top of page

Technology Equity

What do your students need?

  • What personalities are in your room?

  • What languages are being spoken in and out of your classroom?

  • What ethnic issues could effect your students socially?

  • How have they done in this subject in the past?

  • What do you know about their prior knowledge?

  • What needs to be accessible for every child in your room?

  • Do you know what inclusion means?

  • Have you studied how to implement culturally relevant teaching?

Apps don't matter.
Teaching matters.

With a rising excitement about all things education technology, it is crucial to remember what is really important for our students. As I mentioned on Twitter recently - the fancy apps and acronyms in technology will not change the learning environment unless the teacher is first trying to understand the lives inside of the classroom.


The next time you hear about a fancy new app at a conference or professional development seminar, think about the context. How can your students benefit? Is the app promoting an inclusive environment? Will language barriers prevent student success? Which students will have a problem? Which students will excel? Is the app targeted for a specific audience?

 

The apps do not matter anymore. There is a new app that can "transform your classrom" every week - but you have to be the decision maker here. Think thoughtfully about your students, and their needs, and then think about technology.

  • ​What scaffolds do you need to implement?

  • What languages do you need to communicate with?

  • Who in your class is struggling?

  • How can you get parents involved?

  • How can you make the learning objectives accesible?

  • Are you collecting data on student learning? If so, how?

  • Are you collaborating with colleagues?

  • How are you sharing the results of student learning?

 

What can your students already do?

1

2

3

How can technology help?

  • Repeat after me: "Technology will not teach the students. I will teach my students"

  • Why have you chosen the app? Meaning, who convinced you to use it?

  • When you learned about this app, were there implications for any students?

  • If there are implications for students using this app, what will you do to make the content or skill accessible for said students?

  • How will you teach the technology? 

  • Are you being evaluated based on the students level of tech-savvyness?

  • How will you know if the technology helped or hurt the learning process?

  • What will you do differently the next time?

​

 

bottom of page