Transformation of the Digital Learning Landscape If you were to compare learning and teaching in the 1990s to learning today, you probably would be surprised by the changes that have taken place. Classrooms today look remarkably different than those with single-file desks filled with silent children listening to a teacher who takes center stage. There have been significant changes since that time, many of which have stemmed from the development of technologies. There have been two major events in the history of access to learning (Smith, 2017). The first was the creation of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century that heralded the arrival of the age of modernity (Eisenstein, 1980). Before that time, only the elite classes had access to the knowledge held in books. The printing press allowed mass production and dissemination of printed materials. The second major event was the development of the internet, which greatly extended access to knowledge by providing an accessible connection to ubiquitous information. This period has become known as the digital age. During both historic changes in access, it took time for people to fully understand what could be achieved with the emerging technology. Education is no exception, and it has taken time to understand how to leverage digital tools for learning and teaching. During this exploration, some digital technologies were deemed unfit and banned from schools until profound potential was realized. This time of investigation has yielded new evidence about how students learn, and technologies continue to evolve.
Three Shifts in Thinking The learning journey is evident in reviewing the history of teacher standards for using technology. There appear to be three major shifts in thinking. In a previous version of the ISTE Standards for Teachers, the excitement was firmly rooted in the potential for digital tools in the hands of educators who knew how to use them. Educators would be taught how to use spreadsheets and word processing tools so they would be ready to use them with their students. It became evident that educators may know how to use these tools, but there was little training in how to effectively apply them for teaching and learning. In the first shift in thinking, the standards were revised to focus on how educators should use the digital tools for learning and teaching. This was the start of a new direction as educators focused on learning and teaching and how digital tools could be used to enhance that process (Crompton, 2013). This second shift was positive as it moved the focus away from the tool itself. However, this often resulted in replication rather than innovation as worksheets became digital worksheets, dry-erase white boards became digital white boards, and so on. What is the point in using 21st century technologies for 20th century teaching? To advance the potential of their classrooms, educators must go beyond past practices to rethink their teaching methodology as they take advantage of the of opportunities provided by technology.
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ISTE Standards for Educators
