We live in a digital age. That is hard to argue against. For evidence you need not look further than your hallways before school, during passing periods and often even during class. Students are on their phones checking social media or sending text messages. Parents are sending emails to stay on top of their children’s missing work. Teacher’s gradebooks are replaced with online progress reports. Technology and the digital age is allowing us to communicate quicker, gain access to resources with ease, and increase productivity but at what price?
Those same students who are increasing their followers and likes on social media are facing the threat of cyber bullying and social anxiety. Parent emails can be sent in the heat of the moment or misinterpreted by a teacher. Teacher’s instant quantitative feedback can take the place of quality constructive criticism.
If we are going to continue to promote technology in the classroom, which we should, we need to make sure that we as teachers are using it for meaningful purposes and not just because #edtech is the latest trending topic.
Many districts offer regular professional development on technology topics. Most often this occurs when a school or district is adopting a new software platform. The problem with this type of professional development is that by the time a district adopts a platform, it is usually on its way to irrelevancy in the general public, or at least in the minds of our students.
While I applaud district offices for promoting technology training, I want to take this opportunity to encourage younger teachers to step up and utilize their knowledge base. Generally speaking, newly hired staff may be inexperienced with classroom management and pedagogy, but they are well versed in technology. At the same time veteran staff members may have educational strategies down pact but may not be as comfortable with new media. What better way to kill two birds with one stone than with mentoring programs that pair rookies and veterans, each playing to their innate strengths.
Are you a veteran teacher? Ask a first or second year how they are using technology in the classroom. Are you a new staff member? Reach out to a tenured teacher and ask them to evaluate your latest flipped lesson.
A program that would meet bi-monthly. One conversation lead by the veteran and one lead by the younger staff. This gives each staff member a platform to share their expertise and add value to the school culture. All too often administrators see the value of young staff as their energy and availability. Younger staff are often the coaches, club sponsors, chaperones of school events and the ones willing to embarrass themselves in a pep assembly. However we can make these staff members feel valued by taping into their unique knowledge base of the technology our students are using. Veteran teachers get to share their expertise and ask tech questions in a non-threatening environment.
Are you a veteran teacher? Ask a first or second year how they are using technology in the classroom. Are you a new staff member? Reach out to a tenured teacher and ask them to evaluate your latest flipped lesson.
More needs to be done with educating the educators on tech topics. It doesn’t need to be a large scale district initiative but something that can happen organically at the building level when given a little push and the proper incentive.
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