maslow

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Digital Tools for Teachers - Trainers' Edition

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is an attempt to describe what motivates people to reach a higher level of achievement, or what Maslow describes as ‘Self-Actualisation’. We can use this hierarchy to focus on the types of technology and tasks we need to use with our students to enable them to achieve higher levels of personal and professional fulfilment.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological

We can teach students how to use basic websites and apps that enable them to order goods and food online or check out health problems.

Safety

We can teach students about e-safety and a range of practices to protect themselves online. We can help them understand the role of digital footprint and how they can use the internet to help manage their time and finances.

Social

We can help students use technology as a communication tool and enable them to use things like video conferencing, emails, text messages, and a range of other tools to take part in online discussion. We can help them create a positive online profile and participate responsibly within social networks.

Ego

We can help students create a personal learning network and enable them to share knowledge with others. We can help them to develop their abilities to become more autonomous and critical learners.

Self-actualization

We can help students to understand how to create and share a range of original digital artifacts that help them to realize their own ideas and share their views and understanding of the world.

The need for air, food, water, health.

The need for safety, shelter, stability.

The need for love, belonging, inclusion.

The need for self-esteem, power, control, recognition.

The need for development, creativity, growth.

Click on the titles to find out how this applies to educational technology.

Reflect on your teaching

Think about the way you use technology with your students.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Which of the needs have you helped your students to realize?
• How can you develop the activities you do with your students to help them reach higher levels?
• Which technologies do you feel will be most useful in helping your students to achieve higher level needs?
• What is the value of using technology to enable students to fulfil the lower level needs?
• What obstacles will you face in your school when trying to use technology to make your lessons more fulfiling? How can you overcome them?
• What weaknesses do you see in trying to apply this kind of model in your use of technology?

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Digital Tools for Teachers - Trainers' Edition