What Makes a Digitally Competent Teacher?

digitally_competent_teacherObviously the biggest cultural adjustment of our society over the past few decades is adapting to the fast evolving, ever emerging digital technology. Digital technology, web, smart devices and all the far-reaching, fast communications options now at our fingertips define our generation. In the arena of education, advances of this magnitude and enormous influence cannot be ignored.

Traditionally teachers have been looked to for spear-heading modernization, advanced thoughts and making heads or tails out of immerging new ideas. But today, teachers are getting a bad rap for dropping the ball! Lately, more often than not the students seem to know much more about the trending new tech world than their professors, parents, bosses and the life coaches and mentors they look up to.


Teachers must make the knowledge of the years, applicable in today’s modern world. Teachers cannot hope to connect with the youth when they have no clue as to what makes their students tick! How can teachers, who negligently refuse to make use of all the phenomenal educational opportunities that advancing digital technology is offering to them ever hope to compete for their students’ attention spans? Teachers who do not stay current on the advancements of society fast lose their students respect. Students view them as out of touch, dinosaurs…squares!

With ground-breaking forms of digital technology emerging every day, teachers are being empowered with new tools to reach their students. Digital technology is fast opening doors to new teaching methods and techniques we never imagined before. The technology-pedagogical competence becomes an important measurement for the teachers of the 21st century.


Here we summarize the basic requirements to develop into a digitally savvy and competent teacher.

1. You need to acquire the essential technical skills to use digital technologies. In addition to basic tools (word processing, spreadsheets etc.), ICT skills in teaching/learning (such as interactive whiteboard, distance learning methods etc.) are necessities for teachers.

2. You are open to use and try new things and have the ability to critically evaluate the emerging technologies.

3. You can use digital technologies in a meaningful way for teaching and learning. This includes ability to integrate ICT into teaching subjects and manage teaching/learning process with technology.


4. You participate in the online communications and take personal and social responsibilities for your cyber activities.

5. You understand the policy and ethical area of ICT use and can guide your students to behave as responsible digital citizens.

6. The truly ICT competent teachers also have the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. Potentially they can creatively and innovatively apply new technologies for every aspects of teaching/learning. These teacherpreneurs will be the true leaders of future education.

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From Mobile App development company TouchApp
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