10 Tech Skills Every Educator Must Have in 2015

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a national survey, we asked teachers, administrators and tech leaders to tell us what it takes to run a successful 21st century classroom. Here's what they said. Educators literally have a of knowledge and at their fingertips, as one director of curriculum and instructional technology declared in response to THE Journal's national survey. What better way to learn about the situation in Syria than tweeting #Syria and receiving a tweet from someone there? But guiding your students in learning new concepts, gaining insights and building their skills requires you to be comfortable with the technologies that can make all of that happen. Where do you start? We asked your colleagues that same question, and they responded in multitudes. Their recommendations covered the alphabetic gamut, from adaptivity and apps to wikis and a willingness to learn. We compiled and consolidated 121 different results to develop this year's list of 10 must-have tech skills for 2015. Although the responses are ranked in order of popularity, you can begin your self-improvement plan anywhere on the list. No matter which one you decide to start with, these skills, sensibilities and products can keep your classrooms lively, your instructional practices fresh and your students (and you) personally engaged. 1) Acing Productivity Applications your school uses Google Apps for Education, Microsoft Office, Office 365 Education or something else, learn the fundamentals of word processing, spreadsheets and presentation applications and then go beyond the basics. Expertise in these staples will help you with communication and collaboration among students, colleagues and parents. Plus, they'll make you more effective. As Joy Lopez, director of technology for Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, CA, put it, modeling the use of these and incorporating them into their lessons, students will utilize them in their projects and daily lives. Communication is crucial for keeping parents on board and informed, added Amy Downs, instructional technology coach at Scottsdale Unified School District (AZ). Students don't always share school information with their families, so let parents retrieve it at their convenience. MaryAnn Powell, instructional technology facilitator at Edgecombe County Public Schools in Tarboro, NC, concluded, Whether [we're] working with a co-worker next door or around the world, whether [we're] getting together across a table or via a shared Google doc, it is essential that students learn to work together. We have placed way too much emphasis on 'Eyes on your own paper--go!' 2) Mastering Search, Research and Internet Literacy You spend a lot of time on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other sites hunting down good stuff for your students, said Penny Pearson, coordinator at the Sacramento County Office of Education (CA). By learning effective, fast and targeted searching strategies, you'll save time and frustration. You can start, added Laura Lynch, technology director for Norfolk County Agricultural High School (VA), by studying the use of Boolean operators and symbols in your searches--such as using - before a keyword to tell the search engine to ignore that term. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] you can instill those search skills in students, all the better. Being fluent in the world of digital resources allows teachers to open students' eyes to more than Wikipedia, explained Scottsdale's Downs. Teaching skills for the evaluation of sources is something that will have long-term effects on the child's learning. Wendy Johnson, director of library services and e-learning coordinator at River Parishes Community College (LA), agreed. If there is one very common problem among students entering college from high school, it is the lack of information literacy skills, including proficiency in browser use, critical evaluation skills regarding resources and search skills to find resources as efficiently as possible. …