Technology Literacy
Each Iowa student will be empowered with the technological knowledge and skills to learn effectively and live productively.
This vision, developed by the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills Committee, reflects the fact that Iowans in the 21st century live in a global environment marked by a high use of technology, giving citizens and workers the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions as never before. Iowa’s students live in a media-suffused environment, marked by access to an abundance of information and rapidly changing technological tools useful for critical thinking and problem solving processes. Therefore, technological literacy supports preparation of students as global citizens capable of self-directed learning in preparation for an ever-changing world.
Regardless of current realities, literacy in any context is defined as the ability “…to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society…” (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002) “….When we teach only for facts … (specifics)… rather than for how to go beyond facts, we teach students how to get out of date.” (Sternberg, 2008) This statement is particularly significant when applied to technology literacy. The Iowa essential concepts for technology literacy reflect broad, universal processes and skills.
Although it is important that current technologies be integrated into all teachers’ classroom practices and all students’ experiences, it is also important to understand the broader implications of the transforming influence of technology on society. For example, creativity, innovation and systemic thinking are requirements for success in this environment. Technology is changing the way we think about and do our work. It has changed our relationships with information and given us access to resources, economic and professional, that were unimaginable just a few years ago
Technological advances also present societal challenges. It is essential that students have a deep understanding of technology literacy concepts in order to deal with technology’s challenges and implications. It is also essential that educators partner with “…digital natives”…, teaching ways to mediate the challenges, and to realize the potential of technology literacy. (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008)
NOTE: The technology literacy essential concepts and skills are from the International Society for Technology in Education's National Educational Technology Standards for Students.
Middle (6 – 8) Details and Example
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving. (21.6-8.TL.1)
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using interactive technology. (21.6-8.TL.2)
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Plan strategies utilizing digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. (21.6-8.TL.3)
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Use critical thinking skills to conduct research, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate technological tools and resources. (21.6-8.TL.4)
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the legal and ethical issues of technology as related to individuals, cultures, and societies. (21.6-8.TL.5)
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the underlying structure and application of technology systems. (21.6-8.TL.6)
This vision, developed by the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills Committee, reflects the fact that Iowans in the 21st century live in a global environment marked by a high use of technology, giving citizens and workers the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions as never before. Iowa’s students live in a media-suffused environment, marked by access to an abundance of information and rapidly changing technological tools useful for critical thinking and problem solving processes. Therefore, technological literacy supports preparation of students as global citizens capable of self-directed learning in preparation for an ever-changing world.
Regardless of current realities, literacy in any context is defined as the ability “…to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society…” (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002) “….When we teach only for facts … (specifics)… rather than for how to go beyond facts, we teach students how to get out of date.” (Sternberg, 2008) This statement is particularly significant when applied to technology literacy. The Iowa essential concepts for technology literacy reflect broad, universal processes and skills.
Although it is important that current technologies be integrated into all teachers’ classroom practices and all students’ experiences, it is also important to understand the broader implications of the transforming influence of technology on society. For example, creativity, innovation and systemic thinking are requirements for success in this environment. Technology is changing the way we think about and do our work. It has changed our relationships with information and given us access to resources, economic and professional, that were unimaginable just a few years ago
Technological advances also present societal challenges. It is essential that students have a deep understanding of technology literacy concepts in order to deal with technology’s challenges and implications. It is also essential that educators partner with “…digital natives”…, teaching ways to mediate the challenges, and to realize the potential of technology literacy. (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008)
NOTE: The technology literacy essential concepts and skills are from the International Society for Technology in Education's National Educational Technology Standards for Students.
Middle (6 – 8) Details and Example
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving. (21.6-8.TL.1)
- Design, develop, create, and/or test digital technology products.
- Individually or collaboratively create media-rich products and display, publish, or perform them for a variety of audiences.
- Use simulations to help understand complex, real-world systems, identify problems, develop models, and analyze the output.
- Investigate global issues and make informed choices based on knowledge of technology systems, resources, and services.
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using interactive technology. (21.6-8.TL.2)
- Interact and collaborate with peers, experts, and others using technology.
- Contribute to a content knowledge base by creating, producing, and sharing information, models, and other creative works.
- Efficiently use technology tools and resources for communication and to access remote information and exchange it with a variety of audiences.
- Engage in learning activities with learners from other countries and/or cultures using telecommunication tools to create, produce, and share information, models, and other projects with a global or cultural focus.
- Share knowledge and skills with local or distant teams of peers, experts, or others using technology tools and resources to create group works and/or innovative solutions.
