Student Tech Teams: What Do They Do?

As a team, the RSU 20 Tech Integrations have made it a priority this year to organize and expand student technology teams throughout our schools, and the results have been amazing.  But what do student technology teams do?

The better question is, what don't they do?

A fifth grade student at K. Nickerson listens to two first grade
students reading their stories, and helps with revision.
Finished stories will go into their ePortfolios. 

Generally speaking, student technology teams assist their teachers and classmates in their use of technology in the classroom.  On a basic level, this means learning basic tips about using the laptops or other devices (things like keyboard shortcuts for copying, cutting, and pasting text), or specific programs on the devices (for instance, inserting a picture into a slideshow in Google Drive).  Tech team students also learn basic troubleshooting techniques and how to fix issues with the devices (like resetting the WiFi when a laptop does not connect to the Internet on the first try).  Students also help model and communicate good digital citizenship and proper handling of the devices, like making sure students are holding their laptops with two hands, and not carrying it around with the lid open.

And that's just at the elementary level, where Tracy Hayslip and I manage a total of six teams at the seven elementary schools in the district.  At Searsport District Middle School, Laurie Rule's sixth and seventh grade Viking Pilots are building and modeling exemplary ePortfolios in Google Sites to help teachers integrate ePortfolios into their curriculum, and are helping others use technology to take non-digital work like handwritten papers and art and turn them into digital artifacts that can be put into their ePortfolios.  At Belfast Area High School, Liz Small's team has been working on rebuilding the local TV station that used to operate out of the school, and have also been recording Board of Directors meetings for Belfast Community TV and on demand on Vimeo.  They also get more hands on with the troubleshooting and repair of broken laptops and other equipment.

Fourth and fifth graders at Searsport Elementary School help
prepare 40 Chromebooks and two laptop carts for use.

What makes student technology teams so powerful is that the experience is really not about the technology.  Rather, technology is the vehicle for the more important lessons around leadership and helping others.  In just the second week of meeting with my new fourth grade team at Searsport Elementary School, they were teaching their classmates about how to use Google Drive, and since then both teams have worked with third graders on using Google Drive and their recent solar system slideshow projects.  Fifth grade tech team students at K. Nickerson School have just started helping their first grade buddies with writing ePortfolios of their own.  I've even had students help image laptops and prepare laptop carts! (I write more on my student tech teams on my personal blog)  Students, especially elementary students, are very motivated to help other students (and even more motivated to help their teachers!), so student tech teams create a opportunity for the tech integrators of RSU 20 to foster communication and leadership skills in ways that engage students in real-world settings.