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Teachers are often tormented by the use of technology in their classroom. They’re often not sure how and when to integrate technology into their instruction. Students teaching teachers technology is a way to really “flip” their classrooms. The students teach the technology so the teacher can focus on the content. The PESTS program provides a social constructivist classroom environment.

The PESTS, Pequea Elementary Student Technology Support, are a group of sixth grade students that work with the teachers to integrate technology. Utilize your students in a more effective and efficient manner to meet your educational goals and objectives.

• It's not about the tools. Students are provided choices to meet their needs.
• The PESTS help the students decide what tool best meets their needs for the assignment.
• School-wide literacy is staircased with a one tool per grade model.
  
• As students and teachers master a new tool at each grade level, they develop rich literacy skills and vital technology skills across the curriculum.
  
• Our classrooms are student-centered with active learning happening throughout the day.

• PESTS has increased teacher technology at Pequea ELementary School.

The PESTS opportunity provides so much more than tech support. It also allows them to practice important leadership, public speaking, and collaboration skills (Watters 2011). The students would also wear PESTS badges I made using lanyards from conferences I attended. The students also provided management strategies for the teachers to implement in their classroom.

• Laptop Safety - Carry it like a hot pizza box from the cart.
  
• Digital Citizenship - Skills necessary to be a good netizen.
• Colored Cup System - Cups show level of assistance needed in the classroom. The cups are stacked on the students desks. Red cups get help first before yellow. Blue kids may need enrichment,
  

1. Blue = cool
2. Yellow = Help, but I can continue working
3. Red = HELP!

• Badges - Save your badges from conferences. The PESTS wear badges into classrooms just like a teacher!
• Google Forms - The teachers submitted requests for PESTS through a Google Form. The students look over the requests to assist the teacher's classroom.
• Edmodo - The PESTS and teachers communicate and organize information in Edmodo. District guidelines prevent this information is unable to be shared due to student names and information.
  

The collaborative efforts of the teachers and students helped students love learning.

Students meet before school, during lunch, and after school to explore tools to share with teachers on Tech Tip Tuesday. Teachers also join "Brown Bag" lunch sessions led by the students to explore resources to best meet the needs of their learners along. The student/teacher line is blurred with this experience.

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The students are learning valuable skills. They will have the opportunity to work at the student help desk of our 1:1 high school program. Click here to learn more!

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• Barseghian, T. (2011, February 11). The Control Shift: A Grassroots Education Revolution Takes Shape | MindShift. KQED Public Media for Northern CA. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/02/revolution-2-0-the-control-shift/

• Shively, C. H. (2011, May 13). My something impossible: creative school. Think Like a Teacher. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from blog.teachersfirst.com/thinkteach/

• Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: learning for life in our times. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Watters, A. (2011, December 1). Rewards of Role Reversal: Teachers Learn, Students Teach | MindShift. KQED Public Media for Northern CA. Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/12/rewards-of-role-reversal-teachers-learn-students-teach/