Tech-Savvy Educators

Tech-Savvy Educators
As technology advances, educators must adjust their teaching styles to keep students engaged in learning. However, it is not enough to just add technology to a classroom. Tech-savvy teachers are needed in order to direct e-learning activities in a way that enhances education (Clarke, Maldenado, Zagarell, 2012). The best way to help teachers make these adjustments is through technology training. Tech-savvy educators promote a positive environment where students find learning enjoyable.
Teacher technology training allows the technological divide between students and teachers to disappear and is crucial to the success of e-learning in schools (Creating Tech-Savvy Teachers). Offering this training can support teachers as they incorporate new technologies into their lesson plans. According to a survey of K-12 teachers, seventy-six percent indicated that training is the key to increasing technology use in the classroom (Miller, Schrum, Shelley, 2008). Schools also need to help teachers educate their students on online safety and digital citizenship. In this way, classroom technology can be controlled to avoid time-wasting, overuse, and nonbeneficial game playing (Creating Tech-Savvy Teachers).
Being a tech-savvy educator requires proper equipment as well as support from the school. Tech-savvy teachers need the appropriate skills and the appropriate resources to use these platforms. One survey shows that 54% of teachers struggle financially to incorporate technology in the classroom (Miller, Schrum, Shelley, 2008). Still, continued support from the school system and initial training sessions are vital to helping teachers grow in confidence and capability.
Sources
Bebell, D. and Key, R. (January 2010). One to One Computing: A Summary of the Quantitative Results from the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9. Retrieved from https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/jtla/article/viewFile/1607/1462-accessdate=19
Doran, L. and Herold, B. (May 17,2016). 1-to-1 Laptop Initiative Boost Student Scores, Study Finds. Education Week, 35 (31). Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/05/18/1-to-1-laptop-initiatives-boost-student-scores-study.html
Goodwin, B. (February 2011). One-to-One Laptop Progress Are No Silver Bullets. Educational Leadership, 68 (5). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/One-to-One_Laptop_Programs_Are_No_Silver_Bullet.aspx
November, A. (February 10, 2013). Why Schools Must Move Beyond One-to-One Computing. November Learning. Retrieved from http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/why-schools-must-move-beyond-one-to-one-computing/
The Benefits of One-to-One Technology in the Classroom. (2016) McGraw-Hill Education. Retrieved from https://www.mheducation.ca/blog/the-benefits-of-one-to-one-technology-in-the-classroom/