Pre K -4	Gr. 5- 8	Gr. 9- 12
1.1 Develop basic skills for using applications (e.g., open/close a file; navigate using scroll bars, arrow keys, special keys, and mouse). 1.2 Explore and develop keyboarding skills. 1.3 Explore basic formatting features of a word processing program. 1.4 Explore and develop understanding of the basic function and purpose of a database. 1.5 Explore and develop an understanding of the basic function and purpose of a spreadsheet. 1.6 Collaborate with classmates to use teacher-selected Websites. 1.7 Collaborate with classmates and teacher to send an e-mail message. 1.8 Collaborate with teacher and classmates to create a slide presentation with existing template. 1.9 Explore the use of drawing and painting applications for class projects. 1.10 Use correct terminology for basic components of a computer system (e.g., monitor, keyboard, disk, printer, mouse), and develop understanding of their basic functions.	1.1 Identify and use basic features of computer operating system (e.g., format/initialize disks; access information on size and format of a file; create folders on local hard drive). 1.2 Save a file to the desktop, the hard drive, and external storage spaces (e.g., floppy disk, CD ROM, virtual electronic space). 1.3 Select a printer and print a document with appropriate page setup and orientation. 1.4 Operate peripheral equipment (e.g., scanner, digital camera, camcorder). 1.5 Identify and solve common hardware and software problems (e.g., frozen screen, disk error, printing problems). 1.6 Perform efficient keyboarding technique. 1.7 Identify and use editing and formatting features of a word processing program (e.g., centering, line spacing, margins, cut and paste, fonts, styles, spelling, page numbers). 1.8 Insert images (e.g., graphics, clip art, tables) from other files into word processed document. 1.9 Describe structure and function of database and identify components (e.g., record, field). 1.10 Create an original database, defining field formats and adding new records. 1.11 Perform simple operations in a database (e.g., browse, sort, search, delete, add data). 1.12 Describe structure and function of spreadsheet (e.g., cells, rows, columns, formulas) and apply formatting features. 1.13 Create an original spreadsheet, entering simple formulas. 1.14 Define and use functions of a spreadsheet such as sort, filter, find. 1.15 Produce simple charts from spreadsheet. 1.16 Identify and use navigation features of browser (e.g., "go," "back," "forward"). 1.17 Using a browser, "bookmark" a Website for future reference. 1.18 Identify basic elements of a Website (e.g., URL, hyperlinks, site map, etc.). 1.19 Copy an image from a Website into a file on desktop; write a correct citation caption for image. 1.20 Using e-mail, create and send a message. (Use of e-mail may be a class-wide activity if students do not have individual accounts.) 1.21 Open an e-mail attachment and save it to the desktop. 1.22 Create a slide presentation using appropriate applications. 1.23 Identify and use more advanced functions of drawing and painting applications as appropriate for class projects. 1.24 Identify components of a computer system, understand their functions, and use appropriate terminology in speaking about them (e.g., operating system, hard drive, memory, window). 1.25 Explain the concepts of connectivity and networking (i.e., explain the difference between Intranet, Internet, and World Wide Web). 1.26 Use correct terminology in speaking about electronic communications (e.g., browser, search engine, online). 1.27 Identify appropriate applications for a classroom project.	1.1 Demonstrate file management skills (e.g., compression, expansion, downloading). 1.2 Identify and use methods for transferring, downloading, and converting graphic, sound, and video files. 1.3 Connect external peripherals (e.g., printers, zip drives, scanner, digital camera) to a computer. 1.4 Run multiple applications simultaneously, alternating among them. 1.5 Explain commonly occurring error messages and how to resolve them. 1.6 Use different graphic file formats where appropriate (e.g., PICT, TIFF, JPEG). 1.7 Save (also retrieve, load, and import) a word processed document in different file formats (e.g., RTF, HTML). 1.8 Import/export and link data between word processed document and other applications. 1.9 Duplicate database structure without data. 1.10 Use features of a database program such as mailing labels and mail merges. 1.11 Import/export and link data between database and other application. 1.12 Use advanced formatting features of a spreadsheet application (e.g., reposition columns and rows, add and name worksheets). 1.13 In a spreadsheet application, use formulas, differentiating between absolute and relative cell references. 1.14 Import/export data between spreadsheet and other applications. 1.15 Customize formatting of charts or graphs created in spreadsheet. 1.16 In a spreadsheet application, use various number formats (e.g., scientific notation, percentages, exponents) as appropriate. 1.17 In a browser, organize bookmarks into folders for further reference. 1.18 Describe function of search engines and how to select and use them optimally. 1.19 Explain effective search strategies to locate and retrieve electronic information (e.g., using Boolean logic operators). 1.20 Using e-mail, create an address book. (Use of e-mail may be a class-wide activity if students do not have individual accounts.) 1.21 Share files as attachments in an e-mail message (e.g., text, graphics, sound). 1.22 Create a multimedia presentation, desktop published report, or Web page that incorporates data from other files. 1.23 Create and manipulate illustrations using a drawing or painting program (e.g., adjust scale, size, shape). 1.24 Identify capabilities of technology resources and understand how they can be used for lifelong learning. 1.25 Select the appropriate technology tool for a task.

