Digital Badging has become more and more prevalent among school districts and edtech companies around the globe. Teachers can earn badges by completing online modules or performing tasks using specific tech tools. Some districts have even found creative ways to use these opportunities to supplement required professional development. Shifting to differentiated PD opportunities that allow for choice and innovation is the direction school divisions should all be heading. However, I would caution schools and especially the teachers, to not lose sight of student learning.
I will admit, it is all too easy to get wrapped up in the hype and competitiveness of badging. After all, I award teachers with digital badges at my school. After observing them use a tech tool and fill out a reflection form, I print and laminate a fancy technology badge that I place on their classroom door. I’m like the Oprah Winfrey of Digital Badging. And YOU get a badge! And YOU get a badge! The teachers love it and it is a great way to showcase their skills to others in the building. If a teacher wants to try Flip Grid, they know who to go to for help. It’s fabulous. Obviously, the goal is to be the teacher with the most badges on the door, right? Well, not exactly.
While I am all for a good competition and testing out the coolest new tech tool, I do not want teachers forgetting about the original learning goal and their very important audience: the students. The goal of teachers should not be to use the most apps or turn every activity paperless. Ideally, the goal should be to explore ways to support and enhance the learning experience for students. There is no tool that can do it all, so allowing students the opportunity to explore a variety of options is beneficial as long as it is not to the point of excessive overload. Students should not be creating new accounts and learning new tools on a daily or even weekly basis. To me, finding a few favorite tools that serve different needs is best practice.
For years, teachers have used Backward Design while lesson planning. The same can be applied when trying to integrate technology. Teachers should start by thinking about the intended learning outcome and what they want students to achieve by the end of the lesson. Then, they can start to make decisions on how this lesson would best be delivered and received for maximum engagement and learning. The infographic I created below is a guide to help teachers with this process.
When I work with teachers, I try to get them to think first about the goal of the lesson (what knowledge and skills do they want students to build). From there, they need to decide if they want this to be collaborative or independent work, what technology is available, what type of learners they have in the class, how long it should take, and how it will be graded. Once teachers participate in this brainstorming process, it becomes more clear what technology, if any, would best support student learning.
But what if I don’t know what the tech tools are?
So, if you do not have time to explore the features of every tech tool, that is where super nerdy people like me come in handy. If you go through the brainstorming process and can at least identify the skills and tasks (students need to submit work digitally and collaborate with peers online), I can direct you to tools like OneNote, Teams, Canvas, Schoology, and Google Classroom.
Try out this techplanning brainstorm sheet and let me know what you think!
Tech Talks With Morris 