It can be said that educational technology is only as good as the teachers that use it. Computer skills are not the only, and perhaps not even the most important, prerequisite for effective technology integration. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has established National Educational Technology Standards for students, teachers, and administrators. All educators should be familiar with these standards (see the Curriculum and Learning section of Shen's web site for related standards and resources).

The rubric below helps teachers see themselves in relationship with the stages of technology integration. No score is good or bad. Teachers should take this self-assessment, set goals accordingly and retake the assessment at least once per year. School leaders who advocate use of this tool will help all teachers begin to see the larger picture of technology in instructional practices.

Directions
In each column, circle the number associated with the phrase that best describes your level of technology integration. Add the circled numbers together and aim to improve your score each year. The phrase below the number you circled can be viewed as your goal, your next step in the process to further integrate technology in your instructional practices. [Printable PDF version]

Integration Stages*	Use with Students	Teacher Planning	Understanding	Participation
Stage 1 Non-user: Awareness	Never uses technology with students	Does not plan technology use to support curriculum or classroom management	Does not perceive technology as an important part of instruction	Technology use is not teacher directed
	1	1	1	1
Stage 2 Entry: Learning the process	Occasional use of technology with students	Struggles to plan meaningful technology use	Perceives technology as a skill set that students must learn	Minimal teacher involvement; relies primarily on pre-packaged material, assistance from colleagues, or material not developed by the teacher
	2	2	2	2
Stage 3 Adoption: Understanding and application of the process	Regular use of technology with students	Plans technology with skill acquisition as primary goal	Understands technology is a tool for teaching and learning	Participates in instruction of technology related lessons
	3	3	3	3
Stage 4 Adaptation: Familiarity and confidence	Requires and directs independent use of technology by students	Plans technology curriculum integration that uses lower level thinking skills	Understands how technology impacts instructional design	Creates and directs curriculum projects using technology
	4	4	4	4
Stage 5 Appropriation: Adaptation to other contexts	Routinely integrates curriculum with technology in classroom and/or lab	Plans technology curriculum integration that uses higher level thinking skills	Understands and mentors others in technology and curriculum integration	Creates and directs curriculum related projects with technology that require higher level thinking skills
	5	5	5	5
Stage 6 Invention: Creative application to new contexts	Designs and implements assignments that introduce unique environments and situations utilizing technology.	New instructional patterns emerge from the use of technology.	Perceives and understands how educational technology drives exploration of new curriculum integration models	Teacher goes beyond existing instructional models for technology integration
	6	6	6	6

Total Score _____________
Simply add the circled numbers together. An obvious goal is to improve this score each year.