In this day and age, technology knowledge and understanding isn’t limited to any particular stakeholder in a school. While teachers sometimes feel the need to know all the ins and outs of technologies that may potentially use with their students, the reality is that their students may be their own best resources.
The picture here is of my daughter, who, at 4 years old was teaching two adults how to operate and navigate an iPad. They had, at the time, never seen one before and Lily was all but elated to share what she knew.
- More by Mike: Triptiks Can Rev Up Student Driven Learning
She taught them how to turn the device on, how to swipe to access apps, how to open and close apps, how to multitask, and how some of her favorite apps worked. She even played some of her favorite music for them!
Technology SWAT Teams empower students, they enrich teaching, they engage the entire learning process with new tools and new explorations. When students have voices and choices then schools have students who believe and work for the system, because they are a valued part of it.
So what’s the quickest way to fill your technology toolbox?
Ask the students! Assemble a Technology SWAT Team of your own, maybe even have T-Shirts made! Recognize the contributions of these students and leverage their techno-expertise to bring the whole team into a new realm of modern learning awesomeness.
If you’re interested in seeing more about the potential of having your own Technology SWAT Team, you can see my related post on Speed Geeking Your Faculty Meetings at SmartBlogs.
- RELATED POST: Hand it Over to the Students