AASL Standards vs. ISTE Standards
The AASL standards are a new breed of standards. When they first came out in 2018, it was hard for people to understand them. Instead of being broken down into grade levels or ability levels, each standard is broken down into one of six shared foundations (inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore, and engage) and within each shared foundation are four domains, or areas of growth (think, create, share, grow). The standards were done in this way because the AASL wanted to "recognize learning as an ongoing endeavor that should not be confined to the four walls of the school building or library" (Freedman & Robinson, 2019, pp 12). Instead, these shared foundations and domains allow for librarians to personalize learning for every learner. The standards are not based on age or grade level and are instead based on particular skills that can be targeted to what each student is wanting to do.
In contrast, ISTE Standards are organized by their targeted learners. There is a section for students, educators, educational leaders, and coaches. The purpose of these standards is to "provide the competencies for learning, teaching and leading with technology, and are a comprehensive road map for the effective use of technology in schools worldwide" (ISTE Standards, 2024). Within each section of the standards are 5-7 different roles that each learner can take on in regards to technology. For example, with students, there are standards for the empowered learner, digital citizen, knowledge constructor, innovative designer, computational thinker, creative communicator, and global collaborator.
I really appreciate the crosswalk to see how the two sets of standards flow together. That was a huge help in comparing the two. I know many librarians who dislike the AASL standards because they are not grade level specific or age. I can see how this is overwhelming when educators are used to every learning target being broken down by our state's standards. However, I see it to be very freeing. The sky is the limit for how librarians can plan and implement lessons. I do like the simplicity and organization of the ISTE standards. It was a lot easier for me to read them through. I agree with you, because they have so many similar targets, it is very easy to successfully use both sets of standards in the library.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI like how you looked at both sets of standards from the view of the targeted learner. I feel that if the ISTE standards have a more precise targeted learner, it would be more natural to use this as your guiding standards and then incorporate the intersections found in the AASL standards. When discussing the AASL standards with my school librarian, she seems to think they are almost too broad. I feel the same way, but also think that maybe the broad spectrum can incorporate a wide range of learners at every grade level. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Emily! I agree, both the AASL and ISTE standards provide a roadmap for guiding student-centered learning. I love that the standards are broad and can really be adapted and applied to many different learning environments, but it also makes them a bit more overwhelming and hard to understand since they lack specificity like typical content standards. I really appreciate the various infographics that are shared, and I think the crosswalk will be most helpful when planning for student learning in the library!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I really enjoyed reading your post. You did such a great job comparing and contrasting the AASL and ISTE standards. I really like how they rewrote the AASL standards. I feel like it is a scaffold that both teachers and librarians can use to help build skills in each student no matter what grade they are in. The broad standards can be adapted to every student at every level. They can also be easily adapted to those who have any learning disability. Thank you for your blog!
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