AASL versus ISTE Standards
After looking over all of the materials in Knowledge Quest volume as well as the ISTE and AASL websites, I discovered a big picture similarity along with several crosswalks that can facilitate standards working in collusion with each other. In the big picture of education, both sets of standards enumerate skills that empower the learner to pursue knowledge outside of the traditional, teacher-led classroom. “The empowered learner” is actually the very first ISTE standard listed for students, and I believe that autonomous and engaged pursuit of knowledge is the goal of both sets of standards. The process of acquiring knowledge starts with a question and a plan for answering that question. It then moves through the process of getting it answered or generating further questions, using a critical eye for the quality of
answers and attributing it to its source. The final step is applying what is learned to another context. Both ISTE and AASL standards clarify the steps in this process.
The “Empowered Learner” sets learning goals and uses technology to build networks to pursue those goals. The “Inquire” foundation from AASL involves generating questions about interests and creating a plan to “fill in the knowledge gap” (AASL, 2018). Not only do both of these standards provide a starting point for an inquiry, but it encourages metacognition, a recognition of the process that stimulates learning that is so important to the growth mindset.
Another life skill that both sets of standards strengthen is persistence. Under the “Explore” foundation in the” create” domain, knowledge is gained through-1. Problem-solving through cycles of design, implementation, and reflection; and 2. Persisting through self-directed pursuits by tinkering and making (AASL, 2018). This coincides with the “Innovative Designer” standard that encourages learners to utilize the cyclical design process to tinker, test, and learn from the outcomes, whether they are what was expected or not. There is a video illustrating this process on the ISTE website. It occurs inside a classroom lab where the students are designing experiments to test a theory. The teacher describes the process:
So much of the test-driven process of education, if you make a mistake, there is something punitive. Well, for here, every time we do something that didn’t give us the results we were looking for-it’s data- and data isn’t right or wrong (Innovative Designer 4a: Design Process (ISTE Standards for Students), 2020).
Both standards pay respect to the process of learning and recognize the value in making mistakes and persisting through a redesign process.
Though these are not the only two standards that could work together by expanding the modalities of the learning process, these are the ones that stuck out the most to me. They illustrate the theories behind modern-day education that promote student-driven learning. Before, school lessons were a straight path-this is what you learn, how you learn it, and how you demonstrate your knowledge, with no deviation. Today’s learning is meandering, encouraging students to follow paths of interest and maybe even get lost for a while before recalculating the next move. When students create their own plan of attack, understand that knowledge is everyone’s domain, and have the leeway to make mistakes, they are much more invested in their education.
Many of the articles in the Knowledge Quest journal are concerned with aligning the AASL standards, which are solely library-based, with the rest of the school’s curriculum goals and vision. In the article” Leveraging Crosswalks for Communication,” Lewis points out that advocating for the library and its work with the standards is easier when you explain how they align and strengthen the other goals and standards in the rest of the building. Crosswalks encourage recognition that everyone within the school building is working towards the same goal of student learning. The library is an integral part of that whole, and promoting the understanding of AASL standards to administrators through the use of crosswalks illustrates that point.
Innovative Designer 4a: Design Process (ISTE Standards for Students). (2020, January 10). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlHZt0Z2e-c&list=PL6aVN_9hcQEGNw8OUN-5Cc_dogE1Q4gqo&index=1
ISTE Standards-Students. (2022). ISTE. Retrieved September 1, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students
Lewis, C. (2019). Leveraging Crosswalks for Communication. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), 42–43.
Shared Foundation Infographics. (2020, August 11). National School Library Standards. https://standards.aasl.org/project/foundations/
Meg,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post and your comment of “Today’s learning is meandering, encouraging students to follow paths of interest and maybe even get lost for a while before recalculating the next move” resonated with me. Helping students develop skills that encourage learning for life is important. The face of education is changing, the standards published by AASL, and ISTE are key to helping educators adapt their own styles of teaching to better embrace the technology around us. The availability of these frameworks and professional development opportunities for educators are vital to assisting educators in incorporating these standards into our educational endeavors.
Christine Donaldson
Thank you for your positive feedback. I agree that the frameworks are a help rather than a hindrance and a way to focus the skills that librarians already possess.
DeleteMeg,
ReplyDeleteI really relate to your statement the standards "illustrate the theories behind modern-day education that promote student-driven learning." I had never looked at the library standards, but found them done quite well and really embracing the entire school community, not just the librarian pushing out content. I think this format of standards would be great to really bridge classroom learning so that students feel a part of the learning plan. When students are invested, they definitely make for a better school environment for everyone. Great post!
Caroline Hoppe
Thank you for your response! Connecting the two standards does seem to be a solution to create a symbiotic relationship between the library and the classroom!
DeleteMeg,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that everyone within the school environment must be working towards the same goal. It is so important that the administration, classroom teachers, and the school librarian must all be on the same page and focused on the same outcome. I like how the ISTE has specific standards for teacher and leaders at the school level. I think that aspect is very important and shows that both the AASL and ISTE are important in today's education system.
Meg,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your final paragraph and how you articulated the importance of libraries and why we need to encourage the collaboration of both the AASL standards and the ISTE standards so that we are able to focus on students and their ways of learning, while also being new and creative. I think it is important that the information that students are learning in the library is continued on in the classroom, and I find that integrating both of these standards will help with that! I really loved your article and the information you shared as well as the creativeness of your blog as a whole!
Meg, I agree with you. Both standards go well together. They are both are put in place to help the students achieve and the librarian teach lessons. By the way, the purpose of standards is to drive instructions and help the teacher tailor her lessons. Also, since librarians are working with technology a lot, I'm grateful for the technology driven ISTE standards. These standards are helpful with the twenty-first century skills that the students need.
ReplyDelete