate digital tools to differentiate learning
3. engage students in collaborative learning locally and globally
4. model appropriate Internet activity and promote digital citizenship and safety, and
5. model lifelong learning and collaboration with other educators to improve their instruction.

Similarily, the NETS for administrators tasks school leaders to use technology to:

1. model and promote the effective use of technology for learning, provide learner-centered environments equipped with technology that meet the needs of all learning styles
2. ensure effective use of technology across the curriculum, including providing opportunities for professional development in the use and integration of technology for educators.
3. communicate a shared vision of technology integration to promote learning and collaboration locally and globally, by participating in local and global committees to lead the development of effective digital learning experiences
4. model digital age communication and digital citizenship and ensure ubiquitous access to appropriate digital tools to promote learning, and
5. facilitate a robust infrastructure to meet the needs of digital aged learners and improve staff performance.

Observation of the teachers' and administrators' practices and samples of work that the students produce, shows us whether the educators are meeting these competencies. Also observation of the students, are they engaged in the work? Are they working and collaborating with others? Are they actively solving problems, seeking out new solutions and creating artifacts of learning?

As an example, one of our teachers is interested in promoting global collaboration by participating in activities with another class from another state via Skype.  Our first step in this process is to participate in a Mystery Skype with a class to guess where each of the classes lives.  We are hoping to do this within the next two weeks, barring any more scheduling glitches.   We hope to continue this interaction with the other class on other projects, as well as with other classes in the future.  How do we measure our progress?