As a fish who struggles with short-term memory loss, Dory has encountered many obstacles in her life. Yet, deeply ingrained in her psyche is the mantra, “Just Keep Swimming.” Dory’s lighthearted mantra reminds us to persevere and “dig in” in the face of a challenge. For teachers of the 21st century, Dory’s mantra rings especially true. Technology continues to challenge the ways we connect with, assess, and teach our students. Additionally, the rapid advancement of technology leads to new inventions seemingly every day. So, how can we ever keep up? The answer is, you guessed it: just keep LEARNING!
To be the best teachers possible, especially tech-savvy teachers, we must be great students as well. Rather than getting frustrated when a first grader knows how to use a new device better than we do, let’s take the opportunity to learn from the student. We must remain persistent on the path of acquiring knowledge that we can use to help our students grow. This may include attending additional professional developments, studying how other teachers use technology in their classroom, or simply using more technology in your own home. It won’t be easy, but it will certainly be worth it.
It is now on us to harness the power of technology to form and teach our students as best we can. To accomplish this mighty task, let us heed the advice of this adorable, forgetful little fish and “just keep learning!”