District Administration - June 2007 - (Page 39)

TECHNOLOGY important that they be guided in developing self-responsibility as they mature. DA: Neither “computer science” nor programming are mentioned in the documentation you provided. How can technology standards focused on creativity, innovation and invention fail to even acknowledge students’ learning to create at this most fundamental level? KNEZEK: Again, this demonstrates a fallacy often present in interpreting the standards. There is nothing in the standards that prohibits … or even discourages … students’ mastering programming or computer science. Indeed, several of the standards and indicators can be met by such activities. However, there is a great deal to be done in creativity, innovation, and self-expression (as well as problem solving, decision making, communicating and publishing) that do not require computer language programming or study of computer science. So why would our standards indicate that every student needs to program and master computer science? You ask why not, and I ask why? DA: Should educators be concerned by the number of corporate executives who contributed to the NETS Refresh? Why are they qualiﬁed to set education standards, and is there a danger of conﬂict of interest? KNEZEK: The process we’ve used in the revision of the NETS for Students closely follows that of the original development. ISTE certainly views representatives from the corporate sector as legitimate stakeholders in the eﬀort to transform schools for digital age learners. We believe insulating schools from the world outside of schools is one of the major forces that allows schooling to be so far out of touch with the rest of society. We have taken the vast majority of input and feedback on the standards from frontline educators and, as a lifetime educator, I am relieved to see that ISTE has structured corporate input into the process without allowing that sector to dominate. We view that involvement as a true strength and an anchor to reality. It is the responsibility of every stakeholder, and of ISTE, to ensure that conﬂicted www.DistrictAdministration.com June 2007 39 interest does not dominate the revision. We feel the revisions are motivated by our students’ best interests, and we believe the standards are stronger because we involve enough corporate input to prevent dominance by a speciﬁc sector. DA: When a conﬂict arises between the interests of educators or ISTE’s corporate sponsors, how is the matter often resolved? KNEZEK: Decisions are made with ISTE’s primary constituents’ interests at the center … the interests of young learners and education leaders. We consider the corporate sector representatives legitimate stakeholders in the school transformation agenda … but we carefully guard against their interests dominating. DA: Can you imagine any uses of computers in K12 schools that ISTE would not support? KNEZEK: Yes. Mainly those behaviors that are illegal, unethical, irresponsible and unsafe. DA http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess http://www.vantagelearning.com/myaccess http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2007

Contents
Editor's Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Technology Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
Admistrator Profile
District Profile
Refreshing the ISTE Technology Standards
Action Teams
RE-Construction
Professional Development for the New Century
Multimedia LIT
New Products
Leadership Books
Problem/Solution
Online Edge
Speaking Out
Supervisor's Opinion
Professional Opinion
Research Corner
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - June 2007