20 Habits of Tech-Savvy Teachers

With technology constantly changing, education is also evolving dynamically with it. There are thousands of new apps and skills for every educator to master. Each year, there are new trends for every teacher to keep up with. Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming.

However, it’s not just all about the apps or skills you’ve mastered which can help teachers become a “tech-savvy’ teacher, it’s their attitude and positive mindset that will make the difference.

SEE ALSO: Top 75 EdTech Blogs to Follow

Here are the 20 tips and habits teachers should follow and cultivate:

1. Be a Learning Catalyst

Teachers must collaborate with colleagues to create authentic learning experiences for students. They also learn with their students by exploring and experimenting with new digital tools for learning. Teachers use online tools and platforms to engage virtually with experts locally and globally to expand the possibilities for students.

2. Be a Leader

Teachers must engage in school-wide efforts to develop and implement a shared vision for using technology to transform learning. They must advocate for equitable EdTech access and have input on EdTech purchasing and evaluation.

3. Be a Citizen

Teachers must become role models when it comes to ethical and responsible online behavior for their colleagues and students. They must teach students how to protect their privacy and manage their online identity. They engage and communicate with families to reduce digital, cultural, and other barriers to learning.

4. Be a Designer

Teachers must act as designers and create new learning experiences that use technology to personalize instruction, challenge students to think more deeply, and make learning more active, engaging, and authentic.

5. Be an empowered educator

They must embrace continuous learning of how to transform instruction with the help of technology. Teachers must be updated in terms of emerging research, collaborate with colleagues, and use social media for personal and professional learning networks.

6. Be a Facilitator

Teachers must always encourage and cultivate a classroom culture where students are in charge of their own learning. They must promote opportunities for self-paced, personalized learning model and promote digital-age research skills. This way, students can find their own answers to questions, foster problem solving, communication, and other key skills.

7. Be an analyst

Teachers understand and use data to improve their instruction. They design formative and summative assessments that give students immediate feedback and give students a choice in how to demonstrate their learning.

8. Be flexible

Technology is constantly changing and evolving. Tech-savvy teachers must be able to surf with the tide and adapt. They should always have a contingency plan ready if things don’t work the way they hope it would.

9. Communicate digitally

Teachers must be knowledgeable of the world of email and social media and understand how to use these tools appropriately and effectively. According to David Mitchell, Multi-Award Winning Headteacher and Founder of QuadBlogging, teachers must also encourage students to write to a global audience through blogging.

10. Embrace change

Teachers must not just tolerate big change. They should pursue change and bring new innovations to their schools and districts.

11. Keep long-range goals in mind

Teachers must use technology to reach their goals, and not just go with it.

15. Use technology in their day-to-day lives

Using technology in day-to-day activities will help teachers cope up with the new technology. They don’t just leave technology at work.

16. Have a balanced attitude towards technology

Teachers must realize that technology isn’t everything, as much as it helps them in the classroom. They must also know that they also need a break from technology.

17. Use the Cloud to make paperless classrooms

Essays printed in papers are a thing of the past. Tech-savvy teachers use the cloud to store data from students, assign, collect, and grade student work.

18. Share Ideas

Teachers are always open to sharing ideas and learn from others. They have an excitement and thirst for knowledge. They even collaborate with other teachers to see what strategies work.

19. Skilled in digital assessment

Tech-savvy teachers know exactly which apps best meet their learning objectives.

20. Use a variety of apps

Teachers also know the benefit of using a variety of apps and utilize it to benefit their subject area and appropriate for the age of their students.

SEE ALSO: EdTech Experts Reveal Views on Teaching the Next Generation of Teachers

Do you find these tips useful? Share it with other teachers, educators you know!

Tags

Related Articles

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please do not post:

  • Aggressive or discriminatory language
  • Profanities (of any kind)
  • Trade secrets or confidential information

Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.

Comment (1)

Very informative share
By Swapna Sewak (Dec, 2017) | Reply