New+Jersey+Core+Curriculum+Content+Standards+for

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Technology INTRODUCTION Technology in the 21st Century Technology is uniquely positioned to transform learning, to foster critical thinking, creativity, and innovation, and to prepare students to thrive in the global economy. As engaged digital learners, students are able to acquire and apply content knowledge and skills through active exploration, interaction, and collaboration with others across the globe, challenging them to //design the future// as envisioned in the statements that follow: Intent and Spirit of the Technology Standards All students acquire content area knowledge and skills in: (1) Visual and Performing Arts, (2) Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, (3) Language Arts Literacy, (4) Mathematics, (5) Science, (6) Social Studies, (7) World Languages, (8) Educational Technology, Technology Education, Engineering, and Design, and (9) 21st Century Life and Careers. As they do so, they are supported by the ongoing, transparent, and systematic integration of technology from preschool to grade 12 in preparation for postsecondary education and the workplace. In **Preschool**, technology offers versatile learning tools that can support children’s development in all domains. For example, electronic storybooks can "read" stories to children in multiple languages; adventure games foster problem-solving skills; story-making programs encourage literacy and creativity; math-related games can help children count and classify; and science activities promote inquiry and an understanding of the world through the eyes of a child. When preschoolers are encouraged to work together with electronic devices and computers, social skills are tapped as children negotiate turn-taking. However, technology should not replace the concrete, real-life experiences that are critical to a young child’s learning; it must always be used in balance with other meaningful activities and routines. Technology should be embedded into children’s learning centers and should enhance their learning and development during choice time as well as in small-group experiences. In grades **K-2,** students are formally introduced to the basic features and functions of computers and demonstrate understanding that technology enables them to communicate beyond the classroom on a variety of topics. K-2 students are also exposed to elements of the design process, design systems, and a variety of technology resources, and understand the importance of safety when using technological tools. In grades **3-4**, students understand the purpose of, and are able to use, various computer applications. They continue to develop information-literacy skills and increasingly use technology to communicate with others in support of learning, while also recognizing the need for cyber safety and acceptable use policies. Students in grades 3-4 also investigate the impact of technology systems, understand the design process, and use it for problem solving. In grades **5-8**, students expand their capacity to use operations and applications, apply information-literacy skills, and select the appropriate tools and resources to accomplish a variety of tasks, as they develop digital citizenship. As students participate in online learning communities, collaborating in the design of products that address local and global issues across the curriculum, they build understanding of the perspectives of learners from other countries. Students at this level can apply the design process in the development of products; understand impact constraints, trade-offs, and resource selection; and solve a design challenge and/or build a prototype using the design process. Students can explain why human-designed systems, products, and environments need to be monitored, maintained, and improved, and they recognize the interdependence of subsystems as parts of a system. In grades **9-12**, students demonstrate advanced computer operation and application skills by publishing products related to real-world situations (e.g., digital portfolios, digital learning games and simulations), and they understand the impact of unethical use of digital tools. They collaborate adeptly in virtual environments and incorporate global perspectives into problem solving at home, at school, and in structured learning experiences, with the growing realization that people in the 21st century are interconnected economically, socially, and environmentally and have a shared future. Revised Standards The 2009 standards provide the foundation for creating local curricula and authentic performance assessments and emulate the philosophy and goals contained in documents produced by national technology organizations, including the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills and the New Jersey Educational Technology Plan. The organization of the strands in standards 8.1 and 8.2, as well as the content and skills within each strand, has been reconceptualized to address emerging technologies and technological applications that are needed for life and work in the global age. National, International, and State Advocacy The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, ISTE, and the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) provide leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in education. The ITEA promotes technological literacy by supporting the teaching of technology. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is an organization for K-12 technology leaders who use technology strategically to improve learning. At the state level, the New Jersey Technology Education Association (NJTEA) fosters the development of technological literacy through Technology Education Programs. The New Jersey Association for Educational Technology (NJAET) and the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC), Inc., promote and support the integration of technology in education as it applies to student learning, professional development, and instructional planning. Resources American Association of School Librarians. (2007). //Standards for the 21////st// //century learner//. Online: http://www.aasl.org International Society for Technology in Education. (2002). //National educational technology standards for// //administrators//. Online: @http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForAdministrators/2009Standards/NETS_for_Administrators_2009.htm International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). //National educational technology standards for students// (2nd Ed.). Online: @http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). //National educational technology standards for teachers// (2nd Ed.). Online: @http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm International Technology Education Association. (2003).//Advancing excellence in technological literacy: Student assessment, professional development, and program standards//. Online: @http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/PDFs/AETL.pdf International Technology Education Association. (2007). //Standards for technological literacy.// Online: @http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2005). //Framework for 21st century learning.// Online: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org
 * Mission**: //Technology enables students to solve real world problems, enhance life, and extend human capability as they meet the challenges of a dynamic global society.//
 * Vision:** The systematic integration of technology across the curriculum and in the teaching and learning process fosters a population that leverages 21st century resources to:
 * Apply information-literacy skills to access, manage, and communicate information using a range of emerging technological tools.
 * Think critically and creatively to solve problems, synthesize and create new knowledge, and make informed decisions that affect individuals, the world community, and the environment.
 * Gain enhanced understanding of global interdependencies as well as multiple cultural perspectives, differing points of view, and diverse values.
 * Employ a systemic approach to understand the design process, the designed world, and the interrelationship and impact of technologies.
 * Model digital citizenship.
 * High School Specialization** in technology enables students to design, create, and reverse-engineer technology products or systems, document the application of the design process, and understand its impact—including ethical considerations, costs, trade-offs, risks, benefits, and choice of resources. Students develop products that address local and global issues and challenges, which are disseminated for peer review.
 * Standard 8.1, Educational Technology, is aligned to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards and the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills framework.
 * Standard 8.2, formerly Technology Education, is renamed Technology Education, Engineering, and Design and is aligned with the goals of the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework.