Technology, Teaching & Learning for Teachers

This post was originally published here in October 2015.

Over time we have developed a culture at TIS that believes access to technology will directly benefit students’ learning by allowing for more engaging and diverse teaching to occur. Our capacity developed to the point where we felt comfortable starting our “Think Digital” laptop program in September 2015.

Our laptop program and the proliferation of technology at TIS allows teachers to promote learning that is:

                                   

1. Individualized: Having access to one’s own device allows each student to move as quickly or slowly as needed. Online tutorials and extra work can be accessed as needed.    
2. Differentiated: Teachers can provide support materials in a variety of ways, such as written text, videos and games that explore concepts, and also give students flexibility in their own content creation.                    

3. Personalized: Access to online resources allows students to find and use information from areas that they are interested in. Students can demonstrate their knowledge via documents, presentations and video.

4. Collaborative: Google Classroom, Google Drive, Edmodo and Moodle all allow students to work together and share their knowledge with one another.

These tools and apps are only as effective as the skills of the people using them, which is why we have directed a considerable about of time and resources into teacher professional development.  Over the past year, TIS has hosted two separate technology conferences. First was the “Engaging Tech” conference, held in April 2015. The second was the “Google Cloud Camp”, presented by AppsEvents in August 2015. Both conferences provided staff with the opportunity to learn about topics including digital design, Google Apps for Education and the use of Smartphones in the classroom. TIS also has two professional development days per year and technology integration sessions are always available for staff to enrol in.

Teachers also require “just in time” training to meet the needs of a diverse and progressive school. I’m proud to say that there are now three full-time staff available to support teachers (and students!) with their technology needs. This support allows staff to incorporate tools that make lessons more engaging and interactive.

For our teachers, it is important to remember these useful tips:

                   

1. Guidelines – Create clear guidelines for when devices can be used and how they are to be used. When sharing something important to your students, it is advised you have them turn over their iPad or close their laptops and give you their undivided attention.
2. Integrate technology in a purposeful way – Think pedagogy before technology and ask yourself if using this technology will improve learning in your classroom
3. Assessment – Use real time tools like Google forms, Kahoot or Mentimeter (polls) to gauge for understanding and engage your students.                        

To further support teachers, we will be creating student tech support teams at TIS. These students will be trained in basic computer troubleshooting, Google Apps for Education, laptop care & safety, sign out procedures and transportation of laptop carts between classes.

I look forward to working with teachers to ensure that technology is accessible, beneficial and that it positively impacts student achievement.