Level Up Tech Skills With Student Technology Leaders

Purpose & objective

Participants will hear the story of how my district used gamification, badging, and challenge-based learning to help students increase their own iPad and technology skills when we initially moved to distance learning and after returning to in-person learning. Through a series of fun and creative challenges, students were able to work through asynchronous course materials to learn how to use new apps and tools on their iPads and then create a challenge project utilizing their new skills.

Students self-reported feeling more confident about their own technology knowledge and volunteered to help teach other students, their families, and their teachers how to use the apps. Students learned about leadership, service learning, and a variety of technology careers through their participation in the program. Teachers reported having to cover less of the "how-to" information about using the iPads and app and being able to focus more on the content learning that they wanted to see in students' projects. Teachers also reported being able to leverage the students as experts to help answer other students' questions about iPad use.

Teachers implemented the program in various ways, including having students work through the modules and videos at home after school and on the weekend, before school, during indoor recess on cold weather days, as an entire class activity lead by the teacher or myself (either in-person or virtually), and as a free-time activity.

In our second week of school, students have already been asking teachers when they get to start the Genius Squad student tech team challenges again and parents have requested the expansion of the program to new schools this year.

Supporting research

8 Principles of Gamified Learning - https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/8-principles-of-gamified-learning/

Challenge-based Learning - https://www.challengebasedlearning.org/

ISTE Standards for Students - https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students

Tech Buddies: Building Technology Skills Through Peer Teaching - https://www.edutopia.org/video/tech-buddies-building-technology-skills-through-peer-teaching

Verizon IT Best Practices Toolkit - Student Tech Teams - https://verizon.digitalpromise.org/toolkit/student-tech-teams/

Why Are Technology Skills So Important To Today's Students? - https://www.immerse.education/articles/why-are-tech-skills-so-important-to-todays-students/