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Project Title: Microsoft/ISTE 8th Grade Online Digital Literacy Assessment
School / Organization(s): Microsoft / ISTE
Web site: http://www.iste.org/inhouse/resources/asmt/msiste/index.cfm?Section=NETS_OTA
Brian Bratonia
US Partners in Learning National Programs Manager
Microsoft Corporation
What purpose does your assessment tool serve? Standards, assessments, and accountability measures set by states, implemented by school districts, and underscored by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are more than requirements they are the starting point for strong schools and student achievement. To complement these efforts, today’s schools need to increase emphasis on the additional knowledge and skills students will need for the 21st century. In response to this challenge, Microsoft® and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have collaborated to create the Online Technology Assessment, a free, easy-to-use tool for measuring the technological literacy of middle school studen
Please indicate the category that best describes your project:
Technology as an Assessment Tool:
NCLB Statewide Assessments (Preparation, Delivery, Analysis)
Classroom Assessments (tests, quizzes)
Electronic/Digital Portfolios
Computer Scored Essays
Information Management Systems
Tools for Observation of Student Work/Behavior
Special Needs/Alternative Assessments
Other:
Assessing Technology Skills (NETSŸS and NETSŸT):
Digital Transcript
NCLB 8th Grade IT Literacy
High School IT Graduation Requirements
IT Certifications (Cisco, Microsoft, etc.)
21st Century Skills
Other:
How long has this assessment tool been in use within your organization? The MS / ISTE Online 8th Grade Assessment Tool has been available since August of 2004.
Who is the audience for this assessment tool? Middle School students
What technology is used?
Hardware:
Software:
The Microsoft/ISTE Online Technology Assessment is available at no charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from the ISTE Web site.
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
Networking requirements:
Approximately how many people are currently using this system?
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K-12
Students (current year) |
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K-12 Teachers |
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Teacher education students |
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Teacher education faculty |
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What professional development (for students or assessors) is required to use the tool? N/A
To use the tool effectively, what else should the school have in place? Prior to use please review the Quick Steps for Teachers located at: http://www.iste.org/inhouse/resources/asmt/msiste/installation.cfm?Section=NETS_OTA_Step1
If you haven't already addressed it, how does your tool help students or teachers demonstrate that they are meeting standards? The Microsoft/ISTE Online Technology Assessment is unique in that it assesses both students’ skills
in using technology and students’ ability to use technology to solve problems and make decisions. The online assessments are aligned with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S), which provide frameworks
and standards to guide schools in establishing technology-rich learning environments.
In addition, the online assessment tool helps address a key initiative of the No Child Left Behind Act — that by 2006, every eighth-grade student in the United States should be proficient in technology literacy skills.
When the Online Technology Assessment is used in the classroom, students as well as teachers will realize the benefits, which include:
o Enabling students to access the assessments from school, home or any location with Internet connectivity and a Windows-based PC, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, contributing to students’ ongoing learning by providing immediate, practical, and useful feedback
o Providing criterion-referenced assessments intended to measure progress toward demonstration of the performance standards described in ISTE NETS*S
o Providing an experience that is performance-based and authentic, enabling educators to measure some of the more complex and challenging performance indicators in NETS*S
o Allowing teachers and administrators to see where their students stand in relation to the eighth grade technology requirements for NCLB legislation
What are your next steps in developing or implementing this tool? Continued efforts raising awareness of this resource.