Merlyn aligns with ISTE Standards

This document consolidates the strategic alignment of Merlyn's capabilities with the ISTE Standards for Educators, providing detailed applications and highlighting the specific Merlyn features that support each standard, presented at the main standard level (e.g., 2.1, 2.2).

This document was created to to serve as a practical resource for various educational stakeholders. Teachers can utilize this information to document Merlyn usage on their lesson plans and during annual reviews. Instructional technologists can leverage it to develop training programs that are aligned with national standards, ensuring comprehensive and effective integration of Merlyn. Furthermore, district administrators can refer to this document to demonstrate how their teachers are aligning with national technology standards and to validate the effectiveness and relevance of the Merlyn tool within their school system.

ISTE Standard 2.1: Learner

Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others, and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to boost student learning. 

This standard focuses on the educator's own continuous professional growth, emphasizing setting and reflecting on goals, participating in professional learning networks, and staying current with research. Merlyn supports these aspects by providing direct tools for personal documentation, facilitating connections within collaborative networks, and offering rapid access to information and research.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Merlyn Notes: Allows educators to quickly vocalize and document personal learning goals before a lesson and then reflect on their effectiveness post-instruction, leveraging technology for ongoing self-assessment.]
  • Merlyn Chat: Empowers teachers to swiftly inquire about and access the latest research or pedagogical insights related to technology-enabled practices, ensuring their practices are evidence-based.
  • Google Classroom/Google Drive Integrations: Streamline the process of sharing lesson plans, rubrics, and other resources with colleagues within professional learning networks.
  • Merlyn Chat/Content Search: Enables educators to quickly inquire about and retrieve information on the latest research findings in education and learning sciences.
  • Merlyn AI Recommendations: Suggests research activities and topics for further exploration, directly aiding educators in staying current with relevant research. 

ISTE Standard 2.2: Leader

Educators seek opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success and to improve teaching and learning. 

This standard emphasizes the educator's role in championing technology integration, driving a shared vision, and advocating for equitable access while modeling responsible tool adoption. Merlyn supports these leadership facets by offering dynamic presentation capabilities, assisting in systematic technology evaluation, and embodying privacy-conscious design principles.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Merlyn as a Dynamic Presentation Tool (Portability & Browser Control): Allows leaders to seamlessly demonstrate technology in action during presentations to stakeholders, visually communicating the transformative potential.
  • PreptimeAI (for strategic planning): Facilitates quickly generating ideas for professional development content or presentation outlines that align with a shared vision for technology integration.
  • Merlyn's Core Functionality (Untethered Voice Control & Real-time Tailoring): Demonstrates how physical and technical barriers can be removed, providing equitable access to digital tools and content.
  • PreptimeAI (for differentiated resources): Allows leaders to quickly create differentiated content and rubrics, showing how technology accommodates diverse student needs.
  • Merlyn's K-12 Privacy Standards: Implicitly supports equitable and safe access by addressing data security concerns.
  • Merlyn's Versatile Features (e.g., Merlyn Chat, Brainstorm Board): Provides opportunities for leaders to openly try new features and model experimentation and agile adoption of digital tools.
  • PreptimeAI (for evaluation & curation): Enables creating objective criteria (rubrics) to systematically evaluate and curate new digital tools.
  • AI Mindset Integration: Explicitly discusses and models the mindset required to identify, explore, evaluate, curate, and adopt AI tools responsibly.

ISTE Standard 2.3: Citizen

Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world. 

This standard is crucial for fostering digital literacy and ethical technology use, particularly with AI. Merlyn supports teachers in guiding students toward responsible information consumption, critical evaluation of digital resources, safe and ethical practices, and the protection of personal and student data.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Merlyn's Content Search Tools: Guides students in responsible information seeking.
  • Adjustable Chat Filters: Curates content that is appropriate and contributes positively to discussions.
  • Merlyn's Generative Tools (e.g., Discussion Generator, Merlyn Chat): Provides AI output that students can critically evaluate, question accuracy, and verify.
  • Merlyn's Guardrails & Safety Features (Chat Filters, Student Session Controls): Demonstrates how they create a secure environment for student interactions.
  • Content Retrieval & Attribution (with explicit modeling): Promotes discussing and modeling proper source attribution, copyright, and respect for intellectual property when using retrieved content.
  • Merlyn's Trust Center (trust.merlyn.org): Provides a resource for discussing data privacy, security, and ethical AI in education.
  • Merlyn's Privacy-by-Design Features: Offers a concrete example of how student data is protected. 

ISTE Standard 2.4: Collaborator

Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems. 

