“Old school.”

“Boring.”

“Low-tech.”

These are just some of the words that students often use to describe their teachers. Whether young or seasoned, teachers are being branded as “low-tech” . And for me, aba ibang usapan yan.

It was 2002 when I started using the internet. As far as I can remember, our operating system then was Windows ‘98. To have internet connection was not as easy as today. Back then, we still need to purchase pre-paid cards for the internet service provider.

During those years, most of the teachers are also new to the cyber world. Hence, it was difficult for them to go along with the current trends in the emerging computer age since computer classes were not yet offered to all public and private schools. Super mahal pa kasi ng PC during that time. Only computer teachers were fortunate enough to be equipped with some knowledge about computers, which is necessary to be able to cope with the fast–changing world.

With this scenario, it is easy to identify the “Lo-Tech Teachers” with that of the “Techie” ones.

However, the question should be:

WHO IS A REAL “TECHIE TEACHER”?

Well, I might say that a real techie teacher is…

1. Patient.
It is really a burden for impatient people to try to learn a newly invented gadget. But if you have the patience and the willingness to learn then it would just be easy to achieve your goal – to be a Techie teacher.

2. Open-minded.
A teacher with an open heart and mind in learning how to use new gadgets has a greater chance of being a Techie teacher.

3. Life-long Learner.
Techie teachers never stop learning. They continuously explore new ideas and strive to learn more of things they do not know. They do this because they are fueled with passion and love for their students. For this reason, they want to enhance their knowledge on technology so they can understand and relate to their learners.

4. Creative.
Techie teachers constantly find ways to use technology in the classroom. They know which works and which doesn’t and choose the ones which are appropriate to enhance classroom instruction. Most importantly, they know how to bend and flex the use of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and the like to fit their classroom needs.

As for me, being a Techie teacher doesn’t mean that you need to own the latest cellphone, iPad, DSLR, etc. nor buy a high-end notebook or laptop (But if you have enough savings, why NOT purchase one ).It just simply means that teachers should be familiar with these stuff and discover how it can be of help to our profession.

To be updated on how can we use the latest technology in our classes, SIGN UP in our mailing list.

Oooppss!! Don’t forget to LIKE our Facebook Fan Page..

Aricel

is a Mathematics High School teacher in a private school in the City of San Jose del Monte. Aside from training students for Math competitions, she's also into handling young beauty queens. For her, being a teacher is not an excuse to disregard learning the latest trend in technology- for, she believes that teachers should always be a thousand steps ahead from their students.

More Posts