Pre K -4	Gr. 5- 8	Gr. 9- 12
2.1 Follow classroom rules for responsible use of computers. 2.2 Develop understanding of the school's rules for safe and ethical Internet use. 2.3 Develop understanding of how the computer is a tool for learning.	2.1 Explain classroom rules for responsible use of computers (responsible behavior around equipment, respect for other people's work, and appropriate collaborative behavior). 2.2 Explain ethical and legal behavior in copying files, applications, and media. 2.3 Explain potential problem of computer viruses and exercise caution in opening e-mail attachments from unknown sources. 2.4 Explain safe practices for sharing personal information via e-mail and the Internet. 2.5 Explain proper e-mail etiquette. 2.6 Describe and demonstrate knowledge of the school's Acceptable Use Policy, and know the consequences of violating that policy. 2.7 Validate a Website for authenticity: find site sponsor, author, and date the site was last updated. 2.8 Explain how media and technology can be misused to distort or exaggerate information. 2.9 Write correct citations for text and images gathered from electronic sources.	2.1 Identify ways in which technology is used in the workplace and in society (including assistive technology for equal access). 2.2 Demonstrate a clear understanding of the school's Acceptable Use Policy. 2.3 Explain laws relating to copyright and Internet use. 2.4 Explain how to evaluate electronic sources of information. 2.5 Cite sources correctly.

Pre K -4	Gr. 5- 8	Gr. 9- 12
3.1 Collaborate with classmates and teacher to exchange e-mail with another classroom. 3.2 Explore the use of application programs (e.g., word processing, database, spreadsheet) for organizing information into charts, tables, diagrams, and charts. 3.3 Explore and develop understanding of how to gather information from a variety of electronic sources, including teacher-selected Websites, CD ROM encyclopedias, etc. 3.4 Explore the use of content-specific tools, such as environmental probes and measuring devices, to gather data. 3.5 Collaborate with teacher and classmates in creating a multimedia presentation with existing template.	3.1 Under teacher's guidance, use e-mail to communicate with others (e.g., students in other classrooms, experts in a subject, teachers). 3.2 Identify electronic sources of information (e.g., Internet, CD ROM) and choose appropriate sources to find relevant, unbiased, and current information on a subject. 3.3 Write correct citations for sources. Gr. 5-8) 3.4 Organize information that is collected using a variety of tools (e.g., spreadsheet, database, saved files). 3.5 Communicate results of research and learning with others using the most appropriate tools (e.g., desktop published or word processed report, multimedia presentation). 3.6 Manipulate data using charting tools and graphic organizers (e.g., concept mapping, flow charting, and outlining software) to connect ideas and organize information.	3.1 Exchange e-mail independently. 3.2 Present information, ideas, and results of work using any of a variety of communications technologies (e.g., multimedia presentations, Web pages, videotapes, desktop published documents). 3.3 Integrate (with correct citations) electronic research results into a research project. 3.4 Routinely evaluate Websites for authenticity when using them. 3.5 Collect, organize, analyze, and graphically present data using the most appropriate tools (e.g., spreadsheet, database, graphing, and concept-mapping tools). 3.6 Import graphics, photos, and other media into report or presentation, citing sources appropriately. 3.7 Create multiple links among various pieces of information residing in different applications (e.g., a chart imported from a spreadsheet into a word processed report can be linked to update automatically when the data is changed in the spreadsheet). 3.8 Demonstrate how specialized technology tools can be used for problem solving, decision-making, and creativity (e.g., simulation software, environmental probes, computer aided design, geographic information systems, dynamic geometric software, graphing calculators, music composition software). 3.9 Demonstrate the function of electronic conferencing tools such as Internet bulletin boards, listserv, electronic classrooms, and interactive video.

