I was struggling to get a good grasp of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards when I read through them separately. Thankfully, the AASL formulated a crosswalk of AASL and ISTE standards that I found especially helpful when attempting to better understand each set of standards. The organized format of the crosswalk (a table) made comparing each set of standards much easier for me.
After my discovery that the crosswalk greatly aided in my comprehension of these two sets of standards, it was serendipitous that I happened across Courtney Lewis’ article, “Leveraging Crosswalks for Communication” in Knowledge Quest. Lewis (2019) succinctly articulates two main reasons why this crosswalk is so helpful. She explains that this crosswalk helps achieve common language between both sets of standards. She also emphasizes how this crosswalk graphically represents the connection between administrators, learners, and teachers to the outside world with a big-picture view of the curriculum (Lewis, 2019).The American Association of School Library Standards
are composed of six foundations: Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate,
Explore, Engage. Each foundation has a list of key competencies that outline
its essential elements. The competencies are grouped into four domains that
mirror the inquiry process – Think, Create, Share, Grow. AASL
standards provide an integrated framework for learners, school librarians, and
school libraries.
The International Society for Technology in Education standards provide competencies for learning, teaching, and leading using
technology. The focus of ISTE Standards is not on specific devices or tools but
instead focuses on learning and the effective use of technology in schools
worldwide. These standards are
categorized into four groups specifically for students, educators, education leaders,
and instructional coaches. There are five
to seven standards listed for each group.
Both sets of standards emphasize the importance of students
focusing on goal setting and becoming self-directed learners. They both place an emphasis on student
collaboration and interaction with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. They also both promote the development of
critical thinking skills in students. Perhaps
most importantly, both sets of standards encourage students to become lifelong
learners who seek knowledge and use media, information, and technology ethically
and responsibly.
AASL standards place an emphasis on the process of learning
and the role of the school library within that process. Librarians and classroom teachers use the
standards collaboratively to figure out how to best teach content standards. Conversely, ISTE standards are content standards
and focus more on the final product (what is learned) than the process of
learning it. Another obvious key difference
between the two standards is the major emphasis on technology in ITSE
standards. While technology is
integrated into the AASL standards, it is not the focus.
When I am a school librarian, both the AASL and ISTE standards will provide guidance, structure, and support when I am developing a curriculum for the school library. They will also be helpful when I am collaborating with classroom teachers to develop lesson plans for other content areas. The integration and implementation of both sets of standards will result in developing students who are knowledgeable and capable lifelong learners.
infographic depicting a framework of the ASL Standards for Learners
infographic depicting a framework of the ASL Standards for Learners
AASL. (2018). National School Library Standards Crosswalk. Retrieved from https://standards.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180828-aasl- standards-crosswalk-iste.pdf
Lewis, C. (2019). Leveraging crosswalks for communication. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), 42-43.
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ReplyDeleteThey were a little confusing to me at the beginning as well! I also found the AASL and ISTE standards crosswalk extremely helpful! I also liked the way the article School Librarians Level Up in the Knowledge Quest issue gave specific examples of the AASL standards being implemented. That absolutely helped me grasp the standards!
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who initially struggled to make sense of the AASL and ISTE standards! As a visual learner, I found the crosswalk especially helpful too. It made the connections and overlaps between the two much more clear. I appreciated how you referenced Lewis’ article and explained how the crosswalk fosters a shared language between educators, administrators, and learners. That big-picture perspective really helps reinforce how both sets of standards can work together to support student learning. I also found it interesting how you pointed out the difference in focus with AASL emphasizing the learning process and ISTE focusing more on the product and technology integration. I agree that using both frameworks together will be incredibly valuable as we plan curriculum and collaborate with classroom teachers to create well-rounded, tech-savvy lifelong learners.
ReplyDeleteJenna,
ReplyDeleteI also found the crosswalk to be very helpful in understanding both AASL and ISTE standards and how they are interconnected with one another. I liked your mention of how both sets of standards support students in becoming lifelong learners that are able to independently interact with information and technology in ethical ways. This collaboration between both sets of standards allows teachers, school librarians, and administrators to better cater to the need of students in the 21st century. Like you, I will also apply AASL and ISTE standards in the creation and curation of curriculum once I am a school librarian.