We Have Come a Long Way
We have come a long way…
As we started the school year “computers”, as a resource, was taken away and replaced by Tech Connect. This meant for teachers that for half and hour a week they would not be dropping their students off at the computer lab and scurry away. It meant for teachers that they would have an additional half an hour a week taken up specifically for technology planning time. We, as the Technology Integration Facilitators, would NOT be teaching a computer class, but help plan, advise, facilitate, coach, assist and co-teach lessons that were rich with technology integration. We knew that some teachers would not be happy about this change in “the way we do things around here”. Some were even “angry” about more being dumped on them.
After the initial technology issues, outside of our control, such as connectivity and illness, We have come a long way…
A teachers who had one of the least experience and was afraid of working with computers and technology made a conscious decision and effort to come to workshops I offered, come for one-on-one sessions, integrate tech tools for private use, and experiment on her own.. she has done AMAZING things with and for her Kindergarten kids.
We have come a long way…
Another teacher who has has never been afraid of technology and has an easy time in “figuring” things out on her own told me that it finally clicked in her head. That she finally sees what “integration” is about. To see her students engaged and even her more “difficult” boys be involved, focused and showing their best work is what helped her in the process that we are on the right path. Demonstrating to her how all the separated pieces of tools can fit nicely together with iGoogle, where ALL her e-mail accounts come together, interesting blog post just magically appear on the page, a to-do list, that helps her stay on task, etc. has gotten her excited about diving into the read/write web. She has created a “blogger” job as part of the job list that rotate daily in her Kindergarten class (Thanks to Melanie Holtsman for the idea) , and she is using one AlphaSmart Neo as one of the tools in her writing station during center time.
We have come a long way…
Another grade level who has been particularly challenged with technology has taken taken a big leap of faith and has written their own lesson plan given us technology coaches and the drama teacher ideas how they would envision our involvement and help in the project. There is true integration and collaboration on the horizon for these teachers and students with research and information skills, presentation and recording tools, assistive technology for struggling learners and readers, peer collaboration and editing.
We have come a long way…
Across grade levels, we are diving into a school-wide VoiceThread story that will utilize our collective knowledge and demonstrate student learning of our year long Egypt study. Teachers are having their students create avatars to represent their online identity, speaking to them about staying safe and protecting them while in an online environment. They are plugging microphones and headsets into jack, like they have done it their entire lives 
I am very excited about this project. You can follow along as it unfolds over the next few months.
[voicethread b=7626]
We have come a long way…
… and have a long way to go…
Of course there are teachers who are not cheering for the express train of technology adoption and classroom integration that is zooming ahead. The further that train gets away from them, the less they will have to think about it.
Of course there are also teachers who are not jumping on the bandwagon They are content in watching the parade go by and even cheer everybody else on who is riding it, but they prefer to stay in their comfortable spot on the sidelines.
In a conversation with Kim Cofino, a question about attitude from a technology coordinator towards these late adopters came up. My thoughts were:
I do distinguish between two different kinds of late adopters. The willing and the ones that are not. I understand late adopters who are afraid or who did not have an opportunity to adopt early. I love to work with them and move baby steps ahead. I get very frustrated with the late adopters who are in the cateogory of “late adopter” because they choose not to learn, because they are simply cruising along, planning on getting out of teaching, close to retirement, lazy, procrastinators, etc., .
I am not frustrated because they are late adopters of the technology…,
… I am frustrated because I expect professionalism from the people I work with.
Food for thought…
Think about how far you and your teachers in your school have come? Think about the different “late adopters” that are out there. Let me know,
Absolutely agree about the late adopters who choose not to learn. I can work with anyone as long as they are willing to learn and grow — no matter what the speed. But those kinds of late adopters are modeling the exact opposite of the attitude we want to foster in our students.
Because I move faster with new technologies, I must be VERY conscious of going at a slow but reasonable pace with late adopters who want to learn. I always struggle with that, slowing myself down.
“It meant for teachers that they would have an additional half an hour a week taken up specifically for technology planning time.”
How did you work that in? Did someone cover classes? Was it taken out of their regular planning time? I tried to do something like this where I met with my teachers once a month for 40 minutes, but it was during their regular plan time. I experienced a bit of resistance and it was only once a month.
Great post Sylvia,
So important to remember how far we (whoever “we” may be) have come in a such a short amount of time.
Just like Dave, I often have trouble remembering that my enthusiasm about these tools means I operate on hyper-speed and it can be tough to slow down.
Thanks for the reminder!
kim
Kinberly,
I am one of the teachers at Silvia’s school. I can answer your question regarding our Tech Connect planning time. The time was scheduled while our children are in a resource. For those of us in the lower grades, we have aides in our classrooms so they go with the children. In my room, the children are not in a resource, but my aide is wonderful and she just teaches morning meeting while I go and plan with the grade level.
I cannot speak for the other grade levels, but ours looks forward to the time each week. Sometimes it is brain storming about what we are going to do during our time in Tech Connect for that week. While other times we are learning about something new and talking about how we can incorporate it in our classrooms.
We love Silvia!
Kathy