Hiring a tech savvy teacher

From a recent e-mail:

I’m writing an article for a national education magazine about how to hire tech savvy teachers in a K-12 setting. I was wondering if you had some thoughts on this and would be kind enough to post my questions (and contact information) in your blog: My responses are in italics. Add your own.

Graham Wegner at Teaching Generation Z, has created some excellent answers to these questions.

• What makes a tech savvy teacher? (Is it attitude or knowledge of specific minimum of hardware/software packages?) The ISTE NETS standards for teachers are pretty darn good at describing the skills of a tech-savvy teacher.Tough to improve on these.
  
• How should a tech-savvy teacher create lesson plans? What is the mix of off-the-shelf apps, teacher-created projects/apps and traditional media (books etc.)? I've always thought the first sign of a technologically literate teacher is one who knows when to use technology and when not to use technology. A good teacher will use a variety of instructional strategies depending on the needs of the individual learner and the skill to be mastered.
  
• Is tech-savvy teaching actually more effective than traditional teacher methods or is it really just a dazzling death by PowerPoint? What makes it effective? I see technology infusion as having some major advantages in many educational situations. First it can be highly motivating and engaging if students themselves are using a technology to create a product. Second, technology allows teachers to easily create graphic and auditory representations of concepts and ideas that many kids find easier to understand than print or lecture. Finally, technology allows students to locate, analyze and communicate information in very sophisticated ways - ways in which "knowledge workers" earn a living. My sense is that technology works especially well for the student who is not highly motivated, does not embrace print as a primary means of gaining information, and simply can not or will not learn using traditional methods.
  
• When hiring a teach-savvy teacher what are some do’s and don’ts? What are some warning signs? Technology savvy is not something we specifically look for in teachers, but we do when hiring library media specialists. The question I always ask is "What is the last new piece of hardware or software that you learned and how did you learn it?" If there is not a fairly ready and recent response, I worry. On the other side of the equation, taped glasses and pocket protector are strong warning signs. 
  

Let's look at your questions framed from another perspective - what does a "tech-savvy" lawyer, doctor, salesperson, engineer, musician, farmer, etc. look like? Simply a professional who had learned to take advantage of technology to make him/herself more effective.  How's that?

Comments

[Andrew Torris]

Having hired a few tech savvy folks over the past 10 years I believe what it comes down to is whether the interviewee can identify for me how technology makes their own lives effective and efficient. I can remember seeing some teacher portfolios on a recent recruiting trip. A few were the "old style" cut and paste jobs that initially I would shudder about and then... I realized that in one of them that the teacher had used the appropriate tool for the job and created with a vareity of technologies a demonstration of them as educators. Was tech woven into their lives and their professional practices? yes. Did they get the job? sorta.... they were offered the job and chose to go somewhere else other than Shanghai.

There has been lots of talk about digital natives and digital immigrants. I was not sure about a that intially talk, but I am beginning to think there is something to it. I also think that a tech savvy administrator will be much better at spotting those tech savvy teachers.

If an admin really wants teach savvy teachers they should become tech savvy themselves.

[Jude]

Last year, when I volunteered to create web pages for each teacher at my sons' school, I was ultimately turned down. However, I made the same offer to a team of my son's actual teachers, and one teacher took me up on the offer. Thus we began what I view as an unusual two-year partnership. Since I know he's receptive, I forward him links and teaching ideas; if he tells me he's teaching a specific unit, I find the best websites for him to use; if he wants to learn anything, I learn it first, then teach it to him. Through me, he's learned about html, blogs, wikis, and podcasting.

I view him as a kindred spirit. I'm always willing to learn the latest technology; so is he. Recently he sent me this thank you:

I just wanted to send an email to tell you how much I appreciate all of the information that you send me! Also all the tutorials that we have
spent time on over the last year. I believe that I am a better teacher for all that you have taught me and allowed me to learn to teach to kids.

Some teachers would say, "She's just a parent." This teacher says, "Here's someone with knowledge who can help me become a better teacher." What makes this teacher different? He's receptive; he's open to change; he's willing to learn.