Top 10 Technology Tips for Teachers: A Revisit

IMAGE: Generated by Stable Diffusion, https://stablediffusionweb.com/app/image-generator, prompt: "a teacher using technology in the classroom" + "cyberpunk"

It's been a hot minute since I wrote about technology tips for teachers back in January (where has the time gone?!), and let's be real, these 10 technology tips could be used for anyone. So let's revisit them! Didn't get to read my original list or need a refresher, check out my Top 10 Technology Tips for Teachers! So without further ado, here is the list with my current thoughts.

1. AI doesn't know everything, but it's a great partner.

✅ Still true. 

Actually, the other day I had a delightful conversation with ChatGPT. It gave me encouraging responses to my answers and always ended its remark with another question. It kept me thinking and engaged while I was "just having a conversation". It makes a great tool, but it still can make up information and sources which is why you need to be weary and check for yourself! Even ChatGPT states, "ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info."

2. You and your students are still ethically responsible for the information acquired by AI.

✅ Still true. 

Here is a poem about crochet:

I created this meme on imgflip.com.

Loops and Whispers

In quiet corners, fingers glide,
Through threads where dreams and yarn collide,
A hook in hand, a gentle sweep—
The world slows down, the silence deep.

A chain begins, so soft, so small,
Like whispered hopes that start to sprawl.
Each stitch a heartbeat, snug and tight,
A tapestry of day and night.

Shells and bobbles, lace and twist,
A rhythm wrapped in morning mist.
Patterns bloom beneath the thumb,
Like lullabies the hands have strummed.

Granny squares and cables bold,
Stories told in marigold.
Blankets, hats, a scarf’s embrace—
Warmth is woven, stitch by grace.

So let the yarn in spirals grow,
A spiral tide, a steady flow.
In every loop, a tale is caught—
Of care, of time, of love well-wrought.

***

Liked it? Thanks! I prompted it myself. :: hair flick ::

Works Cited

ChatGPT. Response to the prompt “Can you write me a poem about crochet?” ChatGPT, OpenAI, 27 Apr. 2025.

Lesson

Be like Ms. Hickey and cite your AI use! (And yes, I did check to see if the way the citation was written was correctly.)

3. Use technology that is appropriate to your assignment.

✅ Still true. 

Shameless plug: Need resources or inspiration for your students' next assignment? Check out my resource lists: https://www.rochellehickey.com/resources-for-teachers. You can find technology that works with your lesson and grade level that won't feel like you are putting a square peg in a round hole. 

Technology doesn't have to be big and impressive. Sometimes it can be simple and still be effective.

IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, https://www.bing.com/images/create, prompt: "a teacher using technology in the classroom + cyberpunk". Clearly a super advanced classroom, but I love that it includes hanging plants.

4. Think about the technology's reusability. 

✅ Still true. 

As a teacher you have to cram a TON of information into one school year. Do you really want to spend precious time teaching students to use one application for one assignment and then never revisit it? I mean, it really does depend on the application, but it is something to consider when lesson planning.

5. Free access for you and your students.

✅ Still true. 

New technology is great, it's fun, but it can also be prohibitive. Oh, oops, I've said that before. Well ... it's still true. Think of your audience and when they would be using it. Is it school only? Or do you expect students to work on this project at home? How easy is it for your students to access outside of the school building?

For example, I recently used a free version of Prezi with a partner who had the initial free 30 day trial — even though I set up my own free account and was invited into her presentation board to contribute — it would not let me download the presentation or share a link to it. Only my partner could share. I am also not sure we can access the project after her trial is up. That is prohibitive. 

6. Ask your students.

✅ Still true.

Open communication with your students will bring new insights to what students are already exposed to, using, and what they find engaging. And it might give you a clue as to what they have available to them outside of school.

IMAGE: Generated by Bing Image Creator, https://www.bing.com/images/create, prompt: "a teacher using technology in the classroom + neon". I don't think Bing fully understands the futuristic picture I am trying to convey. Oh well, this still works.

7. Ask other teachers and spread the word.

✅ Still true.

What did I say above? Open :: clap :: Communication :: clap clap ::  I know talking to others is scary, but reaching out, asking questions, or :: gasp :: networking will give you ideas and resources you may not have considered or known about. And be open about what you are using! Did you notice above where I said to check out my website for resources? That is me sharing what I have found. Also, you should check it out because you love me. At least, that's what I choose to believe. Ha! Shameless plug II: https://www.rochellehickey.com/resources-for-teachers. 

8. Audit the technology you are currently using.

✅ Still true.

I've looked at over 150+ resources to put together my resource list and wouldn't you know that a good handful of the resources I was researching no longer existed? I will have to conduct annual checks to make sure everything is still working on my lists. 

Look at your assignments and see what you are asking students to use, check to make sure they are still in good working order, and are still relevant to what you want. Who knows, auditing what you are using — physical and digital — may inspire something new to take its place.

9. Look for grants.

✅ Semi true. Well, still true, but may be harder to come by.

Ooph, okay, so in today's political climate grants may be withering, but that doesn't mean there aren't any out there that you could apply for. It just means you may have to look harder and really demonstrate your needs more than before.

IMAGE: Generated by Stable Diffusion, https://stablediffusionweb.com/app/image-generator, prompt: "a teacher using technology in the classroom" + "cyberpunk". I don't think she knows where the keyboard is, but I kind of love her jacket.

10. No Fear!

✅ Still True.

Fear makes you scared to try new things. It makes it hard to see the potential of something, see new ideas, or how to use something effectively. Fear can hold us back in a lot of areas, but if we push through it, we can come up stronger and wiser on the other side.

Bonus Thoughts!

⭐ Ohhh! Ahhh!

Technology is not only about online classroom tools. Technology can include Makerspace equipment, gamification, accessibility tools, library catalog management, and more. We live in a technology filled world and interact with technology on a daily basis. It's when you start looking around, you notice what is out there and you can truly start to figure out how technology intertwines with our lives, and how they may be incorporated into classrooms.

Do you have anything you could add to this list? What would your top 10 technology tips be?