Leveraging Technology

I'm in the midst of taking (and teaching) a technology class in my district. It is centered around 21st Century Skills, and how to teach those to your kids. The skills we're discussing, and working on, are largely soft skills- collaboration, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. They connect with ISTE's Technology standards for students.

There are a myriad of issues to ensuring that teachers meet these standards. Ignoring glaring infrastructure issues for many districts, I think the biggest issue is a lack of understanding (by teachers) in how to use tech tools with kids. When you move along the gradient of teachers and tech, you have a high watermark of those familiar with a myriad of tools and how they can be used in the classroom. That is combined with a willingness to use those tools regularly with kids, helping them build fluency with the tools. On the other end of the spectrum are those that don't use the tech regularly (perhaps the Tech Lab once a week?!), and aren't fluent with the tools themselves. That, to me, is a big problem.

Teachers need a familiarity with the tools available to them. They need to have used them, seeing possible pitfalls along the path. Willingness to use the technology is certainly a part of this process- which is another issue altogether. But being willing does not necessarily mean that you will use the technology with your kids effectively. The issue of effectiveness, and how I can be more effective in my technology usage, is one that I'm wrestling with. I'm hoping that it will lead me to a significant change in how I plan to use computers and other tech tools.