What Are ISTE Standards?

The ISTE Standards for Students describe the knowledge and skills learners need to thrive in a connected, digital world. These standards empower students to become self-directed, creative problem solvers who use technology to learn deeply and ethically. The standards are not just about using tools — they’re about transforming learning through active, student-centered practices.

Empowered Learner

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals.

Utilize Khan Academy's progress dashboards for student-led goal setting and personalized skill development tracking.

Progress tracking interface: khanacademy.org

Digital Citizen

Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living in a digital world.

Create multimedia projects using properly attributed Creative Commons resources from Wikimedia Commons.

Digital citizenship in practice: creativecommons.org

Knowledge Constructor

Students critically curate resources using digital tools to build knowledge and create meaningful products.

Develop research presentations using PowerPoint's integrated citation tools and multimedia features.

Presentation design tool: microsoft.com

Innovative Designer

Students use varied technologies to identify design constraints, prototype solutions, and test iterative improvements in authentic contexts.

Design and test a recycling awareness game using MakeCode Arcade's block-based programming interface.

Game development platform: arcade.makecode.com

Computational Thinker

Students develop logical workflows and leverage automation to analyze data and solve complex problems systematically.

Program environmental sensors using micro:bit's block coding interface to collect and analyze classroom air quality data.

Physical computing toolkit: makecode.microbit.org

Creative Communicator

Students craft compelling multimedia messages tailored to specific audiences and communication goals.

Develop interactive history timelines using Canva's graphic design tools and animation features.

Design platform: canva.com

Global Collaborator

Students use collaborative technologies to work effectively with diverse teams and broaden multicultural understanding.

Co-author a global recipe book using Microsoft Teams' shared documents and real-time collaboration features.

Collaboration suite: microsoft.com/teams