Where to Start

I believe that in order to start a successful integration initiative, the first step would be to (#8) facilitate the transition from teacher-centered learning to learner-driven. My reasoning for this comes from practical experience. Until teachers move beyond using technology as a personal productivity tool or to substitute for outdated learning models all of the other evaluation, professional development, new tools, etc. will be directed toward the wrong result and will further delay the necessary changes. 

Technology integration has very little to do with technology and a lot to do with integration. Starting with the question "what do I want students to learn?" is the most critical part. Only then can we look at how we are currently answering this question and consider how better to answer it. Here's an example: when visiting a classroom, I saw that the teachers were having the students watch a short news-type video. The content was current and I asked the teachers what they were watching. She said current events. My follow up question was why they were watching it. Again the answer was current events - they were then going to have a quiz on it. As tactfully as possible, I asked what the teacher wanted the students to learn from the video. Was it about the events themselves? Was it to foster discussion about the topic? Was it some sort of scaffolding activity leading to something else? Once that question was answered - or more directly, once that question was clear in the mind of the teacher - we could then look at how to accomplish the goal. If it was to answer questions (hopefully correctly), perhaps the best course of action was to put the video in EdPuzzle or similar program. The questions could then be asked and if necessary the student could review and get the appropriate answer. Beginning discussion on a topic in the video would require a different approach, etc. 

To get teachers to effectively integrate technology, they have to know what it is they are trying to change. If I were back in the classroom with the current pallet of tools, there are a number of things that could be changed. The ability to differentiate would be one, both in ways that the student could display understanding and the level of work that each student could undertake. If I want a student to show that they understand content and they can do it by speaking on video, why is it necessary to have a written assignment? Now if the goal is to teach proper writing form then writing would be necessary, but why would all students need the same prompt?

When students have some control over the learning, whether it be content or method, they will take ownership of it. The tool is often irrelevant. The control that the student needs is control that has to be given up by the teacher. When we get to the point that the focus becomes the balance of what the teacher needs to accomplish and what the student can be allowed to control (or learner-driven) then the other aspects can flow from that balance. Teachers will actively seek professional development that promotes that balance. They will try (and sometimes fail and re-try) strategies that find the appropriate levels of that balance. They will become learners again and will seek out the best ways to accomplish both student and teacher goals.

Buy In

The more I work with teachers to incorporate technology, the more I am convinced that we are truly limited in what we can encourage folks to try. Not to sound too pessimistic here, but there is one instance that stands out in my mind. While trying to help teachers learn about our new LMS I was doing individual sessions with teachers to address their needs. One teacher in particular went on with reason after reason why using an LMS wouldn't be the right move for her. As I addressed and solved her concerns one by one, she came to her last gambit - she just liked reading off of paper rather than from a screen and wouldn't use an LMS because of that.

I thought a lot about that conversation and now have a response to those kind of questions. In this case, my response could (and should have been), "how would you react to a student who said they weren't going to read the book that you assigned because they preferred to read from a screen?". Teachers need to adapt to the realities of the students they teach just as we teach the students that they need to be adaptable to the world in which they live. As my wife (also a teacher) said, "In 2016, a teacher that isn't able to use technology at some level isn't just inconvenient, but is incompetent." I have to agree.

So, what to do. Again, after a lot of thought and a lot of reading there seems to be a limited number of options available to address this gap between student and teacher familiarity. From a school and integration perspective one avenue would be to simply help those that wish to be helped. Malcolm Gladwell writes about this in The Tipping Point. His contention is that there can be a period of gradual adoption of a new idea or new product until there reaches a tipping point of those on the adoption side of the issue. At that point, adoption speeds up and the idea really catches on and becomes a full blown trend.  Good to Great espouses a similar theory when it comes to business. The business stays true to what it believes is right and while progress will be slow and steady there will come a point where it takes off, and when it does it will last.

Also in Good to Great, the authors address how to handle individuals within that company who don't buy into the core tenets of the company. Among the suggestions given are to continue to invest in those that have the same vision and those that don't will decide for themselves that they can adapt or move on to positions that suit them better. When that doesn't work, however, the authors do say that there are cases when an employee is so ingrained that they can resist and still remain in the company. In those cases, the only thing to do it attempt to marginalize their negative impact and "wait it out" until they retire, but make sure you hire someone in their place that will contribute.

John Kotter advocates much the same thing in Leading Change regarding those who resist, indicating that you need to move on without those folks if there is nothing else that can be done. He does add a layer into that formula however that is significant to education. His suggestion is that you certainly listen to those who dissent as they may have valid points to consider and can be valuable resources once their concerns have been addressed. Often they are the ones who can be the best advocates once they have "seen the light".

So what does this all mean? In my opinion it is imperative that we try and try to do the right things for our students. We will fail and try again. We have to celebrate those teachers that try and fail. We surround those that refuse to make the necessary transitions with those who are having success by incorporating change. Perhaps most importantly, we give the students the tools directly and force those teachers to see that they are doing themselves and their students a disservice by not keeping up with the best practices available.

CIESC Cohort 7

Why This, Why Now?

So here we are blogging for an assignment. It seems that the only time I blog is for some class assignment or activity. Not because I have any issue with blogging in general, in fact I read blogs all of the time. It just seems like a bad fit for me as what I would share is typically gleaned from the works of others and so not very original. 

Perhaps it will change with this blog. In fact, one of the answers to the question "What are my goals for this course" would be to find tools, strategies and topics that are presented and shared in this course and to find new or unique ways to incorporate them with our teachers. Most likely, I won't write any unique program or come up with some totally unique teaching method, but there is no reason that I can't "cross discipline" existing methods or tools. 

A second goal, and perhaps a larger one, is to simply soak in what others offer. While going to a national conference or elearning session is great and there are certainly benefits, those typically are a gathering of folks who have an interest in one thing listening to someone who has expertise in that thing for an hour or so and then moving to the next thing. The set up of this class allows us to get to know the other participants and share experiences more than just techniques. Then, and in my case it already has happened, we can see how others deal with similar circumstances and gain insight to our own. It's also nice that for the most part there aren't any "big names" that would cause us to defer to them or who would unintentionally dominate the conversation.

Finally, building a local community is becoming increasingly important to me as our technology initiative develops so that there are resources that we can actually make arrangements to visit if necessary. Having connections across the country is fine and gives you a peek into the situations of others but talking to others with a local perspective can lead to insight of its own. Mutual contacts, knowledge of local situations, understanding repercussions of legislative decisions are all examples of how a local community can be of incredible value.

I have already began sharing some of the resources we have been discussing. As I develop my Symbaloo webmixes by subject I am sharing those with teachers who would find them valuable. The tech tips and training sessions have already and will continue to reflect the gained knowledge. Hopefully our teachers will be able to expand their toolkit along with me as I share out. Interestingly, we were developing a presentation for a grant and as we worked were looking for a different way to present besides a slide deck. It turns out the ThingLink was the perfect vehicle for the presentation. So, while it benefitted the presentation it also was a direct and valuable way to introduce the tool to the other members of the presentation team.

And, perhaps after writing a few blog posts the regular sharing will become comfortable enough to turn into a regular thing. After all, if I got it from somewhere maybe someone will get it from me and find it valuable.