Technology Proficiency

Discussion at a recent meeting centered on the question of requiring students to take a technology proficiency class. On the surface, this is a great idea. However, what if our students were exposed to this technology everyday in our classrooms? Would they really need to take a class? I mean, we are so tight with rooms as it is in our building. So, I posed the question. Why not, instead, make teachers take a class and demonstrate proficiency in the technology students are likely to see in the work force? Here is a chance to really infuse technology into lessons in ways that our kids are already familiar with and use daily but rarely for academic purposes.

Silence.

I mean, really scary silence; the kind that lasts forever even though it was only a few seconds.
It got worse. The committee moved on without discussing my question. I immediately shrunk into my little cocoon. I think I got whacked and whacked pretty hard. Or, maybe I stunned them to the point where no one wanted to respond or were not prepared to respond. I began to think about this more, in my cocoon, and wondered what the list of technology skills, web 2.0 tools, programs, etc., would actually be should teacher/student proficiency in ‘technology’ become a reality.

NETS
The National Education Technology Standards for Teachers and Students already exist, as put forth by ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, but they have not been readily adopted by state boards of education.

Further, the standards do not dictate what the tools or programs are that teachers and students should be using. I think this part is left to teachers. In fact, ISTE does have a wiki where teachers can contribute how they are using technology to promote the standards. There is also a video that that simulates what the NETS for Students looks like in the classroom.

So what do you think about this topic? I am interested in learning what 'technologies' you think our students should be taking with them after they graduate and why you think these technologies are important. Please don't feel you have to be exhaustive in your response. I know that what we would like to see students learn is often times different from what we actually have time for them to learn.