The only standard I think she met is Basic Operations and Concepts. It appeared the students were able to clear the machines, input numbers, and identify what the machine's output meant. But her lesson plan of having the students simply enter numbers she provided amounts to data entry.
I don't believe the students were using the technology to their advantage. If I was the teacher, I would have had the students work in teams of two to collect dimensions of spaces in the school (library?) in order to find area. That way, the students would be meeting two more standards: Technology Communications Tools and Technology Research Tools. They could take it a step further and include finding the volume of objects as well, incorporating Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Tools. Overall, I thought this teacher's class was a bit chaotic and missing the mark.
Each year when the Beloit Mindset List is released, I'm typically not wowed by anything. However, this year, with the note that most of today's freshmen never had to learn how to write cursive leaves me quite jealous. I have horrible handwriting; a mishmash of print and cursive. I think back to those nights in grade school when I would have to write, and rewrite, book reports because they were illegible, and can't help but feel like I missed out. But I am happy for my future students, who will no doubt be able to type their book reports on a computer. It makes them better writers, as they can edit, rewrite, and basically improve their writing, without having to use half an eraser, or start over.
