4 Questions for High School Teachers Vetting New Tech Tools
For busy high school teachers, taking the time to properly vet a new educational tech tool can be a challenge.
"There is so much out there, they are overwhelmed," says Laura Coulter, a technology learning coach at Westwood High School in South Carolina. "They don't even have time to figure out what's good."
Using technology in instruction is important, Coulter says, because teenage students will soon be entering college and the workforce -- where technology plays a central role.
[Track the growth of technology jobs with the U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index.]
Even though there may be some barriers, high schoolers are older and generally have had some experience with technology. That can be an asset when trying to incorporate technology in the classroom.
"I've done technology at all the levels and I thought that high school was the easiest because the kids take more responsibility for their learning at that point, less hand-holding," says Coulter.
When used properly, tech tools can totally change what is going on in a classroom for the better, says Ruth Okoye, a technology resource teacher with Portsmouth Public Schools in Virginia. But teachers should beware of using tools just because they have a lot of bells and whistles, she says.
While vetting a new educational technology tool, high school teachers should ask these questions to determine if the tool will work in their classroom.
[Try these three tech tools for high school teachers.]
1. What rules does my school have for bringing in new technology? Teachers should find out if they are allowed to bring in whatever technology they want or if there is an approval process, says Okoye. This is especially important for tools that have a social media component.
If teachers do bring in tools with a social media aspect, they should have a discussion with teens about what is appropriate to say to each other online, says Okoye.
2. What value does the tool add to my instruction? High school teachers often teach one, narrow subject, and not every piece of technology available is going to be helpful, says Okoye.
A discussion tool like Twitter, for example, would probably not be very useful for a math teacher, she says.
Teachers should introduce new tech tools if they help accomplish the goals of the class, she says.
3. Will my students understand how to use the tool? Don't assume that because a teen grew up with technology they know how to use it in a meaningful way, Okoye says.
"Digital natives are experts at knowing how to consume media," Okoye says. "They don't really know how to produce content."
Teachers may need to explain to students the difference between using technology for educational and work purposes, versus how they would use it for personal use, she says.
Coulter notes that in rural communities teens may not even have a computer at home, so teachers may need to account for time to teach students the basics of the technology.
[Find out tips on how to integrate technology into the classroom.]
4. Do other teachers recommend the tool? Before even trying a tool out in the classroom, teachers should get opinions from other teachers. The first obvious people to ask are others in your school, Okoye says.
But there are also websites that offer reviews on tech tools by educators, such as Common Sense Media's Graphite and TeachersFirst -- great resources for a teacher who may be the only person teaching a particular subject in a high school.
"I turn to Twitter because it is a connection with others like me," says Coulter. "I'm the only one of me on my campus, so I have to use outside sources and I try to encourage teachers to do the same thing."
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Alexandra Pannoni is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.
