Lots of food for thought after today’s analysis of a few wordy terms:
I wasn’t sure where it was all going at first but as Jenny brought these terms to life and then back to relatable, real life situations, certain statements had me thinking.
The institution within which we work is constantly shaping us. There is no doubt that we have to adapt to the environment we work in each and every day. But how much does this environment push us to move forward or hold us back? Perhaps we are surrounded by a lot of “Debbie Downers” who throw their hands up in frustration at the first sign of technological dysfunction. If we allow ourselves to be “shaped” by this socio cultural environment then, we too, have the potential to fall into a state of paralysis where we no longer seek change or fight for the basic minimum (I’m speaking in terms of technology here) to allow us to flourish in our professional lives.
So I left today’s class thinking about my school and how I might be influenced or influence the members of my school community when it comes to using technology. I was on the Technology Committee last year and that was really a great way to tap into what the challenges were, what resources students and teachers had access to, what resources were lacking and what plans the VSB had in store to attempt to meet the needs of our so-called 21st century schools and their learners.
As one of three teacher-librarians in my school, I deal with technology and with teachers’ successes and frustrations with technology on a daily basis. I always feel super motivated by the teachers who are on the leading edge of technology as they are seemingly unafraid to incorporate it at every possible turn and seem so comfortable (how do they do that?). I also encounter many teachers who are super resistant to relying on technology in any way shape or form. So one of the key things I walked away with today was to be aware of the influences within my institution. I think I have a natural tendency to lean towards my colleagues who embrace technology wholeheartedly because I know I can learn so much from them and embark on some pretty extraordinary collaboration. And when it comes to the “Negative Nancys”…I am going to think positive, display an upbeat attitude towards technology (even if I might be feeling super frustrated too) and be that person who is fiercely advocating for improvements in this area. So does that make me an Ambitious Anne-Marie? Nothing wrong with ambition, is there?
The attitudes we adopt have a huge affect on those we interact with. This is the useful side of mimetic institutional isomorphism – when we model self-efficacy, productive problem-solving, emancipating lobbying – our thoughts and actions influence what it is capable for others to think and feel. If a tech-resistent teacher encounters a technological glitzche, they are likely to have a strong emotional response of fear, because the locus of control in the lesson has gone from their teaching to the non-functioning technology. That is not a good feeling! However, we can develop a skillful response to the inevitable complexities of technology in schools and adopt a different comportment and composure when something unexpected happens. We can draw strength from our memories of solving technological problems before. We can draw inspiration from our network of supportive colleagues who have encountered similar difficulties and devised work-arounds and solutions. We can draw resolve from seeing our students light up with the chance of researching, interpreting, and presenting their learning in multi-modalities.