Confucious for Technology Integrators

Just a brief thought for all Technology Integrators out there. As seen on Tumblr.com.

It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.
Wisdom of Confucius

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,

Collaboration Projects – Doomed to Fail?

I am so excited about the possibilities of global collaboration projects. Teachers, like Kim Cofino and Chris Craft (and many others), have started great successful international collaboration projects. These projects were/are well thought out, facilitated and organized. I have tried to start and participate in several projects as well, but have run into several stumbling blocks that are frustrating. Maybe others can sympathize with the following scenarios.

• Scenario I
  You have found a great project looking for partner schools. You see your students as a great match. The project is everything you are trying to teach your students. The ingredients for global awareness, collaboration and technology literacy are all there. It would simply be amazing to be part of it… As the Technology Integrationist (without a class full of students of your own) you propose the project to several teachers, give them an overview, handouts, rubrics, lesson plans, time lines, etc. Some teachers seem excited, some rather quiet, some commit (verbally) to participating. All promise to look more into the project by going online and over the handouts I had given them.
  Days go by… weeks go by… with gentle reminders from my part if they have further thought about participating and or have gotten started. Too much other work…grades due… illness… conferences at school….etc. Bottomline….So far most of the projects have fizzled out from lack of enthusiasm, self-initiative, procrastination… and so on.
• Scenario II
  You have had an idea for an collaboration project. You created a frame work around the idea, set up a blog or wiki. You started announcing the idea via your Social Network (Twitter, Blog, Ning). You received several enthusiastic responses from teachers who would love to participate…. then things fizzle out and time goes by without participation from others and the “collaboration” part of “Collaboration Projects”.

How much can you spoon feed other teachers? Do you write their lesson plans for them? Do you keep nagging and begging for participation? How do you find collaboration partners who are equally invested in a project? How do you motivate your teachers at your school to be those invested collaboration partners for others?

My motivation and initiative is there, but my hands are tied if the teachers at my school are not willing to ventured out into the global collaborative world with me.

Kim Cofino has some great advice in her Step by Step Guide to Global Collaboration post. I just don’t feel that I am there yet, since I am missing some of the main ingredients: The teachers! The students are there and ready for this type of work.

CURRENT SITUATION
The Technology Integration Facilitator or Coach (or whatever your position is called in your school) is interested and willing to put effort, time and enthusiasm into a global collaborative project, but the teachers who are the ones with the actual student bodies who would be participating by reading, writing, comparing, creating, evaluating, and learning are not on board. Do we, as the integrationists, need to promote, encourage, and follow up more with our teacher colleagues. Do we need to get up on our soapbox (even more!!!) and stir up, advertise with our non blog-writing nor blog reading teachers all these great projects?

I need help with ideas and thoughts on what to do next. In summary, I am confronted with two issues:

1. Lack of interest and participation efforts from my school’s teachers in order to participate in existing global collaboration projects.
2. Not being able to find willing and committed classroom teachers from other schools to work collaboratively on an idea or project envisioned by our school.

So, now that I have been sobbing about my frustration and gotten you (maybe) to feel sorry for me, I will put a shameless plug in for another call (scream this time) for collaboration on the Teddy Bears Around the World Project.

PLEASE pass the opportunity along to any/all elementary school teachers friends who might not be reading blogs and are not part of any other social network. Maybe it is not enough to advertise through our digital venues. We might not be reaching the actual teacher in the classroom. I will spend some time today to design Here is a printable Teddy Bear Flyer for you to download. You might be able to hang it up in your teachers’ lounge. Any help in spreading the word is appreciated.