EdTech Experts Reveal Views on Teaching the Next Generation of Teachers

EdTech is seriously shaping education in ways we would never have imagined before. Learning and instruction have become more dynamic with technology, with educators finding more ways to connect with their students and better facilitate learning.

But how does classroom technology influence the role of educators? What are the changes expected in the years to come? We’ve asked some EdTech experts about their views on teaching the next generation of EdTech educators.

Here’s what they have to say:

1. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in educational technology?

Rusul Alrubail: “The biggest changes I’ve seen in edtech in the past few years are choice. Educators now have so many options to choose from when it comes to using the right tools for student learning. This wasn’t always the case. It used to be that there is just one platform or one edtech to use for specific purposes. However, with more choices available, we need to be choosy ourselves as to what we bring into the classroom for students’ to use. Not all edtech is right for all students. More importantly, not all new edtech meets the learning needs of students in the right way. So with this change, it really puts a lot of onus on educators to understand the tools very well, and that doesn’t necessarily mean how to use the tool, but rather to see if there is a culture, understand policies, and the experience of using the tool itself. This research will help to make sure that it’s the right edtech to implement for the teacher and the students.”

Lori Gracey: “I think that the diversity of tools is absolutely amazing today, even potentially overwhelming. Even just a few years ago, educators had very limited choices when it came to finding the right technology resource to use for a particular lesson or topic. Now, the choices are so many that it has almost become a problem in and of itself.”

Mark Barnes: “The tech evolves so rapidly that it can become overwhelming for teachers, who don’t know what to use or how to use it. Many simply shrug and say, “I’ll just keep doing what I’ve always done.” Plus, there’s too little administrative support. We need better PD around EdTech integration.”

“Educators need time, and opportunities to be exposed to new technologies and how they can help them in the classroom.” – Rusul Alrubail

2. How does the classroom technology influence the role of educators?

Rusul Alrubail: “Technology can do so much to influence the role of educators in the classroom. It has the power to help educators move from a teacher-centred approach to a student-centred approach, and having students drive their own learning, of course with the right tools and pedagogy. Technology also has the power to humanize issues, events, and people on a global scale by connecting classrooms to people from all over the world. When educators are empowered in their schools they can truly leverage technology as pedagogical tools that can enhance, improve, and restructure learning in the classroom.”

Lori Gracey: Used correctly, technology changes the role of the classroom educator. With the right tools, a teacher can now focus on the individual needs of students and not on the class as a whole, adding personalization and differentiation for learning. This can mean that the classroom looks very different with each group of students using diverse methods to master the core concepts.

Mark Barnes: I’m not sure technology influences teachers or that it should. Like a chalkboard, overhead projector, or Interactive whiteboard, modern technology gives educators a kit of tools that they can select from to enhance teaching and learning. Saying, “I’ve got Google Classroom; how can I use it to teach” is misguided. Rather, teachers should say, “I want to teach my students about weather systems or math facts. How can Google tools improve my instruction and simply learning?”

3. With technology changing quickly, how do you think educators should be trained to handle tools they may encounter in the future?

Rusul Alrubail: “I think the most basic thing that administrators can help educators through the changing landscape of tech in education is to empower them with the right tools and support to use technology in the classroom. Educators need time, and opportunities to be exposed to new technologies and how they can help them in the classroom. Providing support through time and funding for educators to attend professional development workshops and conferences that provide supportive strategies on tech use in the classroom can be so beneficial for not only educators, but also administrators, students, and the school culture as a whole. Empowered educators lead to innovative thinkers.”

Lori Gracey: “I think the growth of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) has shown the training that teachers need most. When each student in the classroom has a different device, then the teacher can no longer teach just one tool. There is no “everyone will create a PowerPoint about…” Instead, the teacher must become even more the pedagogical expert, able to recommend a wide variety of tools that will fit a particular concept. We have to show them that there is no one perfect tool, no “silver bullet.” Instead, providing differentiated activities to allow for student voice and choice must become more prevalent in the classroom today. And that requires a different type of training for the teachers.”

Mark Barnes, Hack Learning Series: “In the short term, teachers should use well-written books by experts, in concert with how-to videos. In the long term and especially for sophisticated technology, schools should bring experts in to teach stakeholders best practices over time.”

“We have to show them that there is no one perfect tool, no ‘silver bullet’.”-Lori Gracey

4. How can institutions best prepare educators for a profession undergoing so much change?

Rusul Alrubail: “I truly believe that in order for us to be prepared for the ever-changing landscape of education we need to embrace change. Often, we tend to resist change and try to revert to our comfort level and support the status quo. However, in order for us to be innovators, we must challenge the status quo by seeking learning opportunities outside our classroom and school communities. Connecting with educators globally allows us to see worlds outside our own and as a result, e are more inclined to not only accept change but also to embrace it.”

Lori Gracey: “We must make sure that teachers understand how to differentiate the content and activities that they believe are most critical for students to learn. [In] that way, whether the content or the technology changes, the process of differentiation remains the same. It’s also important that we help educators understand that even the youngest of students can make good choices about their own learning if we spend the time up front to help them develop those skills. Metacognition and being able to recognize their own preferences are topics that teachers must impart to our students today. This may mean that we don’t rush headlong into the curriculum on the first day of school, but instead spend time with the students, helping them to learn more about themselves and their own learning.”

Mark Barnes: “We can’t just teach about tools, apps, and systems. Teachers must learn the skills that translate to most of the tech. We must teach educators about content curation, social media for teaching and learning, how to use various tools for productivity, how to communicate online effectively, and how to pass these life skills to students. We must begin with strategy, rather than rolling out tools.”

“Teachers need to shift the mindset from content delivery to exploration and application of everything that is already at our students’ fingertips.”- Mark Barnes

5. What would you like to see educators do differently when it comes to technology?

Rusul Alrubail: “Connected educators from all over are starting to embrace social media and technology use as a way to enhance literacy. I do like to see more educators accept and embrace the idea that we can leverage technology as tools to help students excel and succeed in literacy. Education technology and social media can provide us with such powerful tools to help students better understand, embrace, and engage in strong writing and literacy that in turn equips them with the necessary critical thinking tools for them to make a difference through their thoughts and ideas. Let’s embrace the idea that with the right pedagogy and approach in the classroom, we can begin to help students see that their voice matters and they can make a difference in this world.”

Lori Gracey: “I think it is time for everyone in education to recognize that teachers cannot and should not be expected to be the “experts” when it comes to technology. As a former technology director myself, someone who devoted all of my time to technology, it was hard even for me to stay current. Classroom teachers were not hired to be the tech experts. Instead, we need them to be student advocates who support each individual’s right to learn in a way that works best for them, content experts who can discern what is truly important in the wide array of curriculum that they are expected to teach, and masters of strong pedagogy who are able to select exactly the right activity to best help students learn. It’s not about the technology; it’s about the teaching.”

Mark Barnes: “Embrace social media and mobile learning, first and foremost! Social channels and mobile devices are the most powerful technologies we’ve ever seen. Textbooks and most rote memory skills are obsolete; kids no longer need to be able to add fractions, because they can just ask Siri. News is instantaneous, and we can communicate with experts around the globe. Access to information is unlimited and at our fingertips. Teachers need to shift the mindset from content delivery to exploration and application of everything that is already at our students’ fingertips. If today’s learner wants to be an engineer, we no longer have to give her an engineering book. She can start building right now. We only have to help her leverage the resources she already has in her hands.”

Mark Barnes is a teacher/author/speaker and creator of the popular Hack Learning Series.

Rusul Alrubail is the Co-founder and Executive Director of The Writing Project, a technology to help students with digital literacy and writing. She is also the author of ‘Digital Writing for English Language Learners’, a speaker and a social media influencer on education, race and equity. You can find her writing on her Heart of a Teacher blog.

Lori Gracey has 28 years of experience in education, with 22 years as a curriculum and technology director. She currently serves as the executive director of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and is responsible for training technology directors, administrators, curriculum supervisors, and teachers across the country. During her eight years in this position, she has led TCEA in membership and revenue growth, helped to pay off their building and purchase a new, larger building, and implemented new conferences, partnerships with other associations, and professional development opportunities for members and non-members. She serves more than 17,000 members and oversees a staff of 21. Lori is also on the board of the Texas Society of Association Executives and SXSWedu and recently served as the Regional Program Chair for the ISTE 2017 Convention in San Antonio.

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