Tips for the "Tech-weary"

Not long ago, I was in a conversation with a group of teachers and one of our colleagues shared her frustration about all of the change that we were enduring.  She was tired of learning one thing, only to have it replaced with something new.  She wanted to know when we would just be able to use what we have without change.  To which I replied, "Never."  This was obviously not the response she was looking for and I understand that.  But what we all have to understand is that, in this rapidly changing world, the only constant we can expect in our profession is change.  How else can we prepare students for living in a world where technologies and jobs that they will be facing are not even created yet?  The bottom line is that we can't...or we shouldn't.  If we do, we risk facing as a school what I like to refer to as the "Blockbuster Effect."  We either change with the times, or we become obsolete- and maybe even have to close our doors.

The dilemma we face here is not unique to Ashbury.  Indeed, teachers all over the continent grow weary of trying to keep up with the latest and greatest. Because they cant afford to throw their hands up and avoid technology, they may try some of these tips:

Focus-  You do not have to do everything every year...instead commit to doing something- every year.  Ask good questions and take time to dabble with new tools so that you can decide which are the best fit for your teaching style and curriculum.  Then introduce only a few new things each year.  "Rome was not built in a day!"

Fight the Urge to Preconceive-  Learn about what a tool can do before determining how you will (or will not) use it.  Your use may be different from anyone else's.  Brianna Crowley (Education Week -Teacher) suggests, "You will have effectively integrated technology when you've used it to provide an opportunity for learning that your students would not have had otherwise." Chances are, if you are doing the same thing the same way you have for years, it's time to look for a better/easier/fresher way.  It isn't just a matter of replacing old tools with new- it's about teaching differently."

Evaluate Potential:  Check for usefulness.  You can ask:  Has this tool been recommended by someone knowledgeable or someone whom I respect?  Will I be able to expand my classroom beyond my four walls?  Does this tool save time for my students?  Will this tool facilitate my students' use of higher-order thinking skills?  Does this tool solve a persistent problem for my students or me?  A tool is only as good as the work it helps us produce.

Model Life-long Learning:  Using technology as a tool for learning:  we need to model it.  We should be using technology to increase our ability to learn from or collaborate with each other.  If you want your students to get "stuff" done in groups outside of class, use technology to get "stuff" done with your colleagues.  If you want your kids to be reflective in a blog, read some of your own to see what impact they can have.  If you want kids to respond to questions and comments outside of class, spend some time checking out Twitter or other discussion forums.  How do the ones created for educators benefit you?  The bottom line is we cannot stop learning and growing.  They can't either.

Many of these tips came from Brianna Crowley's article in Education Week: Teacher.  To view the complete article, go to:  http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/10/24/tln_crowley_tech.html