"20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have"

During my last four years of teaching, I have been very privileged to work in a school that has an abundance of technology resources. In my classroom, I have a television, four desktop computers, a laptop computer, a Smart board, Audio Enhancement, and a Palm Pilot. In my school, we also have video conferencing equipment, dvd/vcrs, scanners, digital cameras, and two computer labs. So when I read Laura Turner's article, I was pleased with myself because I basically accomplished her list.

I believe there were two major reasons for this accomplishment. The first reason was the resources were available to me. I was able to gain all these skills because I had the materials in front of me to use. Hands-on learning is as important to adults as it is to students. The second reason is I have an interest in technology. This interest drove me to take Intel and Office Suites classes where I acquired advanced skills with digital cameras and electronic presentation and I, also, gained knowledge in areas such as educational copyright and computer networking. In essence, I am living proof that understanding the twenty skills is definitely possible.

However, I am not convinced the skills are realistic. I am very much aware that the resources available at my school are far from the norm. Also, not all teachers are as interested in technology as I am. To make matters worse, teachers are often overloaded with lesson plans, standards, report cards, etc. Limited resources, interest, and time make a list of twenty more skills to acquire seem impossible.

The twenty skills are still valuable though and acquiring them is crucial in creating more effective teachers. I feel ranking the skills by importance might make the list more manageable. With the input of a few teachers at my school, I evaluated the frequency and depth at which we use each of these skills. I used this evaluation to separate the skills into three main categories.

Level 1 - Basic Skills
(These skills must be mastered for success with technology.)

• Word Processing Skills
• Spreadsheet Skills
• Electronic Presentation Skills
• Web Navigation Skills
• E-Mail Management Skills
• File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
• Computer Related Storage Devices

Level 2 - Intermediate Skills
(These skills should be mastered for success with technology.)

• Database Skills
• Web Site Design Skills
• Digital Cameras
• Computer Network Knowledge
• Downloading Software From the Web
• Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
• Scanner Knowledge

Level 3 - Advanced Skills
(These skills could be mastered for success with technology.)

• WebCT or Blackboard Teaching Skills
• Videoconferencing Skills
• Knowledge of PDAs
• Deep Web Knowledge
• Educational Copyright Knowledge
• Computer Security Knowledge

It is my vision that teachers utilize this list by starting with level one, then level two, and so on. My hope is after they have mastered some of the skills in level one that they will be inspired to move on the next levels and even beyond.