(u05a2) Students Meeting the NETS-S

The NETS-S have six components:  1. Creativity and Innovation, 2. Communication and Collaboration, 3. Research and Information Fluency, 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, 5. Digital Citizenship, and 6. Technology Operations and Concepts.  Saying so through many Web 2.0 applications, students can meet the NETS-S requirements and apply their skills in 21st century learning.  How and what tools can they use to satisfy these needs?


Communication (NETS-S Component 2, 6)
Communication is a very powerful skill that students must need presently and for the future in order to succeed.  Not only do students need to know how to communicate with each other physically, they need to know how to communicate through print effectively as well.  To help students communicate effectively, they can use Web 2.0 applications such as: Prezi, Edmodo, Diigo, Skype, Podcasts, e-mail, chats, blogs, Google Docs, VoiceThread, and social networks.  This can help them communicate with other students, professionals, relatives, or teachers not only locally, but globally.  It can also help group members collaborate with each other virtually.  Most of our students now are digital natives, and know how to use and implement many of these tools already, so why not have them use the tools they are experts in. 


Collaboration (NETS-S Component 2, 4, 6)
Collaboration to no doubt goes hand and hand with communication skills, because in order to collaborate successfully, students must know how to communicate effectively.    Some Web 2.0 tools that students can use to collaborate are:  Google Docs, Google+, Skype, Wikis, Edmodo, VoiceThread, blogs, and social networks. 


Publishing (NETS-S Component 1-6)
Publishing is the way in which students distribute their products for others to view.  Publishing not only lets students show off their work, but enables them to be creative as well.  Creativity is far the most important skill that students seem to not pracitce, because they are not given the oppurtunity to show their true colors in many classrooms, and thus lack this skill in the future.  Web 2.0 applications that students can use to publish their work are:  Prezi, GlogsterEDU, Blogger, Google Docs, VoiceThread, Wikis, Animoto, and SlideShare.


Refrences
International Society for Technology in Education.  (2007).  NETS Student Standards.  Retrieved from:  http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx.