Preparing Students for a Tech Centered World

For many, technology is a gift. For others…not so much. Either way you view technology, one thing is certain: technology is here to stay and will continue to advance. 

When I first attended school, we didn’t have computers in the classroom. We were lucky to have a computer lab and no one I knew had any sort of computer at home. By high school most schools had computer labs and computers were becoming more common in the home. By college I was creating most of my papers on the computer, though still in a computer lab. I went from consuming information through technology to creating using technology. Technology became a tool to help me succeed as a student.  

In my first teaching job each teacher had a desktop computer or two in their classroom and we had a computer lab. Laptops were around, but not quite as plentiful. By the end of my time teaching in the classroom, we had one-to-one devices, a laptop for all teachers, maybe a desktop or two in each classroom, AND a computer lab. Plus, we had our smart phones! So how did I go from not having touched a computer at 5 years old to teaching technology to my students? I learned how to adapt to change because I knew that I HAD to adapt to the changes if I was going to be able to help my students prepare for their future. 

Having a tech centered classroom will help prepare students with the skills they need to live and work in this ever-evolving digital world.

My teaching team and I worked hard each month to create a project that students would do using their device. The goal was to teach them a new technology skill, while still relating to our state standards. We wanted our students to see that technology was a tool to use in their learning experience. We had projects such as how to create a video or how to create a slide show, but within those videos or slide shows they had to teach or explain a concept that the class was working on. Students learned to become consumers and producers using technology. Our students had computer class every three days and learned digital literacy skills on a desktop computer. They had access to iPads, desktop computers, and eventually laptops. Our students learned how to use their devices to the best of their ability because we felt it was important to prepare them for when they would one day enter the working world. 

As I changed careers, computers became a part of who I was and my ability to change with them has opened so many career possibilities. Knowing this lends to my strong belief that students must learn technology and learn to change with technology. Teachers who use Learning.com and provide their students with knowledge and skills related to technology are helping their students open a world of future possibilities.