When comparing the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards Integrated Framework to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, it is helpful to keep in mind that each organization has a different focus. The AASL is a professional organization for school librarians, while the ISTE is a professional organization that addresses technology across different fields of education. The two organizations have different scopes as well as different intended audiences. The ISTE is an international organization, while the AASL is focused on the United States. Although the two sets of standards overlap in some areas, their differences stem from differing priorities.

Mary Lou O'Connor, a school librarian in New Hampshire, provided an interesting context for comparing and contrasting the two sets of standards in her article "An Appealing Menu of Digital Literacy Tools and Resources." In the article, O'Connor describes how she used the AASL standards as a template for her library's "Digital Literacy Tools & Resources for K-5 Learners." O'Connor compares this program to a menu that allows students to choose resources with which to engage. Student choice is the foundation of the program. For example, one project allowed students to choose whether to make a "green screen movie, iMovie, drawing or a stop-motion video" (O'Connor, 2019). The AASL standards also reflect the importance of student choice. The "Grow" section of this standards crosswalk lists "creating an atmosphere in which learners feel empowered and interactions are learner-initiated" as a competency for school librarians (AASL, 2019). The ISTE standards reflect a similar goal by describing how "students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication" (ISTE, 2018). However, the AASL standards were more closely linked to O'Connor's program as they described an "atmosphere" of empowerment. While the ISTE standards mention student choice, they seem to constantly link it back to "desired objectives" rather than feelings of empowerment.

This infographic shows the Shared Foundations that serve as the basis for the AASL Standards Integrated Framework. Each of these Foundations relates to O'Connor's program.

Interestingly, O'Connor writes that the librarians in her district formed their K-12 Library Media Curriculum Standards using both the AASL standards and the ISTE standards. However, when it comes to more specific efforts such as the "Digital Literacy Tools & Resources for School Librarians," O'Connor and her colleagues focus more on the AASL standards. To me, this indicated a view of the ISTE standards as helpful, but limited. The AASL standards encompass more aspects of how unique and transformative libraries can be within a school.

References:

National School Library Standards crosswalk with ISTE Standards for Students and Educators.  (2018)  Retrieved from https://standards.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180828-aasl-standards-crosswalk-iste.pdf 

O'Connor, M.L. (2019). Engaging Adolescent Literacies with the Standards. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), 56-58. Retrieved from https://blackboard.sc.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-13303131-dt-content-rid-94886219_2/courses/SLIS761-000-FALL-2019/KQ_mayjun2019_hres_TAGGED.pdf.pdf