10 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Technology

Here is my list of 10 things I think every teacher should know about technology. Anything with an asterisk was taken from AI. The first six ideas I came up with myself and then used AI to assist with the others. I asked both Gemini and ChatGPT the same prompt: "ten things every teacher should know about technology." 

 

                                         Image created using starryai with the prompt:

                                         "students standing behind a teacher who is working

                                          on her computer. The teacher is a white lady with

                                          long black hair. 

1) Learn to evaluate technology. This means if it's a website or database, you start in the top left corner and work your way through every detail to get to know the resource, evaluate its effectiveness, and then teach it to others. Especially as librarians, patrons will ask questions about a resource and it is better to be prepared beforehand. 

2) Learn as you go. "Let's explore this resource together" is a great way to learn about a piece of technology with a student or another teacher. No matter how prepared (see 1), someone will have a question that you never thought to ask yourself. By solving the problem together you can learn from the student/teacher and build community around the technology.

3) Be able to troubleshoot. This goes a long way when a student or yourself comes across a problem with a device or program. It takes practice and comfortability, but eventually you will get a protocol down for what to check, rule out, etc. when something does wrong. You may not be able to fix the problem, but identifying it goes a long way in order to...

4) Communicate effectively with IT Department. There are a lot of things that happen that I personally cannot fix. Sometimes I don't know how, other times I don't have the required permissions. But being able to identity the problem to then explicitly tell the IT person what needs to be fixed saves a lot of time. For example, "my thing won't print" is fine, but saying "the printer is offline" is much more helpful. You've essentially done the troubleshooting for IT who can now come in and work their magic. 

5) You're not going to "Delete AOL." Here's a story. Growing up we were all kind of scared of the family desktop because no one was comfortable using it. My mom managed to delete the icon for AOL from the desktop, which translated to her and my dad thinking that the entire internet on the computer was gone. You may temporarily mess something up, but it won't be ruined forever. Don't be afraid to explore because that's how you gain proficiency.  

 6)  Understand what your students' technology skills are. One of the reasons that I decided to become a Library Media Specialist is because I noticed working in higher education that students lack fundamental computer skills. People assume that teenagers are good with technology because they use social media, but then they enter college and can't figure out how to use the Content Management System. By evaluating your students' technology skills, you can fill in any knowledge gaps they may have.

*7) Digital Citizenship.

    Gemini response: "Digital Citizenship: Understand the ethical, legal, and social implications of technology use. This includes online safety, privacy, responsible digital behavior, and avoiding plagiarism."

    I would put an emphasis on the responsibility we all have to vet information. It is ethically irresponsible to share misinformation, even unknowingly.

*8) Knowledge of the digital divide. 

    Gemini response: Digital Equity: Be aware of the digital divide and work to ensure equitable access to technology and digital resources for all students. 

    I learned about the digital divide in my information science program. Not everyone has the same access to technology and internet at home. Certainly it is important to know about this within your own student body. However, I think it's also important that your school system as a whole may be far more privileged with the technology resources available to them than even one town over. 

*9) Ability to use technology seamlessly with in-person instruction.

    ChatGPT said, "Blended Learning: Teachers should be comfortable with the concept of blended learning, which combines in-person instruction with online activities. They should be able to design lessons that integrate both physical and digital learning spaces."

    I would also add that technology integration is the best way to improve students' computer literacy. They are simultaneously learning the hard skill (your lesson plan) and the soft skill of using technology for daily use. 

*10) Lifelong learning. 

    ChatGPT said, "Professional Development: Technology is always evolving, so teachers should be proactive about seeking out professional development opportunities to stay up-to-date on new tools, strategies, and innovations in the edtech space."

    Technology is constantly changing, so teachers need to be constantly learning.