Reflect upon your professional experiences. (This can about your teaching experiences or your professional career if you are not a teacher yet). Compare and contrast strategies that, as a co-creator and collaborator, could be used to build relationships with an individual or group who is already competent but may not be incorporating newer ideas or methodologies. Share at least one strategy that you believed worked and one that did not. Then, compare your experiences with those of your classmates.
As people of action, technology integrators should recognize that words alone will not motivate all staff members. In my experience effective integrator empowers each educator individually by instilling technology to discover the best use of it. I have found as a technology integrator that success with helping colleagues to become technology literate I have to sidestep the human factors-fear and frustration. Just as integrators adapt to change and reconfigure mindsets accordingly, teachers must also be shown that they can be in control and not adversely affected by it. By exemplifying “a high touch caring approach to introduce change”, a leader will see more enduring success and is steps closer to accomplishing the vision (Polka, 2000). I have found getting to know that particular classroom teacher by collaboration and observing lessons.
All too often leaders bring the challenge for new technology use but mistakenly introduce it to all teachers. I believe as integrators we must research what is best for that teacher’s pedagogy. For example: having teachers watch videos, power point presentations, summer in-services is just touching the surface. Some teachers may learn and use some of these technologies but what about the teachers that could not use or just are afraid of using that particular technology.
Reference:
Polka, Walter S. (April 2000): “High Tech, High Touch.” School Administrator1-7.
www.findarticles.com.
Jason, I totally agree that fear frustration can cause teachers to shutdown and not be open to integrating certain tools into their instruction. I like how you stated that rather than introducing a tool to the whole group you would rather try to present the tool tailored towards that particular teachers. If we show the teacher how they could possibly use that tool in their own classroom effectively, in the fashion that relevant to them, they will probably utilize that tool more then if we had just given a general presentation to teachers and school.
ReplyDeleteJason, I like your differentiated approach to working with the teachers. We each have our strengths and interests. You might have the coolest tool to share but if a teacher is apprehensive about the new technology or cannot see how it would benefit the students, they aren't going to be interested.
ReplyDeleteJason,
ReplyDeleteI like how you describe sitting down with some teachers and confronting fear and frustration head on. I also agree that teachers learn differently, just like our students, and offering a variety of options is key. I often tell my kids that I love technology and want them to become comfortable with a variety of resources so they can pick and choose which one fits best with which assignment. Not many of their teachers will be able to teach the content and the technology, so I try and do as much of both as possible.