This standard focuses on fostering effective collaboration within and beyond the classroom. Merlyn facilitates both professional collaboration among colleagues and dynamic co-learning experiences with students, enhancing resource sharing and promoting culturally competent communication.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Merlyn Reminders: Creates voice-activated reminders for PLC planning sessions or collaborative meetings.
  • Merlyn Chat: Facilitates quick, on-the-fly collaborative discussions and idea generation during planning, and supports emergent learning and troubleshooting with students.
  • Merlyn Student Sessions Brainstorm Board: Enables collective ideation and problem-solving in a shared digital space with students.
  • Deep Content Searches & Global Connections: Quickly finds and displays global information (e.g., images, videos, real-time data) to enrich project-based learning.
  • Google Classroom/Canvas Integrations: Seamlessly shares Merlyn-sourced content and project resources, facilitating collaborative work in shared digital workspaces.
  • PreptimeAI Translation: Translates lesson plans, rubrics, and communication materials to ensure understanding for diverse language backgrounds.
  • Merlyn In-Session Translate Tool: Enables real-time communication and collaboration among ELL students and their peers/teacher.

ISTE Standard 2.5: Designer

Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. 

This standard is central to crafting impactful learning experiences tailored to individual student needs. Merlyn provides robust tools that streamline the design process, enabling educators to create, adapt, and personalize learning, build authentic activities, and foster innovative, equitable digital learning environments.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • PreptimeAI (for differentiated planning & content): Rapidly generates and adapts lesson plans, rubrics, and content at different complexity levels.
  • Custom Shortcuts for Personalized Content: Instantly opens specific URLs or displays content tailored for individuals or groups.
  • On-the-fly Content Retrieval: Adapts instruction spontaneously based on observed learner differences.
  • Merlyn Timers (for differentiated pacing): Manages varied pacing for different learner groups or independent tasks.
  • Merlyn Discussion Generator: Designs engaging and authentic discussion prompts that align with standards.
  • Merlyn Student Sessions Brainstorm Board: Collaboratively brainstorms ideas for authentic problems or projects.
  • Deep Content Search (for real-world resources): Quickly finds and displays relevant, real-world digital resources to enrich learning activities.
  • Merlyn Student Sessions (all four tools - chat, brainstorming, content display, translate): Creates highly adaptable, responsive, and equitable digital learning spaces.
  • Google Classroom/Canvas Integrations: Facilitates equitable access to digital resources and assignments via widely used learning management systems.
  • Merlyn In-Session Translate Tool: Directly supports equitable learning environments by removing language barriers.

ISTE Standard 2.6: Facilitator

Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students.

This standard emphasizes the teacher's role in guiding student learning and managing the digital classroom. Merlyn empowers teachers to foster student ownership, effectively manage technology, teach computational and design thinking, and model and nurture creativity through dynamic and responsive interactions.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Merlyn Timers: Structures independent and group work periods, promoting student self-management.
  • Merlyn Chat (for inquiry): Provides immediate, on-the-fly answers to student inquiries, fostering self-directed learning.
  • Google Classroom/Canvas Integrations: Seamlessly pushes assignments/resources, encouraging ownership of learning goals outside class.
  • Real-time Tailoring (via Merlyn Chat/Search): Responsively adjusts content to support student's immediate needs and ownership.
  • Merlyn Shortcuts (URL, digital platforms): Efficiently launches and manages access to various digital tools and online platforms.
  • Deep Browser Control (tabs, videos, zoom, brightness): Maintains precise control over displayed digital content and student focus.
  • Merlyn "let's discuss" command: Generates open-ended questions that challenge students to apply design and computational thinking.
  • Critical Response to Merlyn Chat Answers: Models and guides students in critically analyzing AI output, fostering skills in problem decomposition and information validation.
  • Merlyn AI Suggestions: Suggests research activities and topics that promote problem-solving and inquiry.
  • On-the-fly Content Generation (Merlyn Chat/Search): Quickly generates diverse and imaginative content (e.g., unique images, analogies, story prompts) to inspire creative thought.
  • Merlyn Student Sessions Brainstorm Board: Facilitates open-ended brainstorming sessions and encourages creative ideation.
  • Creative Shortcuts: Quickly launches web-based creative tools or finds examples of diverse creative works.

ISTE Standard 2.7: Analyst

Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals.

This standard highlights the importance of data-driven instruction and responsive assessment. Merlyn supports educators in offering alternative assessments, using technology to create diverse assessments, and leveraging collected data to guide progress and communicate effectively with stakeholders.

• Merlyn Tools/Features:
  • Spelling, Rhyming, and Translation Tools (via Merlyn Chat/Voice): Provides immediate, interactive, and verbal formative checks for lower-level skills.
  • Merlyn Chat for Critical Evaluation: Provides AI-generated answers that students can critically "grade" or analyze, demonstrating higher-order thinking and reflection.
  • "Let's Discuss" for Exit Tickets: Quickly generates questions for rapid, on-the-fly formative assessments.
  • Pulse Check in Student Sessions: Conducts quick, recorded summative or formative checks with preserved data.
  • PreptimeAI (for differentiated assessment components): Designs rubrics or assessment questions at various complexity levels to accommodate diverse learner needs.
  • Student Session Data Preservation (e.g., Pulse Check results, Brainstorm Board contributions): Provides concrete "assessment data" that can be reviewed to track individual and group progress.
  • Merlyn AI Recommendations: Provides real-time insights from classroom interactions that teachers can use to immediately guide instructional adjustments.
  • Communication with Stakeholders (via data review): Presents Merlyn-derived data alongside traditional grades during conferences, fostering transparent communication about progress.