Celebrate Ed Tech Appreciation Day!

Did you know that this year, December 4 is Ed Tech Day? Observed in early December, the day is designed to celebrate the professionals who support the use of technology within a school district.

The celebration includes a wide range of hardworking professionals such as hardware and software technicians, network administrators, webmasters, database and lab managers, teachers, librarians, instructional technologists, administrators, and others. You might quickly think of all the professionals who facilitate your teaching and your students’ learning. Showing them how much they matter is the purpose of Ed Tech Appreciation Day.

Recognizing Dedication

This is a day intended for schools, districts, and communities to show their appreciation for the professionals who help make learning happen through technology.

In 2015, Ed Tech Appreciation Day was even officially recognized in the state of Texas. Here’s how we described the importance of the event then:

Education Technology Appreciation Day is important for two reasons. First, our technology teams play a critical role in providing rich learning opportunities for our students. Long hours of work and planning go into the set up and maintenance of networks, hardware, software, and other elements necessary for digital learning. The establishment of a day honoring technology staff communicates our appreciation of their efforts and their importance in our schools.
Second, recognizing the work of technology experts helps spread the word about the use of technology in our schools. Districts often struggle to provide the best possible tools for teaching and learning with limited budgets. Additional support, especially with broadband and other infrastructure challenges, is needed in order to help schools contend with the increasing demands and expenses associated with digital learning. Both for appreciating the professionals who support our teachers and students and for raising awareness about the need for more technology dollars, Education Technology Appreciation Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the amazing things happening on campuses all of Texas.

TechNotes, 2015

Want to celebrate this year? Check out our ideas below.

Showing Appreciation

Pick a day to celebrate this December and show your appreciation! In 2018, we outlined a few ideas for recognizing your remarkable ed tech professionals. You can explore them here.

• Throw a party with all their favorite treats. Invite your superintendent and other district administrators to demonstrate the district’s support.
• Offer chair massages in 15-minute slots.
• Create a video/trailer of all the technology being used in your classrooms, or one with students, staff, parents, and administrators thanking them.
• Have your local school board or city council issue an official proclamation honoring their service to the district.
• Give them gift cards to local restaurants, Starbucks, or their favorite geek store.
• Create a basket that teachers can fill with treats and goodies. Homemade cookies are always the right answer!
• Ask students to create a 3D-printed trophy honoring their work and let the students make the trophy presentation. Check out these sample files of trophies. 
• Create posters recognizing them and display them around the school and local businesses.
• Have students and teachers answer this question on Twitter: “What would we do without our tech team?” Add these hashtags #tceahero and #EdTechApprecationDay.
• Offer an early release day for the technology team. 
• Place a banner on the district website announcing the day and thanking the technology employees.

How do you celebrate the folks who keep your classrooms connected? Let us know in the comments below!