Blog Following - Turning a Technology Glitch into a Teachable Moment

This week on Erin's blog we are looking at how to use those teachable moments with technology in the classroom. 

One of the roadblocks that many teachers feel limits their integration of technology is the dreaded technology glitch. This might cause unexpected downtime or waiting around for the glitch to be fixed. No teacher likes downtime because that can mean losing your student engagement and the possibility for behavior issues. 

What is a technology glitch?

A glitch can be something like a slow load time, a missing link, or an update that changes how a site or app is laid out.  Or maybe a student goes up to the Smartboard and the pen is not working (This happens ALL THE TIME in my classroom!). A glitch is something fixable but may require some unexpected troubleshooting.

Whereas some technology problems may require you to jump to plan B or access your backup plan, a glitch just requires some time.  Time that can feel wasted if you have your students simply sit and wait.

 Erin's Advice?

Enrich your glitch by using the time as a teachable moment.  Depending on the age and comfort level of your students, you can approach the glitch in one of two ways:

1.  Talk aloud your thought process and model the steps you are taking to troubleshoot.

Tell students what you are clicking or touching and why.  If your initial troubleshooting procedure does not work, explain what your next steps will be.  Younger students will benefit from the technology rich vocabulary you will be using.

You might say something like “Hmmm my monitor is not turning on.  Maybe if I touch the power button it will turn on.  That didn’t work, I am going to check in the back of the CPU and make sure the cords are all connected.” Part of this is knowing the technology vocabulary yourself. If we want our students to be tech savvy, we have to be willing to first learn ourselves. 

Older students will benefit from the systematic problem-solving approach that you take.  By approaching a technology glitch with a clear head and plan, you are showing them what to do and how to act.

2.  Involve students in the troubleshooting process.

Depending on what exactly is not working, you can have your students brainstorm solutions. You might have students turn to a partner and talk it out "What do you think is happening and why?  What should I do to fix it?”  While students are talking, the teacher is using that time to try some things, oftentimes Googling a quick solution. My own students will often tell me to "ask Siri Ms. Bream!"

If you are able to fix the glitch, have students share their plans first and then tell them what you did that worked.  Students LOVE when their ideas end up being the course of action that solves the problem.  If you are still unable to proceed, try out some of their suggestions.

Next time you encounter a small issue when using technology, enrich the glitch through modeling or student involvement and the downtime won’t feel wasted because you know that your students are learning key critical thinking and problem solving skills!