OTAN News

Engaging Teachers on EdTech Tool Decisions

wocintech (microsoft) - 233 (CC BY 2.0) by wocintechchat.com

In the midst of a great push these last few years to get more technology into the hands of more teachers, students, and staff, a recent survey indicates that teachers do not always feel like a part of the process to decide upon and purchase the tech tools being used in schools and programs.

In her article K–12 Teachers Want More Input in Ed Tech Tool Selection, Taashi Rowe discusses a recent survey of its clients by the edtech company Clever that shows that a large percentage of teachers feel somewhat or completely shut out of the selection process, even though the vast majority of administrators surveyed believe teachers are included. There are also some discrepancies between how administrators and teachers view the edtech tools being used in the classroom. For example, teachers don't feel as strongly as administrators that their districts have high-quality tools or that their districts offer a sufficient range of resources to meet teacher needs.

Not only will including teachers in the selection process give them a chance to have their voices heard, but it should make it easier for the tools to be adopted and used, not left to languish, if teachers have a say in what is being selected based on familiarity with the products and recommendations from fellow teachers. You can read more about the Clever survey findings in this press release, New Survey: Teachers Who Are Involved In Choosing Edtech Tools Report Greater Satisfaction With District Offerings.

You may also be interested in an article we posted a few months ago, The New and Improved EdSurge Product Index.