Should Tech Teachers be in the Classroom or the Lab–Follow Up

tech teacherA couple of months ago, I posted an article called Should Tech Teachers be in the Classroom or the Lab? I got the question from a reader and wanted to see what the tech ed community thought about what has become a hot topic among technology teacher, coordinators and integration specialists. I summarized the common thoughts on the subject and received quite a few thoughtful responses from readers.

I also cross-posted the article to LinkedIn and wanted to share those responses with my blog readers. You’ll find them an important contribution to your knowledge on this subject, with lots of anecdotal stories and varied viewpoints. Enjoy!

Gail Flanagan • Using technology as a tool in all parts of the school day integrating it into the students and teachers day. We implemented 1:1 iPad for a 6th grade team and mini pilot of iPad carts for the rest of the school. Digital natives use the iPad intuitively for collaboration, organization, creativity, productivity and communication. Keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets and multimedia presentation tools are still used with laptops and desktop computers.
Lucky to be a teacher of Middle School ~ Allied Arts computer class. We reassess the standards to adapt to essential questions of what to know using technology in everyday lives and 21st century skills,

Dale McManis • Around classroom technology integration and professional development for teachers I really like the work of Dr. Karen Swan-Research Professor, Research Center for Educational Technology / College & Graduate School of Education, Health and Human Services, Kent State University. 

Duane Sharrock • I like the idea of preparing the teacher with an overview of tech teacher’s goals and giving the classroom teacher input on how technology would serve the present unit of learning or teacher’s lesson. You will be able to target appropriate tech that way, making choices between concept reinforcement or tech skills learning for purposes of presentation, reporting, research, etc. In the K-3 grades, teachers can be a big help in this way as well. I think integrating the teacher into the tech instruction is an important goal. Work it out ahead of time so the teacher will know how to support you and their students, so you can avoid being the substitute (if you are pushing into the teacher’s class).

Bret Sorensen • As I see the trend, technology integration where the students are using technology as a tool to learn the content of whatever class they are in is the ideal. For many students, they can get the exposure to correctly using technology when it is embedded into the curriculum.

However, there are some students who may need to know the more advanced features of software, or how to use specialized software where it may be necessary to have a class that teaches specialized or advanced computer skills. But, these types of classes will probably diminish as technology becomes more integrated into the curriculum.

Michelle Warden • For primary, check out the software, Kidspiration. It can be used with students even in kindergarten. In their words: “The visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts” http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration It is installed on our computer lab computers. To the question: classroom or lab? I agree with those who say both is the ideal or at least a true collaboration with the classroom teachers on projects to be completed in the lab.

Teri Gallegos-Reynolds • Great discussion and lots of useful ideas. Our private school in Santa Fe, NM is considering more integration, and less focus on teaching skills in isolation. I think Bonnie’s school is definitely a model to emulate. Alan November is always the progressive thinker, and his expertise should always be given thoughtful consideration.

Safirah Ibenana • If I had to choose one it would be integration. Teachers need professional development and administrators can’t provide it. Teachers and podcasts can assist with computer skills.

Carol Birnbaum • I think it depends on the level of computing skills being taught. At the middle and high school level, there are classes such as programming and web design that I think should be taught in a lab, as a standalone class. Everyday skills such as word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations should be integrated into the regular curriculum by the middle school level.

Jeff Ward • Our district continues to have computer teachers who teach keyboarding and other computer skills in a lab setting. Classroom teachers often look to the computer teachers for help when their computer does not work or a technology question arises. The difficult part of this scenario is that the computer teachers are booked all day long for the most part and have little time to assist or help with classroom integration.

Carol Olson • Dale, you wrote that younger students are using the computer with headphones on and no connections to what they are learning. I have worked with kindergarten for 25 years and PreK for one year, Their time in the lab has always been related to what they are learning in their classroom. There isn’t any reason why it shouldn’t be, We use Kid Pix, websites, web 2.0 tools,and cameras to take pictures. As tech coordinator I find this to be a great way for the children to help their classroom teacher to integrate more technology in their lessons when appropriate.

Lynn Ochs • As tech teachers are asked to move into the role of instructional coach, I thought this resource might be helpful. 

Tom D’Amico • In our Board we are transitioning away from labs in elementary schools and moving towards smaller number of mobile devices to support differentiated instruction directly in the classrooms. In high school we are keeping one lab for higher-end tech applications and one business lab for application instruction. We are hoping to transition away from the older “cross-curricular” labs and instead moving towards mobile devices in classes and BYOD in all high school classes to supplement Board supplied devices. So the answer to the original question is Yes keep a minimum of one dedicated high-end lab for H.S. but remove cross-curricular labs in favour of mobile devices directly in classes.

Mary Beth Gay • When this job was created five years ago, the focus was on integration. It took two years to get there but when I was hired three years ago, it was clear that my primary focus was to be on integration. It has evolved even further in that direction with the expansion of staff that addresses infrastructure, tech support, etc. We currently still have some instruction in our computer lab but even there the work is project based. Students learn to use applications within the context of the project. My day is spent working with faculty both in the lab setting and in the classroom setting. I facilitate, and the teacher leads. The amount of time depends on the grade level and technology used. We are currently trying to determine how much life is left in our computer lab but we will continue to use it in the near future as we evolve.

Penelope Lee • I am a part-time Instructional Tech Specialist in a middle school setting. We have multiple carts, but no lab. I do feel like the students are missing out on some basic computer knowledge, such as vocabulary and typing. I think a job that was 1/2 time lab with students and 1/2 time training with the teachers would be ideal.


Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, CSG Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

updated 5-1-16

Author: Jacqui
Welcome to my virtual classroom. I've been a tech teacher for 15 years, but modern technology offers more to get my ideas across to students than at any time in my career. Drop in to my class wikis, classroom blog, our internet start pages. I'll answer your questions about how to teach tech, what to teach when, where the best virtual sites are. Need more--let's chat about issues of importance in tech ed. Want to see what I'm doing today? Click the gravatar and select the grade.

2 thoughts on “Should Tech Teachers be in the Classroom or the Lab–Follow Up

  1. Great discussions and extremely pertinent to our situation. I am the ‘ICT teacher’ (I prefer ‘integration specialist’ :D) in a PYP International School in Dubai. AND I have recently transferred from the Grade 5 classroom so I feel like I can relate to the homeroom teachers.

    The aim at the beginning of the year was to have ICT being fully integrated by the end of this school year but I THINK it will take longer than that…

    I managed to get the admin at our school to force (for want of a better word!) all teachers to come along to their class ICT sessions and I model OR we team teach skills that can then be transferred to the classroom and be used across the curriculum – the students and teachers learning together. I think (and I believe the the teachers do too) that this has been a HUGE success.

    Most of the classroom teachers – so far – do not have the ICT skills or knowledge to integrate themselves or know of – OR even have the time to look into – the possibilities. By team teaching and providing the whole class lab time, we can preteach the skills so they can be transferred into the classroom – with support by me where necessary.

    Eventually, students will hopefully be able to select tools, programs & skills independently as they will have been exposed to them in previous years.

    Right now I am struggling to put together some kind of ICT Learning continuum so we can ensure that students are learning the basics when and where they need to… If anyone has any suggestions – I would love to hear from you 🙂

  2. I’m impressed you got your Admin to support keeping teachers in your class while you teach tech. I failed on that one–too many saying it was their common planning time. I don’t see how we move tech into classrooms if the teachers haven’t sufficient interest to learn it.

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