‘Tech It Up’ to Build Staff Excitement Around Technology Integration

Technology can help transform learning experiences by enhancing students’ engagement and learning outcomes. And recent data about the “digital design divide” demonstrate a need to improve access to, and use of, technology in learning spaces. But to realize the full potential of technology use, we must provide teachers with professional learning that improves their ability to design lessons in which students use technology in active ways.

As a district educational technology coach, one of my main responsibilities is supporting our staff in effectively integrating technology into their classrooms. While I am the only technology coach for a large district of 44 schools, I am fortunate to have a group of roughly 50 instructional and content coaches who are skilled at leading professional development (PD) sessions. 

When I began this role, I found that the majority of coaches didn’t feel confident about integrating technology into their PD sessions. Yet I knew that we would need everyone who was leading PD to model effective technology use if we wanted to see district-wide impact in classrooms. So, I initiated a six-week program called “Tech It Up,” designed to equip coaches with the skills to effectively integrate technology into PD sessions, thereby modeling how digital tools can enhance active learning and engagement.

You can adapt this model to focus on other digital tools or topics, such as instructional practices. Here are the steps I took to make this initiative a success.

Choose the digital tools

I identified five digital tools that can promote active learning. I intentionally chose tools that were approved for use by both teachers and students in my district, so that teachers could easily replicate the digital activities that we were engaging in during the PD sessions. 

We are a Microsoft district, so the tools included four Microsoft apps: Whiteboard, Word, PowerPoint, and Forms. I also included Canvas, our newly adopted learning management system. This selection provided a good balance of tools that were familiar to our educators, such as Word and PowerPoint, as well as those that were less utilized by our staff.

Design a support plan

Like all learners, a group of coaches present different learning needs, so I wanted to provide multiple ways for them to enhance their skills. First, I scheduled a series of five voluntary PD sessions that coaches could attend in person. These 45-minute workshops were an opportunity for coaches to get hands-on experience with the five digital tools. We focused on one tool each session, and participants were able to try new digital activities and ask questions in a supportive environment.

For example, our first session focused on Microsoft Whiteboard. Coaches who had never used the tool were able to ask questions about how to adjust the sharing settings correctly so that all of their PD participants would be able to add digital notes to the whiteboard. They practiced the steps with each other and built the confidence that they needed; they left ready to use the tool in their next PD.

Next, I created a series of screencast videos for each tool. My goal was to keep these videos short and focused, so they were all under six minutes in length. The first video in each series presented an overview of the tool. Each of the remaining three videos focused on one specific way that coaches could use the tool for active learning in PD. 

For example, in the Microsoft Whiteboard series, I demonstrated how coaches could use this tool to have teachers share prior learning on the PD topic. I explained that coaches could then use this data to connect prior knowledge to new learning.

I linked all of these videos to a graphic that I created in Canva, and I added a new series of videos each week.

Create a digital badge program

I wanted to find a way to bring some fun and friendly competition into this initiative. And I also wanted to recognize the hard work that coaches were doing while they were trying new tools and activities. 

To achieve these goals, I worked with our public relations department to create a series of five digital badges. Coaches could earn these badges by trying a new digital activity with teachers during PD and submitting a short Microsoft Form that prompted them to describe the activity and reflect on how it went. Each submission earned them a different digital badge: Digital Explorer, Digital Learner, Digital Innovator, Digital Leader, and Digital Champion. 

Build excitement

After launching this program, I made sure to keep coaches updated and excited by sending weekly updates. In these updates, I celebrated coaches who had earned new badges and reminded coaches about upcoming workshop dates. 

The impact of this program was fantastic. Our coaches were really excited to earn badges, and this type of engagement turned out to be a very effective way to motivate them. Several coaches added the badges to their email signatures, and one even printed them out and wore them to our meeting. 

Most important, we accomplished our main goal, which was building the digital skills and confidence of our coaches, helping them to feel more comfortable modeling effective technology integration for teachers. We are excited to implement similar initiatives in the future, to support teachers and drive tech-enhanced learning in our classrooms.