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Plan strategies utilizing digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. (21.6-8.TL.3)
- Create a plan for the use of digital tools and resources to investigate a real-world issue.
- Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources and media and use this information in a legal and ethical manner.
- Evaluate resources in terms of their usefulness and validity for research.
- Use technological tools to select data and organize it into a format that is easily understood by others.
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Use critical thinking skills to conduct research, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate technological tools and resources. (21.6-8.TL.4)
- Identify real-world issues and analyze technological resources for developing and refining questions for investigation.
- Effectively use multiple technological resources to develop a systematic plan for conducting research. Develop possible solutions or a complete product to demonstrate knowledge and skills.
- Use technology to gather, analyze, and assess data and its effectiveness to design, develop and test possible solutions that assist students in making decisions.
- Analyze and evaluate information from a variety of perspectives and resources in order to assess multiple solutions and investigate them from differing viewpoints.
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the legal and ethical issues of technology as related to individuals, cultures, and societies. (21.6-8.TL.5)
- Use technology efficiently and in a manner that does not harm them or others.
- Demonstrate awareness of legal and ethical responsibilities when using copyrighted material, and how a disregard of legal and ethical responsibilities affects others.
- Use online resources to work with others to complete a task and accept responsibility for the results.
- Identify capabilities of contemporary technology resources.
- Develop examples of how technology systems and services can assist them in pursuing personal interests.
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the underlying structure and application of technology systems. (21.6-8.TL.6)
- Utilize technology for everyday use and understand how technology systems can be applied to various situations.
- Select and use technology applications to conduct research, solve problems and produce finished products.
- Identify the source of a problem with technology, and, if necessary, the appropriate support personnel needed.
- Apply knowledge of technology to explore other technologies and be able to identify commonalities among them.
Financial Literacy
21.6–8.FL.1Essential Concept and/or Skill: Model the process of financial planning based on personal prioritization of wants and needs.
Develop short–term and long–term financial goals.
Develop a realistic spending plan for financial independence.
Identify responsible credit management.
Establish strategies for protection of identity.
Recognize investment options.
Recognize the local, state, national, and international impact of personal financial habits and actions.
Develop short–term and long–term financial goals.
- Define the steps in the goal–setting process.
- Explain the relationship between goal setting and achievement.
- Create goals according to a prioritization of wants and needs that are specific, realistic, and measurable.
- Identify expenditures as needs or wants.
- Describe persuasive strategies used by peers, media, and businesses to influence society (in decision making).
Develop a realistic spending plan for financial independence.
- Describe the concept of a spending plan.
- Explain the advantage of spending less than you have.
- Explain the short– and long–term consequences of over spending.
- Recognize the impact of global issues on financial planning.
- Describe potential sources of income for middle school students.
- Identify factors to consider when analyzing different methods of compensation.
- Explain how income can affect goals.
- Explain factors that impact savings and spending plans.
- Describe expenses that employees might have.
- Identify possible financial accounts.
- Recognize that fees or charges may be attached to accounts.
- Recognize the importance of keeping accurate records.
Identify responsible credit management.
- Identify the various types of credit card companies available and the features of each (interest rates, annual fees, limits, reward system).
- Explain appropriate and inappropriate use of credit cards.
- Explain how use of credit cards can help or hurt a budget.
- Identify the types of purchases that generally require a loan.
- Demonstrate the ability to calculate the cost of borrowing money.
- Explain that a borrower needs to have assets to use as security for a loan.
- Explain an individual’s rights and responsibilities as a consumer.
- Explain the concept of a credit rating.
Establish strategies for protection of identity.
- Recognize that a personal identity needs to be protected.
- Recognize the impact of technology on personal security.
- Explain why an individual needs various types insurance.
- Identify factors to consider when deciding the type of and amount of insurance.
- Identify types of documents that can serve as legal protection.
- Explain the potential hazards of inappropriate or missing documentation.
Recognize investment options.
- Explain how saving is needed for investing.
- Explain the relationship between investing and potential entrepreneurship goals.
- Explain the difference between saving and investing.
- Explain various options for investing money.
- Understand the effect of interest and percentage rates on investments.
- Explain how an investment differs from a savings account in potential risks and return.
- Explain the importance of a personal budget and goals in the investing process.
Recognize the local, state, national, and international impact of personal financial habits and actions.
- Realize that financial habits and actions have broad impact beyond the local community.
- Identify the factors that impact the production of goods and services beyond the local area.
- Identify the importance of legal and ethical actions in financial behaviors.
- Explain how unethical behavior negatively impacts the broader community.
- Explain the importance of ethical behavior in building trust.