20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

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Laura Turner writes about 20 technology skills every educator should have at T*H*E Journal.

Here are 20 basic technology skills that all educators should now have:

  1. Word Processing Skills
  2. Spreadsheets Skills
  3. Database Skills
  4. Electronic Presentation Skills
  5. Web Navigation Skills
  6. Web Site Design Skills
  7. E-Mail Management Skills
  8. Digital Cameras
  9. Computer Network Knowledge Applicable to your School System
  10. File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
  11. Downloading Software From the Web (Knowledge including eBooks)
  12. Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
  13. WebCT or Blackboard Teaching Skills
  14. Videoconferencing skills
  15. Computer-Related Storage Devices (Knowledge: disks, CDs, USB drives, zip disks, DVDs, etc.)
  16. Scanner Knowledge
  17. Knowledge of PDAs
  18. Deep Web Knowledge
  19. Educational Copyright Knowledge
  20. Computer Security Knowledge

I could pick a nit or two but basically its a good list. I think it paralells what we are expecting students to know after high school. College faculty tell me that a lot of the items on the list are things they expect (though admittidly don't always find) in high school graduates attending college. When I was running a high school computer science department we required that every student either pass a placement test or take a course that covered the first four items on the list. If the student did not pass they did not graduate. I wonder if we do anyone any favors if we don't expect teachers, at every level, to have at least a high school level of computer literacy. Can you image a principal hiring a teacher who could not do math or read and write at a high school graduate level? I don't think so. Computer skills are getting to that same level of importance.

The article includes a large number of links to help people educate themselves. Teachers should set the example of being life long learners and keep up with technology.

I found this article via Brian Scarbeau. Brian is doing a survey of the teachers at his school about this list. If I know Brian he'll also be ready to help the teachers who ask for his help get up to speed.