The Electric Educator: The importance of support

For the past few months I have been recording interviews for the Chromebook Classroom Podcast. Each episode features a conversation with a teacher, tech director, librarian, tech coach, etc. While each conversation is unique, as I was re-listening to each episode to develop the show notes, there was a common element that appeared in nearly every conversation - the importance of support for teachers.

Each of the teachers that I interviewed spoke highly of their administration, tech department, and tech coach. This support was an essential element of their success in the classroom. Several of the teachers that I spoke with would not consider themselves "techy" but the support provided by their district gave them the confidence to step out and try something new:

Support from the IT department insures that school infrastructure optimized for learning.

School administrators can support teachers by working to secure funding for technology and school improvement and ensuring that school policies support classroom teachers.

Tech coaches serve on the front lines, providing just-in-time support for teachers looking for new tools and strategies to engage and challenge their students.

Teachers are not reluctant to try new things...
Teachers don't avoid technology.... As long as they are supported