During their time in school, developing the ability to think critically and problem solve can help students immensely. This can also result in establishing a sense of confidence and leadership, giving them the agency to handle challenges in their future careers and life in general.
Brianna Pride, Supervisor of Instructional Technology Programs for Buffalo Schools, discusses her Student Technology Leadership Program in which students provide mentoring and level one tech support, as well as her ongoing work to offer practical career-building opportunities and why it’s important for students to develop real-world skills.
The Student Technology Leadership Program
While students need to learn the basic fundamentals of education (math, language arts, history, etc.), it’s also critical for them to be prepared for a future that will be full of technology. A well-organized, hands-on student technology leadership program can support that.
“Our Student Technology Leadership Program is our oldest program,” says Pride, adding it was originally piloted in 2017 in an elementary school with middle school students. “The purpose of the program is to hone and leverage the students’ leadership, innovation, and problem-solving skills so that they can support technology integrations in their schools.”
How did this program help teachers in regard to acclimating to new technology being introduced into the classroom?
“When the program was developed, our district was first beginning with one-to-one devices,” says Pride. “A lot of the teachers were really overwhelmed and intimidated. I said, ‘Why don’t we use our students to help us make the shift?’”
In the program, students provide mentoring and level one tech support to teachers and school staff, and even co-teach on occasion. “They might go in and work with students on mentoring them on how to use the different technologies that we have available in our district,” says Pride. “It also includes [students] creating and delivering content to support student learning.”
All the tasks the students participate in mimic real-world scenarios, such as teaching digital literacy or planning technology PD for a teacher.
“You might not [end up being] a teacher, but let’s say you have to host a meeting and you work for a Fortune 500 company,” says Pride. “You’ll go through those same steps to provide training to your colleagues.”
Implementing Your Own Student Technology Leadership Program
Districts big or small can put together a program that helps to educate students on the different aspects of technology while also creating a more engaging environment.
“I truly believe in student voice,” says Pride. “The very first thing I do, before I even present [an idea] to decision-makers, is I pull a focus group of students.”
Asking students how they envision an idea you have can help get them more involved, and builds a sense of ownership within students. Once you have a concept for what the program could be like, getting input and buy-in from teachers and principals is next. Ask what their needs are at building or district level, as well as what skills students and teachers may be lacking.
In addition to prioritizing student voice, Pride also reiterates the importance of making the process as close to a real-world experience as possible.
“I think that exposing our kids to as much as we can while we have them is huge, and I think [it is] the responsibility of all educators,” she says. “If we can expose our kids to as many experiences, careers, opportunities, and individuals as possible, that’s huge, and that is what our programs try to do, whether kids are interested in going into a technology-related field or not.”