It’s truly remarkable how quickly tech is being integrated into education. It was only 6 years ago that the first iPad was released and now we see hundreds of them in schools (our district alone has over 3,000 at this point). Software, hardware, apps… they’re all evolving at a mind-bending pace. The possibilities of how technology can enhance and accelerate student learning are infinite.

But possibilities don’t go anywhere unless we build the capacity to make them a reality in our classrooms and in our schools. How can we support all educators (teachers, administrators, support staff) in developing an ed tech skillset and grow a digital learning culture in education? Well, I believe that fishing can teach us a thing or two. When we’re supporting educators around educational technology, we need to ask ourselves…

“Is this a good time to give a fish or teach to fish?”

If we’re going to build capacity for educators to use technology in meaningful ways in the classroom, we need to “teach them to fish”. We can do this by talking through our thinking as we support them in troubleshooting technology.  We can also ensure we are giving them the time and space to play and take risks in their ed tech learning. That all being said, sometimes we need to just give someone a fish. There are some troubleshooting instances where time is limited and people just need a quick solution for their tech problem. I believe we need to strike a balance between “giving fish” and “teaching to fish”.

Asking ourselves if the current situation is a good time to “give a fish” or “teach to fish” is a great way to meet people’s immediate needs and at the same time capitalize on the best opportunities to build capacity.