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Technology-Enriched Insect Studies/ Grades 1 and 2

Learning Standards to be Assessed:	Science and Technology/ Engineering: Life Sciences: Life Cycles: (3) Recognize that plants and animals have life cycles, and that life cycles vary for different living things. Living Things and Their Environment: (6) Recognize changes in appearance that animals and plants go through as the seasons change. Living Things and Their Environment: (8) Identify the ways in which an organism's habitat provides for its basic needs.
Technology Exploratory Concepts and Skills:	1.1, 1.9, 1.10: Develop basic skills for opening and closing a file, using mouse, keyboard, and correct terminology for parts of computer; Explore the use of electronic drawing tools. 2.3: Develop understanding of how the computer is a tool for learning. 3.3.3: Explore and develop understanding of how to gather information from Websites and CD-ROMs.
Introduction:	Students observe insects in various classroom habitats. They raise monarch butterflies from caterpillar to adult stage in a specially constructed classroom structure through which they can observe the discrete stages of the butterfly life cycle. They also establish an ant farm and a colony of crickets in a multi-chambered classroom habitat. During field trips to a nature trail they examine insects in the wild. In the classroom students view multimedia CD-ROMs on the subject of insects, as well as video clips of their classroom insects that were digitally recorded by the teacher and downloaded on the computer. The content of these multimedia resources reinforces the concept of change and metamorphosis that students have observed in their classroom insects. Students are shown how to insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive so that they can use these tools independently. They also learn how to open a folder on the desktop that contains the videoclips of their own insects. Students select clips by reading the label and clicking on the icon. They learn the terminology for these features (file, folder, desktop, CD and CD-ROM drive) as well as basic actions such as pointing and clicking with a mouse. The teacher opens the browser and selects sites that she has previewed and bookmarked prior to the lesson. These are age appropriate bug sites that contain information and activities on insects. Because the sites contain more information than the teacher wishes to use, she brings up the relevant page rather than allowing the children to navigate the site themselves. To introduce students to the conceptual structure of the Internet she explains that there are many computers throughout the world, just as there are telephones all over the world. Like telephones, these computers are connected, so that people in different parts of the world can share information. If the class will be visiting a Website in another part of the world, she shows them on the globe where that Website originates. She also explains that, just as they would not make a long-distance telephone call to another part of the world on their own, they should not go onto the Internet alone. At this age they need to have an adult with them.
Optional Extension:	After the students have learned the core standards for Living Things and their Environment, the teacher may decide to introduce them to the idea that butterflies migrate to a warmer location as the season gets colder. Journey North is a real-time monarch migration study on the Web. Through this interactive program, thousands of students throughout the U.S. and Mexico track the spring and fall migration of monarch butterflies between the eastern U.S. and the mountains west of Mexico City. It is important that the teacher preview the site and use only those activities that are developmentally appropriate for the class.
Practice/ Assessment:	Students write about their activities and observations. They also express their ideas and learning through art, creating bug sculptures out of clay and making pictures of their classroom insects with an electronic paint program. They type the names of the insect body parts in the appropriate places of their drawings. These original computer drawings are incorporated into guidebooks that every student creates to demonstrate what has been learned about the insects studied. In addition to their electronic drawings, the students' insect books might contain images downloaded from the Web, or digital photos of the classroom insects. Although it is the teacher who downloads and prints the images, the students learn the general concept of downloading images from the Web to a computer and then printing that file from the computer. Having used multimedia sources children gain an understanding that the computer is a tool for gathering information. Through the use of other tools, such as the electronic paint program, students learn that the computer can also be a tool for producing creative works.
Culminating Performance and Evaluation:	Students share what they have learned with peers, teachers, and parents through oral presentations, as well as a display of their artwork and writing. Other students in the school visit the first/second grade classrooms to see the insect art projects on display. (back to chart)(Back to Home )

