What Technology Skills Should Educators Have?

We began by mentioning fear as a reason why some instructors resist change and are discouraged by the use of technology in the classroom. If one were to study that fear perhaps reasoning could emerge concerning why that fear exists. Often times when dealing with a child about controlling their fear of that “something under the bed”, we are able to apply logic by showing them there is fact is nothing under the bed. So if there is nothing under the bed, there is nothing to be afraid of.

In this case of using technology in the classroom, there is quite a lot “under the bed” and simple logic may not work. In either case what we are dealing with is fear of the unknown and while very different on the surface there is striking similarity beneath. In looking for a place to start, the thought occurred that making the unknown known is one proven effective cure for fear. That being the case, what parameters should be known?

For our purposes it may be helpful to establish a list of sorts of the technology skills required to effectively take command of modern community college classroom. If such a list existed then one could actually have a road map to establish an actual route out of the abyss. Armed with this idea I went out hunting for just such a list and found this one by Laura Turner;

"Here are 20 basic technology skills that all educators should now have:

1. Word Processing Skills
2. Spreadsheets Skills
3. Database Skills
4. Electronic Presentation Skills
5. Web Navigation Skills
6. Web Site Design Skills
7. E-Mail Management Skills
8. Digital Cameras
9. Computer Network Knowledge Applicable to your School System
10. File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
11. Downloading Software From the Web (Knowledge including eBooks)
12. Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
13. WebCT or Blackboard Teaching Skills
14. Videoconferencing skills
15. Computer-Related Storage Devices (Knowledge: disks, CDs, USB drives, zip disks, DVDs, etc.)
16. Scanner Knowledge
17. Knowledge of PDAs
18. Deep Web Knowledge
19. Educational Copyright Knowledge
20. Computer Security Knowledge"

Reference: Laura Turner, "20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have," T.H.E. Journal, 6/1/2005, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/17325

Please take a look and tell me what you think, are there things on this list that shouldn’t be? What about things left out?