Tapping into Classroom Talent with Student Tech Teams

Hey Coach,

A lot of teachers at my school are hesitant to utilize technology in their daily lessons because they get inundated with student tech problems like dead batteries, computers not connecting to the internet, or other commonly occurring issues. The lesson goes off the rails as the teacher addresses these problems. As a result, teachers feel like technology is an additional thing rather than a tool they can use to quickly and easily personalize learning. How can I help teachers at my school overcome these struggles?

Sincerely,
Tired of Tech Troubles

Dear Tired of Tech Troubles,

You are right! Using technology in the classroom can be challenging and oftentimes a daunting task for any teacher. Let's face it, in the personalized classroom, a great deal of teacher's time is spent co-planning, guiding, and facilitating learning experiences. It can feel overwhelming for teachers to also monitor and manage issues with technology as they arise! Well, one answer lies within the student body in the school - through the creation of a student tech team! 

A student tech team is a group of students who are passionate, innovative, and creative with various digital tools and can help support their peers in the use of technology. Depending on the structure established by the school, students might provide this support in any number of ways such as through a help desk model, by providing trainings and demonstrations to teachers, or by serving as go-to tech experts within their own classrooms.

Once teachers are no longer the go-to person for minor problems and questions, they will be more willing to integrate technology. 

This solution is perfect for those who have the passion to build leaders and innovators within the school. Of course, there is a learning curve as students develop the skills they will need to do this work; however, once the school tech team is trained and ready to go, a lot of the pressure can be taken off teachers. The tech team members can handle tech issues that often overwhelm the teacher and sideline the lesson, allowing teachers to focus on guiding and facilitating learning experiences in the classroom. Once teachers are no longer the go-to person for minor problems and questions, they will be more willing to integrate technology. 

Students will benefit from the work they put into becoming tech leaders in their classroom. Stephanee Stephens and Anisa Lokey-Vega make a strong point in the white paper, A Vision for Personalized Learning: “The personalized learning classroom requires an efficient division of responsibility, starting first with learners as driving agents in the educational process.” A tech team is a great empowerment tool for educators.

Starting a tech team may seem overwhelming unless you have a plan. The educational technology leaders at Verizon Innovative Learning and Digital Promise have created the perfect handbook to get you started. Student Tech Teams: Supporting school technology initiatives with student tech teams will lead you through the process. Here is a quick overview of the steps:

1. Find the right teacher leader - Finding the right individual to lead the students is key. This does not have to be the school’s most tech savvy educator, technology related teacher, or tech coach. This simply needs to be a school staff member who is dedicated and passionate about leading change and innovation within the school.
2. Ensure support from administration - A successful tech team requires buy-in from the school administrators and teachers. Team up with the school administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders to understand your school technology vision, and ensure the work of the tech team aligns with this vision.
3. Recruit student leaders - When considering students for the tech team, focus on students who are good communicators. The tech skills can be more easily learned than the soft skills that make a student a leader among his or her peers. Jennifer Scheffer shares some great tips and questions to consider when starting a tech team. For more information check out Scheffer’s blog: Support your 1:1 program with a student tech team.
4. Manage and train your student tech team - Many of the students will come with knowledge that they can share with their teachers and peers, but the tech team will also need to be taught specific skills to be successful. It is important that they receive adequate training so they are able to support the students and teachers in the building. Cybraryman Jerry Blumengarten offers several ways students can learn and support their school community on his webpage.
5. Create opportunities for learning - Mark Herring is an expert on structuring digital learning environments. He offers some great ideas on how to get a tech team involved in supporting the school community in his blog post, entitled 5 Ideas for your Student Tech Team.

As you can see, the creation of a tech team is an innovative strategy that empowers student leaders while also helping both teachers and students obtain the skills and knowledge needed to successfully leverage technology in the classroom. I encourage you to invest time in tech teams. Increasing student voice within the school community is time well spent!

All the best,
Coach

Contributing coaches Summaya Knight and Ana Hale

Student Tech Teams