The Harlem Renaissance/Grade 7

Learning Standards to be Assessed:	English/Language Arts Language Strand: 1.3 Apply understanding of agreed-upon rules and individual roles in order to make decisions. English/Language Arts Reading and Literature Strand: 9.5 Relate a literary work to artifacts, artistic creations, or historical sites of the period of its setting. 24.3 Apply steps for obtaining information from a variety of sources, organizing information, documenting sources, and presenting research in group projects. English/Language Arts Media Strand: 27.3 Create a media production using effective images, text, music, sound effects, or graphics.
Technology Performance Indicators:	1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.22 &endash; Identify and use features of a browser; Identify basic elements of a Website, Copy an image from a Website to the desktop; Create a slide presentation. 2..2, 2.6, 2.7, 2.9 &endash; Demonstrate ethical and legal behavior in copying files; Understand school policy regarding Internet use; Validate Websites; Write correct citations for materials used from electronic sources. 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 &endash; Identify electronic sources of information and choose appropriate sources; Write correct citations for sources; Communicate results of research and learning with others using the most appropriate tools.
Introduction:	Students in an English Language Arts class are about to read Let the Circle Be Unbroken, a book by Mildred Taylor set in Mississippi in the 1930s. Characters in the book include family members from New York as well as the South. The teacher wants to give students background information regarding the disparate experiences of the book's characters that bring tension and drama to the story. She knows that more knowledge about New York's culture during that time period will enrich her students' understanding of the story. She introduces the Harlem Renaissance, a period from the 1920s into the 1940s when black artists, singers, musicians, and writers flourished. She shows the students pictures and plays music that demonstrate the energy and influence of African American artistry and life in Harlem at that time. After her brief overview, the teacher introduces the multi-media project they will do in small groups as they read the book. The teacher explains that the focus of this research project will be the lives and work of some of the famous people associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Students will use Internet resources, as well as print, audio, and visual materials from the library/media center. They will then use presentation software to teach their classmates what they have learned. The classroom teacher has planned the project with the instructional technology specialist to ensure that expectations are viable and that the students gain the necessary technology skills for this project. The teacher divides the class into six groups of about four students each, and gives each group a packet that includes a calendar of due dates, an outline of group and individual expectations, and the list of scoring criteria that will be used for assessment of presentations. Finally, she assigns one of the following artists to each group: Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Aaron Douglas, Zora Neale Hurston, Bessie Smith, and Lois Mailou Jones.
Practice / Assessment:	Each group's project is required to include an overview of the artist's life, artistic accomplishments, philosophy, and influence on other artists, musicians, or writers both at the time of the Harlem Renaissance and later.Students know that they will be assessed on their individual involvement in the project as well as the group presentation. Each student must: complete an appropriate amount of the group's planned research (to be defined and assessed by group members); design and create at least one "slide" of the presentation (including a plan on paper that is checked by the teacher before being presented); speak knowledgeably to the class about at least their own slide, giving more information than is contained on the slide; help answer class members' questions as part of the group presentation; and assist group members with planning, research, technology, and editing as needed. Students designate individual roles within their groups and plan their work based on the class schedule. The teacher circulates among the groups, observing individual and group dynamics and assisting as needed. Then students collaborate to write their initial research questions and visit the library/media center. The library teacher works with the instructional technology specialist and classroom teacher to coordinate Internet use and to guide students in selecting and using other library resources. The teachers provide an overview of the library rules and school policy for using search engines, evaluating Web sites, and writing citations. They also ensure that students understand copyright laws concerning the information they download and use in their presentations. Initially students use class periods for research. Once they have demonstrated competency in using the Internet, they are allowed to use the library computers during study halls and after school. Three class periods a week are spent focussing on reading and discussing Let the Circle Be Unbroken. Individual students reflect regularly in their journals about how their study of the Harlem Renaissance helps them understand the novel. When students are ready to begin work on their presentations, the instructional technology specialist gives an overview of the presentation software. During project periods, students finish their research, create their "slides" on computer, and practice their presentations. The teachers help students download and import media files into their presentations and check that they are citing the sources they use. Students check off requirements for the project as they finish them, meet in groups with the teacher, and assist each other, both on computer and at their desks.
Culminating Performance/ Evaluation:	Students present their group projects to the class. The presentations are projected on screen, each student speaks from his or her "slide," and the group members answer questions from the audience. Using the scoring guide, the teacher evaluates each group project. Each presentation must include: a meaningful title and an introduction to the person and his/her work; an important quotation from the person with an explanation of its meaning and importance, and a related image or melody imported from the World Wide Web, recording, or print source. In addition, the teacher assesses each student's weekly journal writing. (back to chart)(Back to Home )

