• to give educators some context in terms of what these technologies mean for our society as well as for education
• to challenge and motivate teachers to think differently about their classrooms and the potentials of the technologies...in terms of pedagogy and curriculum
• to share enough of the “how-to” needed to get teachers started using these tools right away
Some of the challenges in my position include lack of time for students to access the computers in the lab and classrooms, pre-determined administrative directives for the use of team planning / staff development, and responsibility with no power. Recognizing that these challenges may be similar for fellow educators, I have adopted the philosophy that a worthwhile journey begins with a single step or two.
Some of the ideas that I have tried or hope to initiate include:
- Sharing sites that may assist teachers in providing effective and engaging instructional opportunities that match current curricular needs (for example, one of our teachers used the shared WebQuest, Cinderella Around the World, found at http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/king/fairytales/ to motivate her students to write their own version of familiar fairy tales)
- Writing a Web page or Wiki to actively engage colleagues in future staff development opportunities, either district-mandated or voluntary (for example, this Wiki was written to be used for an anticipated district writing initiative: http://recipesforwriting.wikispaces.com/
- Recording a podcast with the intent of using it as a model and motivation for collaboration on curricular projects, school news, teacher and student-generated web-based tools (for example, many podcasts are available at http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshow
Realizing that everyone’s background of experiences and priorities are different, I look forward to reading your ideas on how I can influence my fellow colleagues to try more web-based tools in the classroom. Bring them on!
6 comments:
It's interesting to me to hear from someone whose administration is apparently not very proactive when it comes to technology. At my school there is still some limit to computer access for the students, but as teachers we are given many ways to work around those limits. We each have our own laptops for both work related and personal use. Our school is set up with lightboxes, airports, one smartboard (with more to follow soon I'm assuming) and probably most importantly an administrator who is ready, willing and excited to get the kids as educated in technology as they are in math and reading...
In terms of getting more support and more teachers involved I think sometimes you have to show people how it can make their life easier, I think a lot of times new technology is perceived by educators as one more thing to learn, one more password to remember, one more step in a day that is already too full. I also think it's hard for someone who has been teaching for a while to leave their comfort zone and throw away a lesson plan that has worked in the past for something that they have to learn how to do to be able to teach it.
M
I also agree that it seems my district (at least in the high school) has many of the same ideas that Richardson does for how to use/intergrate technology in the classroom.
The real challenege comes in getting the staff development and teachers to feel comfortable to use these new methods in the classroom. Everything is hard in the beginning but these technologies will really make things easier in the end and make for a great improvement for our students.
Jeremy
It sounds that you are doing great things for the teachers that you support. I think that training sessions are the most valuable. What I have found to be ineffective has been sending lists of websites to look at or ideas, since during the year, they usually get saved to a keep on file folder and usually I forget about them. A training session in which the technology is demonstrated and able to be practiced has worked best for most teachers at my school. The things that you are doing are DEMONSTRATING to the teachers what is available which is great - then they have to take the iniative to PRACTICE and review.
Sounds like you are doing a great job!
I agree with Natalie that successful staff development is most important in regard to keeping up with technology in education. It is nice to hear that you are trying to find ways to ehlp teachers become more comfortable and successful with technology in the classroom. As we all know, there is not enough time in the day as it is, let alone trying to "check out" lists of websites sent by administrators. Just as with the students, teachers need demonstration and time to practice and reflect. Also, allowing time for feedback is important in letting teachers know that their opinions are valued.
I agree that schools have not totally embraced the concept of using technology in our classrooms. At this point in time most schools view technology only as an aid for teachers in the classroom and not a valuable instructional tool. So not only are there not enough resources for teachers to use technology in their classroom, but often times when new technology is brought to our attention, not training is offered to show teachers how to best utilize it in their classrooms.
Deb, you have some great goals!
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