Top 10 Things Teachers Should Know About Technology

10 things teachers should know about technology? Only ten? One could, and countless have, written entire books on the role technology plays in education for both students and teachers. One even takes classes dedicated to such topics, classes required to become a licensed School Library Teacher. Dry humor aside, the Emerging Technologies for Libraries, and Managing and Evaluating the School Library Program class has not altered so much as added to my list of the Top 10 Things Teachers Should Know About Technology. How can I do this without going beyond ten? By combining items 3 and 4 of course, which can be done since both were AI-related. Anyway, the number 4 listed below (which I have bolded for assignment purposes) is new and reflects something I learned from this class.

1. Students are digital natives. Gone are the days when kids come to school and learn about computers in the School Library's Computer Lab. Now they have school-issued chromebooks/laptops and I have seen them find ways to play games on them the school has supposedly blocked. They can often as not Google search like pros and know the ins and outs of their Smartphones better than most adults. Never underestimate a student's digital know-how, in part because many hope you will and use it to their advantage.

2. Wikipedia is officially less trustworthy but in reality almost if not a great deal better than real Encyclopedias. For years teachers have warned students away from Wiki like doctors do the Plague, however, having been a semi-official Wiki editor and article-writer for the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, I can say that, now, the site is inherently trustworthy. Why? Because contrary to popular belief, while it is true that anyone can write and edit articles, all contributions had better be well-written and properly cited if you want it to stick around. The academic standards are topnotch and constantly monitored for dis or misinformation.

3. AI, for better or worse (and likely plenty of both), is here to stay. Instead of fearing and avoiding it, teachers should learn how to use it to their advantage. Making or brainstorming lesson plans, for example. Every AI program, even the seemingly semi-sentient ChatGPT, has its strengths and weaknesses. Learn them by challenging them to do the very things you fear students doing so you can learn how urgent the fear is. I tried it with writing and, believe me, no AI written novel would make it past even a sub-standard literary agent.

4. That there are countless varieties of Adaptive and Assistive technology, and that it is wise not only to know what one's school and/or district offers, but also be able and willing to improvise with what you have.

5. Students live double lives. Not in the villain or superhero sense, but online, chatting with friends and acquiescence about any topic under the sun. Last year my students created a group chat dedicated to solving a beyond hard riddle I gave them. All the concerns about cyber-bullying still exist, only now in a world of digital natives.

6. Students do not come with to the School Librarian with research or technological questions much anymore, since they are digital natives and ask the research questions of the teachers who assign the research projects; and, given student laptops, that research can now be conducted in the classroom.

7. Remind students to backup their work beyond the Cloud. Google Docs and other such things are excellent, but individual documents/files can get corrupted suddenly and for no reason. Therefore students should create multiple copies by sending drafts to their email.

8. Utilizing technology can enhance student engagement. Teachers should explore interactive tools, multimedia resources, and collaborative platforms to make lessons more dynamic and interesting. Better yet, give the students freedom to use technology as they see fit within academic guidelines, and their skill and creativity will shin through.

9. If you see a student using an obviously harmless program/app, ask them what it is, not as a teacher but as a curious person. One can learn a lot this way and, in addition, learning how students think and what programs are trendy can be useful in its own right.

10. Technology is rapidly evolving. You do not need me to tell you this seeing as AI has jumped into the game before most realized it was a serious player, but it does illustrate the point that teachers should keep themselves informed of and open to learning about new, emerging technologies. Because if we do not then our students will first, and then where would we be?

Yes, I know I did not mention such classics as Digital Literacy, Online Safety, and Professional Development. You do not need me to. The above, however, are things I feel are often ignored and have proven quite useful to me personally.

Why did this list not change more? Not because the Emerging Technologies for Libraries, and Managing and Evaluating the School Library Program class was not informative so much as it was naturally librarian-centric. This post, however, asks for the Top 10 Things Teachers Should Know About Technology. Teachers in general, not School Librarians specifically – an important distinction since the prime knowledge and tools a Library Teacher uses are not the same as, say, a Math of History Teacher. There is overlap, to be sure, but classroom teachers need seldom worry about or learn the intricacies of, for example, an OPAC. Nor do they need to try to lure students in; they can merely direct their classes whereas Library Teachers have to actively and visibly promote their ideas to get students to participate. Also, they are bound by their individual curriculum while a Library Teacher is not. Had this post been titled Top 10 Things Library Teachers Should Know About Technology it would have looked a little different. Point of order, I have learned much in this class about the technologies, tools, and related methods of Library Teachers, but I do not think they fall under the top ten things I think all teachers should know about technology and its role both in school and in the lives of our students.