How can educators find and integrate classroom technology tools that are easy to use, engage students, and actually work? One approach: Learn from the teachers that are effectively using these tools in their classrooms every day.
This approach is foundational to the Teacher Tech Summit, a series of virtual events around the world that bring educators together for a day of professional learning to explore the latest topics in classroom tech. This conference shines the spotlight on teachers, giving them the space to demonstrate how they are using technology every day to reach and engage their students. Since 2021, the Teacher Tech Summit – which is co-hosted by T4 Education, the World Bank, and Owl Ventures – has convened more than 40,000 attendees around the topic of classroom tech.
This spring, Digital Promise partnered with T4 Education to present Teacher Tech Summit USA. The event featured five “masterclasses” on topics most-relevant to teachers today, including sparking student creativity, serving the whole child, realizing competency-based learning and assessment, previewing classroom tech’s future, and accessing personal, professional learning. Facilitated Digital Promise leaders, each masterclass included three, teacher-led demonstrations of specific tech tools, products, and programs that the presenting teachers use in their classrooms every day. From giving students a platform to communicate about their mental health to creating a lab for students to dissect animals virtually, teachers showed how they’re leveraging the latest in classroom tech to take their teaching to the next level and boost students’ learning and engagement.
Read on to learn more and watch each of the five masterclasses, featuring Digital Promise leaders, below!
Sparking Student Creativity
Facilitated by Lisa Jobson, Director, Global Youth Voice
In classrooms across the U.S., teachers are using technology to spark student creativity and deep thinking. In this masterclass, three educators from a variety of contexts showed how they are using Canva, Garage Band, iMovie, and Newsela to increase relevance and unlock student engagement and ownership.
Serving the Whole Child
Facilitated by Jessica Jackson, Director of Professional Learning, Learner Variability Project
Teachers understand that the best learning happens when a child feels safe, valued, and heard. Educators in the “Serving the Whole Child” masterclass took a deep-dive into how technology like Thrively, Amira Learning, and Everfi can increase a sense of belonging and deepen whole child approaches.
Realizing Competency Based Learning & Assessment
Facilitated by Jhacole LeGrand Dunn, Director, Adult Learning
Competency-based efforts hold great promise to meet diverse student needs, but realizing that promise requires time and energy – two resources that are in short supply. In this masterclass, teachers demonstrated how they are leveraging Digital Promise’s Learner Variability Navigator, Pivot Interactives, and Pear Deck to achieve their competency-based learning goals.
Previewing Classroom Tech’s Future
Facilitated by Vic Vuchic, Chief Strategy Officer
Big data. Artificial intelligence. ChatGPT. Metaverse. Machine Learning. What does it all mean, and how might innovation in the larger technosphere impact classrooms? Educators and technologists in this masterclass envisioned how emerging technology will impact future learning by demonstrating how they are using Pressto AI, Verizon Innovation Learning Labs, and Kyron Learning.
Accessing Personalized Professional Learning
Facilitated by Rita Fennelly-Atkinson, Director, Micro-credentials
Professional growth can and should meet the needs of an educator’s unique journey. Teachers showed how they are using the Digital Promise Micro-credentials Platform, Math ANEX, and Verizon Innovative Learning Teacher Training Pathways to own their professional growth journeys and shared tips on how other educators can gear up for their own journey.
Are you an educator that wants to stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in teaching and learning by hearing directly from fellow teachers? Sign up for the Edcamp Community mailing list and follow @EdcampUSA to learn about professional learning opportunities in your area.
