TechYES students demonstrate their fulfillment of the ISTE NETS standards in two ways:

(a) Carrying out projects that yield evidence bearing on standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

(b) Verifying that they have addressed matters involving standard 5.

In order for students to earn TechYES Certification, their projects must demonstrate the effective use of technology in relation to four criteria: gather, organize, construct, and share. Each criterion encompasses one or more of the  ISTE standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. In the following list, the questions that accompany criteria are ones a student seeks to answer during the completion of a project. The “typical technology skill” attached to the criteria illustrates one example of a skill a student might use.

GATHER (ISTE Standards 1, 3, 4, 6)

• What information do I want? How and where can I find it?

• Typical technology skill – that of searching the World Wide Web.

ORGANIZE (ISTE Standards 3, 4 and 6)

• In what form will I compile and organize information?

• Typical technological skill – that of preparing a spreadsheet.

CONSTRUCT (ISTE Standards 2, 4 and 6)

• How do I find the best way to meet my project goals with technology tools? How do I solve the problems that arise as I build something new? What electronic technology will be useful in creating the project?

• Typical technological skill – that of building an interactive web site using appropriate software tools.

SHARE (ISTE Standards 2 and 6)

• Who is my audience and how can I meet their needs? How can I share this project with others? How is it useful to others?

• Typical technological skill – sending email, saving files, creating CDROMs, making electronic presentations.

To ensure that students have a broad and deep command of the skills implied in the ISTE NETS standards, they will be required to demonstrate their mastery of the ISTE standards in at least two projects. Therefore, students must satisfactorily finish a minimum of two projects to earn TechYES Certification.

It is worth noting that ISTE chose to create a new NETS standard #1 that relates directly to creativity, problem solving and project creation. This new ISTE NETS standard is what TechYES has always been about. All TechYES students must demonstrate that their project is unique, and show that it is creative when they fill out their project assessment forms.

Students’ understanding of social, ethical, and human issues in the use of technology (ISTE Standard 5) is accomplished most efficiently by reading and assimilating prepared materials. Chapter 2 of the Student Guide covers these important issues. Students are asked to sign their Student Guides, signifying they have read and understood these issues. Individual programs may also decide to supplement Chapter 2 with the extensive resources of the CyberSmart! Program (found in the extension activities in Units 1 & 2 of the online curriculum.)

Alternately, many schools and organizations have already covered these materials with students and may feel that this standard has been fully covered.