Day: February 17, 2005

ISTE has collaborated with Microsoft to offer an NETS Online Technology Assessment. However, access to this service is allowed only if one invests in a certain operating system (see below).

Supported Operating Systems
?? Windows Server 2003
?? Windows XP
?? Windows ME
?? Windows 2000
?? Windows NT

Supported Browsers
?? Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
?? Other browsers including Netscape are not supported at this time

OK – so what is up with this? Microsoft can’t figure out how to offer cross-platform resources or ISTE will follow the money at any cost?

If this type of thing is not an issue for you, here is the link.

I contacted ISTE with my position on this issue. To be fair – here is the ISTE response:

On behalf of ISTE I would like to thank you for making us aware of your concern with the NETS Online Assessment Tool co-developed by ISTE and Microsoft. The voices of our members are very important and we appreciate the opportunity to discuss this concern with you.

We are collaborating with Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Initiative to provide educator resources to our membership including an example of a 21st Century, online, formative assessment tool. Please know that ISTE does not endorse “one” assessment tool. Our goal in sharing resources with our members is to provide options so members can make informed choices from an array of quality assessment resources based on what works for their students and/or teachers. ISTE has currently developed an “Assessment Initiatives” informational flyer that will list a variety of assessment offerings for both Mac and PC. We believe it is important to consider that not every resource worth considering is dual platform, and not every ISTE member needs both.

During our last phone conference, Microsoft shared their intent to develop a Mac solution for future releases. Although they are not able to pinpoint the exact date the updated release will be available, they are targeting one year from now so they can gain insight from the current limited implementation (The tool is version specific for Windows users, too!) in order to optimize the functionality of the tool.

We apologize for the inconvenience the limitations of this early version of the NETS assessment tool has caused you. If you have concerns you would like to discuss with us directly please contact Brenda Aspaas, Senior Executive Assistant in our Washington, DC Office (at 202.861.7777 or baspaas@iste.org) so that we can set a time to talk by telephone.

Thank you for being a member of ISTE and voicing your concern.

Here is a link to an article arguing we are ignoring the development of technology basics. Keyboarding is an example.

My wife does not like me to mention keyboarding. It is not that she is against keyboarding skills. She has a sense of a) the time available in schools, b) the resources available in schools, and c) differences in how teachers understand connections between “basics” and other skills. I think her concern is that these factors will constrain student experiences to “learning” keyboard, etc. and not getting on to learning with and not about technology.

So, perhaps one question might be – if students spend one hour per week using a computer in school (I wish), what would you have them do?