Hopkins School District #270

During the 2010-11 school year, a task force of media specialists and curriculum coordinators met to draft Hopkins Technology & Information Literacy Standards (TILS), a set of standards and grade-level benchmarks that help ensure that all of our students will have digitally-enriched learning experiences that enhance their skills using information and technology.

Development and implementation of the TILS is occurring at an ideal time in Hopkins Public Schools. Several key conditions are making the TILS possible-—

• All Hopkins classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including interactive whiteboards, for use by teachers and students.
• All Hopkins students and staff have accounts in Hopkin Apps, a Google-powered set of tools for creation and collaboration in word-processing, presentations, and more.
• Wireless networks in every school provide access to online information resources that supplement the rich print collections in our Media Centers.
• Mobile networked devices such as laptop carts and iPads are available for use in classrooms, in addition to stationary computer labs.
• Our teachers have access to a smorgasbord of training opportunities each year to help them become comfortable and competent with the latest digital tools.
• Full-time Media Specialists, along with Technology Integration Specialists, are available for collaboration and support.

Essential TILS components

The Hopkins TILS and their grade-level benchmarks are organized into four strands:

• Inquiry, Research, and Problem Solving: The student will learn a continuous cycle of questioning, gathering, synthesizing, evaluating, and using information individually and collaboratively to create new knowledge and apply it to real-world situations.
• Expanding Literacies: The student will read, view, listen, and communicate in any format for a variety of purposes.
• Technology Use and Concepts: The student will explore multiple technologies, evaluate their suitability for the desired educational or personal task, and apply the tools as needed.
• Ethical Participation in a Global Society: The student will participate productively in the global learning community and demonstrate safe, ethical, legal, and responsible behavior in the use of information and technology.

The Hopkins TILS are based on recommended standards developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) Standards for the 21st Century Learner, and the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) developed by ISTE (International Society for Technology Standards). Central to all of those standards is an emphasis on critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication.

During the 2011-12 school year, the new TILS for grades K through 6 are being embedded in various areas of the curriculum, and they will be revised for 2012-13 based on teachers' and students' experiences. In addition, next year the TILS standards and benchmarks for Grades 7 and 8 will be put in place at both Hopkins North and Hopkins West Junior High.

Links to the latest drafts of the grade-level TILS are provided below. Anyone with questions about them is welcome to contact the Media Specialist at one of our schools.