Teacher technology adoption: What’s age got to do with it?

Jennifer Williams
A older techer sat with students, in particular looking at a laptop with one of the students
Reading time: 4 minutes

Educators, by design, are innovators. Living and working in a constant state of beta, teachers bring to the classroom a natural desire to explore and better understand new practices and methodologies to support students in their search for knowledge.

Guided by an internal drive to make the world a better place and powered by the rewards of working daily with the youth that can create that positive change, teachers collectively are part of a profession different from any other. Within one classroom on any single day, a teacher can become a scientist, a historian, an inventor, or a scholar. Over time, whether in a one-room schoolhouse a century ago or in a technology enhanced classroom of the digital age, these defining characteristics of “teacher” have seemed to stay constant.

Bridging the generational and digital divide

Today, as citizens of our digital and global world, we are in an extraordinary time where divides are closing and collaboration becomes standard – where differences are truly celebrated and associations are surpassing separations in society.As educators, this change reflects what we have consistently asserted in our classrooms.

Yet, terms like 'generational gap” and “digital divide” suggest a significant separation between us as teachers and our students. In truth, teachers and students are increasingly using asharedlanguage of innovation and exploration. Rather than sticking to notions of a technology-based generational divide, many are transcending the labels of “digital immigrants” and “digital natives”.

This is further reinforced by current research demonstrating that technology adoption in education has less to do with age and instead is based more on exposure and experience (Bennett & Maton, 2010; Bullen, Morgan, & Qayyum, 2011; Guo, Dobson, & Petrina, 2008; Helsper & Eynon, 2010). As opposed to a focus on divides, this new evidence offers supportive pathways of possibilities to bring together older and younger generations in the process of learning in our world through exploration and wonder.

Embracing skill development

Moving attention away from a fixed age factor to emphasizing a continuum of proficiency based on exposure and experience enables teachers of all ages to identify as part of this digital age of education. Though digital technologies are fixtures in the daily lives of many (if not most) of our students, the ways students use technologies are not always consistent.

Students of today – like students of previous generations – continue to need the guidance of teachers in finding ways to take and apply their understanding of technology to effectively convey perspectives with the world, influence the opinions of others, and contextualize and synthesize information in meaningful ways.

Timeless lessons from teachers

Teachers as innovators – young and old, tech-savvy and tech-novice – have extraordinary gifts to bring to their students, who are also navigating through digital environments. Though there are countless lessons teachers bring to students, here are several timeless ones that transcend any generation of teaching. Teachers guide students to use advanced technologies so that they can be...

Critical consumers

Today, students in our classrooms are bombarded with information at nearly every moment in time. With basic searches for information often leading students in multiple directions, research at every level has now become a highly complex and sophisticated process. The result is that we now see learning practices shifting from finding answers to discovering more questions.

Teachers can guide students to evaluate and consume information critically. By promoting transparency and sharing, they help learners consider context and sources, reason with evidence and build knowledge.

Creators of rich content

As classrooms advance as blended learning environments, seamless integration of technologies and innovative teaching practices offers students opportunities to transform from passive learners to active content creators. With countless digital tools available for content creation, students can seek guidance from teachers on matching the best tool to a particular communicative purpose.

Teachers who are skillful in creating synthesized messages can show students ways to comprehend and compose with combinations of digital technologies. Less in the role of directing lessons, the teacher becomes a catalyst for learning, inspiring students to work creatively and collaboratively to solve problems and respond to instructional lessons as producers of information.

Centered on relationships

A defining quality of a master teacher is the ability to create a positive learning community built on empathy and understanding. The focus on relationships in these classrooms models the continued importance of valuing alliances and friendships.

Soft skills, such as joy, honesty, trust and respect, become even more essential as our students continue to interact in a highly networked and diverse world. Balance, too, becomes a critical area for discussion as students look to divide attention, time and social-emotional reserves between onscreen and in-person experiences.

Within responsive classrooms and digital learning spaces that keep emphasis on the formation of relationships, teachers can offer opportunities for students to develop through collaboration, teamwork, solidarity and conflict resolution.

Resilient in endeavors

Our students are looking out onto a world where anything is possible. Digital age technologies are empowering students to believe: “if you can dream it, you can do it”. The impossible is within reach, and a mindset of grit and determination moves sparked ideas to a place of accomplishment and excellence.

Through the creation of learner-driven classrooms centered on the student, teachers can help guide students to narrow their interests and ultimately find their passions. With relevance and authentic purpose, teachers can connect students in the process of learning through design thinking and trial and error – shifting the outlook from fear of failure to resilience and 'stick-to-itiveness' to advance learning to a place of discovery and invention.

And it is this mindset – a position of inquiry and exploration – held by students and teachers, young and old, that can show that great will come from risk. We all just need to be ready to try.

Learn about professional development for teachers

Read our blog posts 'The importance of teachers professional development' and 'The impact of AI on language learning'.

References

Bennett, S. J. & Maton, K. (2010). s.Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5), 321-331

Bullen, M., Morgan, T. & Qayyum, A. (2011). Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology, 37(1)

Guo, R. X., Dobson, T. & Petrina, S. (2008). Journal of Educational Computing Research, 38(3), 235–254

Helsper, E. J., & Eynon, R. (2010). British Educational Research Journal,36(3), 503-520

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    1. English

    Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion

    Native speakers: Around 360 million

    Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

    Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.

    2. Mandarin Chinese

    Speakers: Over 1.1 billion

    Native speakers: About 920 million

    Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore

    Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.

    3. Hindi

    Speakers: Around 600 million

    Native speakers: Approximately 341 million

    Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal

    Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.

    4. Spanish

    Speakers: Approximately 560 million

    Native speakers: About 460 million

    Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States

    Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It’s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.

    5. French

    Speakers: Around 280 million

    Native speakers: About 77 million

    Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland

    Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.

    6. Arabic

    Speakers: Approximately 270 million

    Native speakers: Around 310 million

    Regions: Middle East and North Africa

    Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.

    7. Bengali

    Speakers: Around 265 million

    Native speakers: About 230 million

    Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India

    Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It’s known for its rich literary tradition.

    8. Portuguese

    Speakers: Approximately 220 million

    Native speakers: Around 220 million

    Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa

    Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.

    9. Russian

    Speakers: Around 258 million

    Native speakers: Approximately 154 million

    Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

    Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.

    10. Japanese

    Speakers: Approximately 128 million

    Native speakers: Around 128 million

    Regions: Japan

    Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.

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