Think Like a Teacher

We see new tools and tech fashions every day. Their names are as silly as Saturday morning cartoons. As teachers and edtech coaches, we are the consumers, and the edtech startup market launches new offerings in a fashion cycle as rapid as your local department store: early winter, late winter, early spring season, etc., each rolling out racks of choices. All of us prefer the edtech fashions we can get for free, but what would motivate us to consider actually spending money on a membership or app for learning in our classrooms?

When it comes to our edtech wardrobes, what will we pay for? (Drooling developers want to know.)

• Classic continuity. Like a good blazer, the best styles last and are useful year after year. We want to save files and activities we create in a tool and use them year to year, possibly altering the hem or adding trim, but saving us the time of starting over.
• imaginative match. We want a choice that coordinates and adds spunk to almost all our  curriculum “separates.” A worthwhile tool  fits neatly into our required curriculum but also allows us to use it creatively, making every combination a little different. Both the match and the imagination matter, not just one or the other.
• Label. Reputability matters. Is the label/name a familiar? Do other teachers seem to value it? Yes, our tech fashion choices are heavily influenced by the “look” of fellow teachers. (Beware the lure of clever branding when the product itself has the quality of a Chinese knock-off!)
• Flexibility. We want educational Lycra. Tools need to fit like sweat pants, allowing us and our students to do many things many ways. Bend and stretch those minds.
• Closet space. We might pay a bit for a walk-in closet so we can store extra large amounts of “stuff.” But we are very good at cleaning out our closets if the trade-off is an unreasonable cost. And don’t tell me this tool only allows two hangers before the extra costs kick in. I won’t even consider it.
• Longevity. This is one of my biggest concerns before I’ll pay for something new. Will it still be there in a year? Is this company likely to last?  I don’t have the time to redo EVERYTHING, so I look for fashions that are likely to last, especially if I pay for them!  We all have friends who went whole hog into some cool tool that simply disappeared mid-January, just as students were reviewing for midterms. 401 Not Found. (Of course, nothing is guaranteed. See  label.)
• Availability. We want tools and resources that offer ubiquitous access, not just  in specialty stores. Device agnostic tools are best, so our students can use them on iOS, Android, web, or whatever. And it better work well on all of them.
• Makes sense.  We can see how to wear it, fasten it, twist it, button it, and wear it many ways without looking for a user’s manual. Think of your coat with a removable liner. Did you read directions to figure out how to remove and reinstall the liner? Who does that? Any wearer should be able to figure it out without a tutorial created by a busy teacher.
• Off the rack fit. Teaching tools must be suitable for OUR situations. No alterations needed. If it requires a workaround, I leave it on the rack. There are plenty to choose from, and this is my money.
• Best pricing. Nobody pays list.  I want coupons, BOGOs, or even nearly-new versions at drastically reduced cost.

Teachers are some of the best shoppers ever. We know what we will pay for. We are accustomed to fairly limited (actual clothing) wardrobes built around careful choices, and our tech shopping is no different.

A corollary post I am pondering:

Edtech wardrobes: What about uniforms (district wide adoptions)?