Too Many Dishes on the Tech Buffet!

Written by Grindl Weldon and Jennifer Priest

After an almost five-month break from traditional K-12 learning, teachers and students are back in the swing of things. However, things look much different this year. Masks are on. Students are socially distanced. Some students are learning remotely, some in a hybrid model and some are back in full-time face-to-face classes. Teachers are flooded with emails promoting new apps and new digital tools while they struggle to adapt to new learning management systems. They are presented with a  tech buffet consisting of a plethora of tools such as Zoom, Screencastify, iMovie, One Note, Nearpod, Quizlet, Socrative, Padlet, and all things Google and Microsoft Teams. In an already overwhelming time in education due to Covid-19, teachers are expected to use multiple technologies in creative and innovative ways. The eagerness to learn and implement “all things tech” can lead to ineffective instruction and undesired outcomes. This can be especially challenging for tech-savvy teachers as they typically feel the need to be abreast of every tool and trend. In turn, teachers who are not comfortable with technology or feel very wary of tech tools can feel overwhelmed and inadequate when comparing themselves to colleagues. What if instead of pressuring our teachers to use all the tech tools, all at once, we gave educators permission to use fewer tech tools in more creative and innovative ways? How can we empower educators to ignore the urge to master all things tech, and take a deeper dive into a few select tools that will connect best to their instructional style while providing purposeful engagement and assessment for their students?

Why the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning?

 It is important to keep instructional goals in mind when choosing tech tools. Richard Clark maintains “media are mere vehicles” and technology tools do not drive student learning, but are merely a way of delivering instruction (Steere, 2017). When deciding on the correct “vehicle,” teachers should reflect on the purpose and desired outcome of the lesson. By using the 4Cs of the 21st Century Learning Model–communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking–to choose “vehicles” and design lessons, teachers and students can use tech tools to communicate and collaborate, as well as document their creativity and critical thinking while teachers assess their learning. 

Matching Engaging 4C Tools with Instruction

Digital tools are a “blank palette, and teachers’ and students’ imaginations provide the choice of colors.” Teachers should create personalized, digital toolbelts with 4-5 tools that can be used multiple ways or a “mile deep” (Kompar, 2018) in their classrooms. To create an effective digital toolbelt, teachers need to understand the students they are teaching. Today’s students, Generation Z, are “the largest, most technologically savvy, socially networked, globally connected generation in history” (Clark, 2019). Teaching GenZ students with 4C integration in mind will provide authentic learning experiences tailored to meet their unique needs.

Communication tools should allow two-way communication between students and teachers as well as between students in an authentic, engaging way. For example, Google Slides can become an interactive communication tool when paired with Pear Deck. Collaboration tools should promote active participation among students and provide a forum for interaction. Tools such as Padlet, Wakelet, and Google Sites allow students to curate and share resources, as well as serve as digital portfolios and collaborative projects. With today’s onslaught of information, it is imperative that students be critical thinkers so they can analyze, evaluate, and solve real-world problems and strengthen metacognition. Edpuzzle and Socrative are interactive, engaging tools that check for student understanding, while also allowing students to create their own interactive projects to showcase their learning. Finally, tech tools should encourage students to create original work while harnessing the power of autonomy. Design tools such as Adobe Spark and screen-recording tools like Flipgrid and Screencastify provide opportunities for students to share their voice by creating annotated videos as well as learning to design engaging posts, pages, and dynamic videos that can amplify student voices.

Less is More

In today’s world of traditional, blended, and remote learning, technology tools are a necessity for effective, engaging instruction. With such an abundance of tech tools at their disposal, teachers feel overwhelmed and pressured to follow tech tool trends and utilize every new tool. However, choosing a small number of tools while using them in a variety of ways provides opportunities for teachers and students to be creative and innovative. By planning instruction with learning goals in mind and focusing on the critical 4Cs of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, teachers can match learning goals with the “just right” tool for students to demonstrate their learning. Teachers must give themselves permission to create a smaller toolbelt, match their tools with instruction delivery, and teach their students to become autonomous learners who are comfortable sharing their ideas with not only their classmates but a global community as well.