Why Should Teachers Use the ISTE Standards

Part of the Technology Coach action plan for our school is to introduce the ISTE standards to teachers. Since I will be leading this PD, I will need to be able to answer the questions of "why do we need this?"

Every journey begins with a single step. Maya Angelou by thammerlund

Why?

... the age-old school question. Students ask it, teachers ask it, you know administrators ask it, but aside from giving an overview of the standards, 

When I introduce this, I need to explain why we are doing this in my workshop. 

The three reasons I am considering now is:

1. Standards give a goal that allows teachers to work backward,
2. Standards help make connections to other subjects more visible which can inspire interdisciplinary learning; that idea of transfer,
3. The ISTE Standards connect to our school-wide action plan and will help us come more inline with the accreditation bodies' recommendations as well as our own mission and vision.

Students collaborating using technology that enhances learning