A few months ago I was leading a professional development for teachers on ways to support student collaboration via G Suite. On the feedback form at the end of the session one of the participants wrote, “I see how this is useful, but am I a science teacher or am I a technology teacher?” I admit this question gave me pause. Who is responsible for teaching technology? Just like like how every teacher is responsible for teaching literacy, given our technology-infused world I would argue that every teacher should be a technology teacher.
Being a technology teacher doesn’t mean that your classroom has to be 1:1 with computers or tablets. If you have a limited number of devices your students can work in small groups or you can establish a bring your own device (BYOD) norm where students bring their own tablets, laptops, or smartphones. There is so much that you can do even with just cell phones in your classroom! For younger students or students without their own technology there are plenty of analog coding activities that you can find online and numerous ways to integrate technological thinking in your classroom. For example, students can design apps using paper and markers to show the different screens or create simple robots like bristlebots or scribble bots.
Starting to think of yourself as a technology teacher can be frightening, especially if your discipline and area of expertise might not overlap with technology as easily as science or engineering courses traditionally do. I have three pieces of advice for anyone that finds themselves in this position:
- First, look for opportunities to connect with other technology-minded teachers in your school and create your own professional learning community (PLC) that bridges disciplines and grade.
- Second, join professional learning networks (PLNs) outside of your school. Look to see if your area has a Google Educators Group (GEG) or a local International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) affiliate. Your PLN can even be digital! Twitter has been one of the most powerful communities I have joined.
- Third and possibly the most important, talk to your students. Don’t be afraid to ask your students for technology help and give them opportunities to practice agency in selecting digital tools to meet the tasks that your present to them in class.