ABC Community High School

July 25, 2019

Magdalena Lule
Section 2: Position Paper
Today I would like to propose this paper in hopes for the school board to allow us to
continue teaching our gifted and valuable students with technology at ABC Community High
School. This is one of five sections my position.
Standardized Testing is not the way to go. We did not become educators just so we can
show kids how to take a test. We as teachers want to be a fulfilling role in children’s lives which
is one of the many reasons why we chose this career as educators. Teaching that will not only
bore the students but also bore the teachers. We want to be able to use our pedagogy how we
choose and not how it will be better for the budget. Do you really think that timed, stressful tests
will truly benefit our students? “Standardized tests exist for administrative, political, and
financial purposes, not for educational ones.” (Armstrong, 2013)
What you’re really taking away from the kids is not just the hardware just the physical
material stuff, oh not it’s so much more than that; what you’re actually taking away is
opportunities to enhance and conquer the technology of today and use their skills to apply it for
future jobs. There are students in our classrooms who aspire to be software developers, graphic
designers, computer programmers and more just because of the technology we already use. The
things that have been teaching thus far using technology now have impacted our students enough
to change their minds from being their unrealistic movie stars, superheroes, rock stars to
something more realistic that will benefit them in the long run. When they graduate from our
school, they will go to college and be ready to join the workforce. How are we going to face our
students when we have to tell them that we can longer use technology and we have to limit their
education and learning because of budget cuts?
It is like taking 5 steps back while all the other schools and their kids are progressing.
It’s not a challenge between schools and we shouldn’t want to be in the competitive spirit
however, it is what is best for our children that their parents trusted us enough with their
education to enroll them in this school. It’s not fair for any party in the situation.
Technology is all around us. Technology is evolving and will continue to evolve. If we
do not get onboard not only us as educators will get behind but so will our students and these are
the leaders of our tomorrow. “The use of information and communication technology is one of
the skills, behaviors and attributes, identified as general capabilities, that students need to
‘succeed in life and work in the twenty-first century’” (Attard, 2011)
 References:
Armstrong, T. (2013, February 28). 15 Reasons Why Standardized Tests are Worthless.
Retrieved July 27, 2019, from http://www.institute4learning.com/2013/02/28/15-reasons-why-
standardized-tests-are-worthless-2/

Attard, C. (2011, June 1). Teaching with Technology. Australian Primary

Mathematics Classroom, 16(2), 30–32. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=6300
6874&site=ehost-live
Section 3: Identification of Standards.
There are national and state levels of standards that students must meet in order to be
equipped for life in the digital age. The National Educational Technology Standards for Students
or NETS-S published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) does an
excellent job of identifying standards that teachers should follow in order to teach students what
they need to know by the end of the year. The NETS-S has seven main standards and then goes
into detail and gives four sub standards for each main one. For example, one of the main
standard is called the Digital Citizen it gives a brief description: “Students recognize the rights,
responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital
world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.” and then goes into the
four subsections one example of this is “Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect
for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.”
On the other hand, we have The Nevada Computer and Technology Standards. These
standards go a lot more in detail and are more specific. They even have indicators on how the
NETS-S should be applied within particular grade levels. The wording in the Nevada standards
of the NETS-S is different but it still gives the same meaning. The same standard in the NETS-S
is worded as “Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and
practice legal and ethical behavior.” in the Nevada standards. One sub-standard for this is
“Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.”
However, it doesn’t stop just there. It continues and has four different grades 2nd, 5th ,8th, and 12th
by which students should know the material covered by the time they complete that grade. They
should also know all the standards of the previous grades. For 12th grade under Digital
Citizenship one of the Nevada indicators is “Articulate the concepts and issues revolving around
intellectual and digital property rights.”
In the following part of my proposal I will demonstrate a lesson plan that will incorporate
Nevada Standards- 3.A.8.2 Use digital tools to plan a timeline, track progress, and cite sources
for a research project. NETS-S- 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to
locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
Section 4: Lesson Plan

• Name of lesson: Empire Timelines

• Grade Level Appropriateness: 10th grade

• Technology Content Standard Addressed: Nevada Standards- 3.A.8.2 Use digital tools to
plan a timeline, track progress, and cite sources for a research project. NETS-S- 3a: Students
plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their
intellectual or creative pursuits.

• Other Content Standard Addressed: Social Studies- World History- Rise and Fall of
Empires
• Objective: After learning about a lot of the different empires in history, students will pick the
most intriguing empire of their choosing and create a timeline starting from the rise of the empire
to the fall of the empire. With research, students will learn more in depth about this specific
empire using word processing software, Our World History Textbook and the internet. The goal
is to learn more in depth information about this empire and learn to use Microsoft Word for
things other than essays.
The student will comprehend how to utilize their Word processing software to make a timeline
and learn about an empire of their choosing. Also using research accumulated by the internet and
Our World History Textbook. This will show that students have learned how to navigate the web
for useful information, know how to use Microsoft Word to make timelines and learn more
information about the empire of their choosing.
• Materials needed to facilitate the lesson: Our World History Textbook, Computer with
internet connection, Word Processing Software.
• Suggested group size: 2-3 students
• Procedures:
Step 1- Have students choose their partners. Max number of students in groups is 3
Step 2- “We briefly touched on only some empires in this class for time purposes. However,
today you guys will find an empire that intrigues you. One that you would like to know more
about. You will make a timeline with at least 8 sections of valuable information. You will begin
from the rise of the empire and end it with the fall of the empire. What you decide to add in
between is completely up to you.”
Step 3- Let students use the computers and begin by researching an empire they would like and
decide as a group what empire they choose to do this project on.
Step 4- Have them do their research and start jotting notes of what they want to incorporate in
their timelines. They can use Our World History Textbook and the internet for their research.
Tell them that they must find pictures for every point in their timeline.
Step 5- Have the students create a folder on the desktop with all the pictures pulled from the
internet that they are planning to add to their timeline.
Step 6- Have them do a detailed rough draft of their timeline on paper.
Step 7- Have the students open a Word document. In Landscape format, students will Add the
title: The Rise and Fall of the X empire and their names.
Step 8- Explain to them how to make a timeline using Word…
• Open a blank Word Document
• From the menu on top select Insert

• Select Smart Art and click Process

• Choose a format for the timeline and fill in the spots with the information
accumulated with research.
• To add more events right click the arrow in the picture and from the menu popup,
select Add Shape and choose if you want an event after or before.
Step 9- Once they complete the assignment have them save it as a Word Document and email it
to MLule@ABC.edu
• Assessment: The more creativity the better. At least 8 main points, must have pictures for
every point in their timeline. Accurate information. On time.
At least 8 points with pictures and brief description of the point, creativity plays a big part in this
project.- 10 pts
Anything below the 8 points will be graded by what they turned in and the creativeness of it.