A Tool Is Only a Tool Until It Is Part Of a Solution

On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider.

If you want technology to be a transformative force in your classroom, school, or district, you have to start with why. Tech with Heart, 2019, pg 84 — Ed Tech Quote. (2023). Uploaded by Kirsten Thompson. Available online at: www.fishbowlteaching.com

Today marks the first Monday of the 23/24 school year and our first full week of classes for students and staff across MVSD. Our staff had 2-3 days with students last week and, for most of us, we are ready to swing into full programming mode. The school tours are complete, desks and lockers are organized, back-to-school assemblies have been held, and we will now see regular routines be introduced.

When it comes to the role of educational technology in classroom programming, we see a wide variety of implementation models that are dependent on the both the macro (school) and micro (classroom) ecosystems. What is consistent, however, is that technology can be leveraged to “empower student voice, ease anxiety, and create compassionate classrooms” (Stacey Roshan, Tech with Heart). This is not as simple as introducing a tool to students: educators need to reflect on the “why” in order to move the technology from a tool to a purposeful solution.

Tech with Heart, by Stacey Roshan, was introduced to MVSD staff as part of our available Ed Tech Book studies in 2021. Stacey does a fantastic job at humanizing educational technology and assisting educators in their use of technology to strengthen relationships in the classroom. Check out the video below to see Stacey expand on this week’s ed tech quote in their own words:

Stacey has prepared a variety of book study questions that not only guide your understanding of their book, but assist educators and schools when it comes to their “why”. Some examples include:

In what ways do you help your quietest students make their ideas heard in the classroom?

Describe a time when technology helped you connect with a student on a deeper or more personal level.

Access all the questions on Stacey’s shared Google Doc HERE.

If you’d like to check out Tech With Heart, we have copies at both Whitmore Elementary and Winnipegosis Collegiate. I also have a personal copy available for loan!