Relationships > Technology
“Your students aren’t loving you because of the way you integrate technology.
Your students are loving you because of who you are and how you make them feel.”
- Brian Sepe
This is a simple truth and you know it. However, the fire-hose of technology resources continue to flood our classrooms, both face-to-face and virtual. And, rightfully so. We need the technology now more than ever.
The technology is not the reason your students are loving you though.
In fact, the technology, with its sleight-of-hand illusions serve mainly as a distractor to the critical ingredients of thriving learning communities unless such technology is integrated in meaningful ways and where basic elements for student success are secure.
Relationships, safety, and community are the elements that will support our students and families. Getting side-tracked thinking with a technology-first approach can be a natural tendency. However, I want to offer an alternative in the complete opposite direction.
A purpose-first approach to integrating technology whereby you reconnect with your why, design with a purpose, and get clear on your intentions.
Reconnect with Your WHY
Reconnecting with your purpose for teaching is a great place to start. We very seldom give ourselves the time and space to reflect and reconnect with our purpose. Doing so, can help us get back on track and distill the essentials within our craft.
The following thought exercise can help us reconnect with our purpose and our why:
What is meaningful about the work you do?
What’s the purpose that drives you?
What is it about teaching and learning that makes your heart sing?
Design with PURPOSE
Determining the essentials for our instruction very rarely start with the technology. As we think about our curriculum and our planning, it can be helpful to design with the following questions in mind:
How will I ensure that students have a voice and choice?
How will I empower my students to ask questions, think critically, or create meaningfully?
In what ways can I engage students without using technology or using minimal technology (think docs instead of an app or a webtool)?
How might technology help my students to achieve their learning goals?
Start with INTENTION
Any time we set an intention, whether it is in the morning or moments before a lesson, we are likely to hold ourselves accountable. Intentions that center our attention on what matters most, showing up for our students, can place us on a track to bear witness to the good and create opportunities that get the most out of our relationships with students.
An intention can take any form that serves you, it could be something you reflect on for less than a minute, an early morning exercise, or a self-talk exercise.
It might sound like;
Today, I want to show up for my students like…..
I want to really make sure I….
______really needs me to be at my best today.
Whether you are reconnecting with your why, designing with a purpose, or planning with intention, it is likely that you are not thinking about technology and are instead, thinking about people first and the impact you want to have on those you serve.