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You Know You’re a Techy Teacher When…

Written by Lisa 3 January 2011 22 Comments

Can you add to this fun list?  Read my thoughts, then add yours below.

1.  You can't remember the last time you printed a classroom document.

2.  Plurking, tweeting, and playing with your wiki in public are acceptable behaviors.

3. Your Notebook isn't spiral bound - it plugs into the wall.

4. Forget the garden...you spend more time on the weekend weeding out your Inbox.

5. You can recite your school's Acceptable Use Policy by heart.

6. On parent/teacher night, instead of exchanging business cards, you Bump.

7. You express yourself with emoticons.

8. You no longer consider it graffiti to write on someone's wall.

9. Your significant other gets jealous of your PLN.

10. It's not creepy to have lots of followers.

11. You're in a constant battle to be Mayor of your school.

12. Your students call you the "cool" teacher.

13. The other teachers are jealous of your Prezi.

14. YouTube is blocked in your school, and you know how to get around it and still use the content.

15. The Tech Department is sick of your constant requests to unblock Twitter.

16. You've Googled your principal.

17.  You know that TweetDeck is not a patio with a lot of birds.

18. You correct your friends' grammar when they text you.

19. Never mind the fruit, you want a real Apple for Christmas.

20. "Casual Fridays" means logging into the EdTech UNconference in your bunny slippers.

21. You wear your "I Heart EdTech" button everywhere you go.

22. You read this blog post then tweet it, like it, and pass it on to a friend!

PS: If you're reading this post, we hope you'll consider joining us inside the EdTech UNconference community - a great place for techy teachers (and those who want to be!) to learn about 21st century technology and using it in the classroom. 

PPS: Let's build this list...please add your own ideas to this list using the comment area below.  Ready... set...get creative!

22 Comments »

  • Annette said:

    You have a strange look in your eye when your colleagues have a real lesson plan book instead of using an electronic one that can be accessed anywhere!!!!

    3 January 2011 at 11:21 am
  • Shana Ray said:

    Great list! Here are two more:

    When you tell students to look for homework assignments on your blog or the online learning platform that you use.

    When your email signature has your twitter url!

    As for #21, where can you get an I heart EdTech button? Do you guys sell them?

    +Shana.
    @ShanaatDS

    Kimberly Reply:
    January 3rd, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Hi Shana,

    Currently, we’re not selling the I Heart EdTech buttons. BUT you can get a free virtual version (blog badge) of one here:

    http://unconference.simplek12.com/members/blog-badges

    3 January 2011 at 1:47 pm
  • Ron Hileman said:

    I guess I am just a “wannabe”

    3 January 2011 at 4:59 pm
  • Patty Korchinski said:

    When you do sub notes, your sub has no idea what you are talking about.

    4 January 2011 at 9:23 am
  • Susan said:

    I scared my puppy off the ottoman and woke up the sleeping old man in the recliner with my laughter at reading this list. It’s so perfect and # 15 a co-worker of mine.

    Michael Reply:
    January 5th, 2011 at 10:05 am

    That’s funny, Susan!

    4 January 2011 at 11:05 pm
  • arkreynolds said:

    Love it!

    When your Kindergarten students use the library iTouches so well they begin teaching the teachers how to use them.
    arkreynolds recently posted..Picture ThisMy Profile

    6 January 2011 at 3:53 pm
  • Sally07 said:

    Great post. Loved it. You know you’re a techie teacher when you are the one to volunteer to type up meeting minutes at the meeting on your laptop and everyone else thinks you are gifted and talented.

    6 January 2011 at 4:19 pm
  • Elizabeth said:

    You know you’re a techie teacher when other teachers come to get tech advice from you, instead of the tech integration staff at your school.

    Lisa M Reply:
    July 17th, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Yes! I guess that’s why I gave the tech workshops at the end of the school year! LOL
    Lisa M recently posted..“Watch Your Mouth!”My Profile

    6 January 2011 at 4:56 pm
  • Kristy said:

    ….when you don’t know if there is a limit on the number of field trips. You take your kids all the time, virtually of course!

    ….when you have your parents sign in during open house or parent teacher conferences on a Google form.

    ….when you know “Angry Birds” has nothing to do with finger gestures or harming wildlife.

    ….when you offer your parents the option of meeting via webcam for conferences.

    ….when your version of a spelling test is the high score from DroidWords (or Words with Friends)

    ….when you tell students to turn it into your dropbox and they know it is NOT a black plastic basket on your desk

    ….when you Tweet homework reminders

    7 January 2011 at 11:28 am
  • Kristy Vincent said:

    One more for the ones I added above…

    … when you enable your vacation message on your email and everyone thinks you are amazingly fast at answering emails.
    Kristy Vincent recently posted..Beam Me In- Scotty!My Profile

    7 January 2011 at 11:54 am
  • Kristy Vincent said:

    … when someone sends an email with the title “Notebook Giveaway” and you get REALLY excited, only to realize they are talking about the three-ring binder kind :(
    Kristy Vincent recently posted..Beam Me In- Scotty!My Profile

    7 January 2011 at 1:20 pm
  • You know you are a techie teacher when… « E-WOT said:

    [...] This is hilarious and it got me off to such a good start in the new year. Lisa at blog.simplek12 has come up with the giveaway signs of being a techie teacher. I got the link via We are Teachers. [...]

    9 January 2011 at 2:18 am
  • Pam said:

    You know your a Techy teacher when: students quit asking for make-up work because they know it’s on-line AND you don’t have to grade most of your exams because they are done on-line, in class using lap tops and the scores are sent to you via e-mail.

    12 January 2011 at 8:51 am
  • Pam said:

    … an interactive classroom does not necessarily include great verbal discussions with your students

    12 January 2011 at 9:19 am
  • JPerino said:

    …when your students share their homework to you via GoogleDocs.
    …post their homework to a wiki instead of printing it out and handing it to you.
    …when you use GoogleReader to follow their online portfolio writing assignments.
    …when “making relevant, helpful, and substantive” comments on another students blog posting is homework.
    …know what the mark-up tools are and how to use them.
    …allow absent students to SKYPE in from home.
    …when you hear the phrase, “How ’bout them apples!” and think, MmmmMmmm…new MacBook Air…so thin….so shiny…solidstate hard drive…oops…sorry! :0)
    …when the term flash mob doesn’t conjure up thoughts of burning torches and angry voices, but dance moves, a lip dub, and surprised smiling faces!

    13 January 2011 at 12:44 pm
  • Bonnie Grover said:

    You plan your summer activities around Tech conferences.

    8 July 2011 at 9:41 pm
  • Louise (The Frugal Teacher) said:

    You know you are a techy teacher when you are asked to attend the presentation of the new gradebook software and share it with the rest of the school.

    Great post! I;m getting there! I hate to wish my summer away, but I can’t wait to get back to the classroom and implement some of the new things I have learned through my PLN!
    Louise (The Frugal Teacher) recently posted..My commitment to the Daily 5My Profile

    8 July 2011 at 9:57 pm
  • Cristina said:

    Hi Lisa!
    Greetings from Barcelona, Spain.
    I love this list! If you don’t mind, I would like to share it on my blog :)

    24 February 2012 at 1:31 am
  • Carmen Ribera said:

    You are grading homework on your tablet while you seat in the doctor’s waiting room…

    28 February 2012 at 3:25 pm