Even for the most tech saavy amongst educators, the past 18 months have pushed all of us to broaden our technology skills.  While the initial need to integrate new technologies to facilitate virtual and hybrid learning may have been under force and duress, I think that enough time has gone by for us to be able to step back and more thoughtfully assess the platforms and programs that we want to integrate into our classrooms and instructional systems.  Developing a deeper understanding of how the technology we use actually works has become an essential skill.  I’m not necessarily saying that every teacher should know how to code or manage a network in order to use technology tools in the classroom, but I am saying that having true ownership of our instructional practice requires that we have more than a superficial handle of the technology that we are using.  There are three reaons why I think we have to push ourselves towards deeper understanding of our technology.  

First, there is a lot of unused functionality in the technology that we are bringing into our classrooms.  Of course, untapped functionality isn’t a problem per se if that potential isn’t useful.  But I would argue that sometimes the more sophisticated features unlock really important tools for the teacher.  For example, if you are using Zoom or Teams rooms for virtual or hybrid learning, and aren’t using the breakout rooms , your students are missing out.  Just like most whole group instruction could be enriched by some think pair shares or small group discussions, whole group Zoom meetings get old fast, and limit the amount of student discourse.  Even before Teams came out with better breakout room functionality, my most talented technology teachers were setting up channels in every session to allow students to talk to each other as seamlessly as possible.  It makes a big difference.  Similarly, some of my teachers discovered that they could easily sync their online notebooks in OneNote through their class rosters in Teams, making it easier for students (and themselves) to keep work up to date and organized.  It is very easy to get into a groove with the features we are most comfortable with, and lose interest in going deeper.  I’ve been in a lot of meetings where a school is looking for a new software solution, and it turns out that the software they already have has the capability to do precisely what they are looking for.  Schools can tap on the expertise of teacher leaders to share some of the most useful, albeit less commonly used tools.  

Second, tech solutions inevitably run into issues.  Even when you have the best equipment and most up-to-date software, there are likely going to unexpected problems when kids are coming in and out and moving from program to program.  Throughout the day, students struggle to log-in, updates come in the middle of a lesson, or a screen refuses to share itself where there had never been a problem before.  Sometimes it’s an underlying network issue.  Sometimes the computer just needs a restart.  These inevitable hiccups are certainly frustrating, but the most tech-savvy teachers find ways quickly to trouble-shoot, problem solve, or snap together a last minute work around.  If you can’t diagnose an issue on your own, you are likely in trouble.  Even in a school like mine where we have tech specialists and a robust IT team, the chance of getting help within 5 minutes is not high – and a 5 minute or more delay in a classroom can feel like an eternity.  It pays to have a deeper understanding of how the tech functions so that you can be more self-sufficient when things don’t go exactly according to plan.

Third and finally, we want to model for our students what it looks like to be responsible users of technology.  While I too share serious reservations about the impact of technology on mental health, adolescent development, and social-emotional well-being, schools can’t pretend that students won’t have to cope with these issues.  We have a responsibility to prepare students to navigate the wider world where technology is ubiquitous.  This includes engaging students in discussions about the appropriate and ethical uses of emerging technology, developing and practicing routines for limiting screen time, and avoiding the darker parts of the internet.  Students should understand how the algorithms behind social media like buttons and viral posts operate, so they can be more responsible consumers.  Students need to see adult teachers and mentors exercising agency and efficacy with technology, instead of seeing them throwing their hands up in frustration or as victims of the new tech paradigm we all seem to live in.