Validating a Website: Grade 9

Learning Standards to be Assessed:	English/Language Arts Composition Strand Standard 24: Research &endash; Students will gather information from a variety of sources, analyze and evaluate the quality of the information they obtain, and use it to answer their own questions. 24.5 (Grades 9 &endash; 10) &endash; Formulate open-ended research questions and apply steps for obtaining and evaluating information from a variety of sources, organizing information, documenting sources in a consistent standard format and presenting research.
Technology Performance Indicators:	2.4 &endash; Evaluate electronic sources of information.
Introduction:	At the start of a research project, an English teacher brings her class into the library for an introduction to electronic research on the Internet. Once it is clear that students understand how to use the different search tools (Internet directories, search engines, and meta-search engines), she focuses the lesson on evaluating information for quality. To illustrate how students can be mislead by sources on the Internet, the library teacher tells the class about a student who, after visiting a number of Websites, firmly believed that the 1969 moon landing was faked by NASA. Another student, after reading information on a Website written by a Holocaust revisionist, was convinced that the concentration camps were really an effort by the Nazis to eradicate typhus-carrying head lice. The teachers lead the class in a discussion of how these students could have critically evaluated these Websites for authenticity, reliability, validity, and bias. Using an LCD projector connected to her computer, the library teacher conducts an Internet search as the class watches. The teacher tells the students that it is possible to determine the origins of a site even before going to the site. She asks students to look closely at the URLs, or Website addresses, that appear in the list of search results. She points to one URL that has the domain name of "edu" and asks the class if this means the site is sponsored by an educational institution. When the students tell her that they think it denotes sponsorship, she points out that "edu" simply indicates that the site is using the server of an educational institution. She then shows the class that a tilde ("~") in the same URL shows that the site was created by an individual who has been given space on the university's server. She shows the class another URL that contains the word "users," indicating another personal home page. The teacher clicks on the URL of the personal home page with the "…edu/~…" in the address. She asks the class to look for more information that might tell them something about the author's credentials. Finding only the author's name, the class discusses ways in which they might discover more about the author. The teacher shows the class how to run a search for the author's name in a meta-search engine, which, in this case, results in numberous entries. The teacher asks the class to examine the URLs of the listings to see if there is anything interesting, aside from the fact that many people have referred to this person in their writing. The teacher reminds the class that, because the school uses a filter, this list may be incomplete. Having previewed the sites before class, the teacher goes to one that presents an objective overview of the site author's credentials and the controversy incited by his views. Returning to the Website being evaluated, the teacher now asks the students to determine if there are links to other recognized sites. From the home page, they see that there are a number of working links. The teacher shows the students how they can determine if these links are to external Websites or if they are internal links to other pages on the same site. The same name appears after the "~" in the URL of most of these linked pages. The class discusses why this pattern of all internal links on a Website should raise doubts of the credibility of information presented. The teacher explains that we can also learn a great deal by looking at the pattern of links pointing to a Website from the outside. The author of a Website has no control over who links to his site from the outside and it is possible that the author does not know who is linking to his site. However a search engine with a link command can be used to easily find all the links pointing into a Website. The teacher demonstrates how to do this by copying the URL from the source site and pasting it after the word "link:" in the "search for" box of the search engine. Now that the students have been shown how to check the credibility of sources, they are ready to evaluate Websites themselves.
Practice/Assessment:	The teachers ask students to write down the steps they would take to evaluate a Website. (The teachers use this to assess individual learning.) This is followed by a class discussion in which a set of criteria is developed and written on the board for all to see. The teachers lead the class discussion using the following set of guidelines: What is the source of this information? Educational institutions: .edu Government: .gov Military: .mil Professional organization: .org Commercial sites: .com Internet providers: .net Who sponsors the site? Who writes the material that appears on it? Does an individual or an organization sponsor the site? Is the author or organization a recognized authority? Had you heard of the organization or author before you found the site on the Internet? Are the author's credentials mentioned on the site? Does the author/publisher provide an email address? When was the site created? Has the site been updated recently? Does the site need to be current? Do the links work? Do they lead to other useful material? How reliable is the information posted on the site? Does the site give links to other recognized sites? Is the information factual? Is the text well written? Does the page cite a bibliography or references to confirm accuracy? Is there author bias? Are the topics included explored in depth? Are the articles or other posted materials dated? After dividing the class into groups of about four students, the teachers then give each group a URL for a Website that the teachers have previewed and evaluated themselves. They ask each student team to evaluate their Website using the criteria developed in class.
Culminating Performance and Evaluation:	Each team gives a presentation to the class summarizing its evaluation of the site researched and showing the link maps. The team members explain what these connections reveal about the site.The class evaluates the presentations based on the team's thoroughness in following the criteria for evaluating a Website. (back to chart)(Back to Home )

Appendix 1. How the Massachusetts Standards Compare to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)