The Case Study videos were all very impressive in their exemplary teaching. Particularly, I enjoyed watching the Case 1 videos, and felt strongly that the student testimonials and interview with the other members of staff who were on the STEM team were powerful. In contrast, the video labeled ‘New Teacher’ in the Case 5 video had a teacher who was struggling to make a case for technology integration in her own classroom, despite being able to describe many of its benefits. To paraphrase, she cites ‘not enough time’, and ‘not being taught more about technology integration in her teacher education program’ as barriers that stand between her personal practice and bringing technology into the classroom on a regular basis (as her colleague has done).
For me, the underlying issues are the facts that time, willingness to collaborate, and additional reliance on others for troubleshooting and difficulties are all required in order to have successful outcomes. It’s clear from all of the case study videos that the students and teachers alike are engaged and enthusiastic about the learning going on.
This raises the question: how do we get all teachers on board? How can we facilitate this mind shift where teachers don’t see tech integration as an add-on, cumbersome, and frustrating addition to an already over-scheduled checklist of things that need to be done?
Once the mind shift switches to technology as something that can not only improve the quality of the lesson, but more importantly the quality of the learning, it appears that teachers are ready to jump on board. The majority of the videos presented showed teachers that were keen on trying out new tech initiatives and wanted to learn about them.
In following the lead of the exemplary teachers in these videos, I’d encourage some kind of buddy system in a school, so that teachers can slowly grow their network of in-house technology experts. In the Case 1 video, the teachers that collaborated and worked together had a practically seamless approach to their STEM program. They were all very clearly on the same page, each teacher played a critical role, and they fed off of each others’ energy and commitment to the program. Additionally, they mentioned going on [school board approved] professional development sessions to further develop their skills, which accentuates their being committed learners and teachers. In many of the videos, there is some sort of mention of ‘knowing that you don’t know everything’, and seeking expertise, professional development, and relying on the resources around you (skilled and enthusiastic staff) to help alleviate some of the stress around not feeling able to incorporate technology effectively.
The issues with conceptual challenges students might have, I feel was best addressed by technology usage in the Case 7 video. Where the ‘clickers’ allowed students anonymity in admitting what they may not know, it also had them actively participate so that the professor could speak to misunderstood concepts in the moment. The ability to use the clickers as whole-class formative assessment without causing any kind of embarrassment to the individual students is a great way of making sure all the students understand the lesson. Though there isn’t much room for them to ‘dig deeper’ and explain their thinking (and thus their potential misconceptions), it does give the teacher a snapshot of what they do and do not understand without putting anyone on the spot.
Hi Amanda,
I enjoyed reading your thoughtful post.
I completely agree with you when you say “time, willingness to collaborate, and additional reliance on others for troubleshooting and difficulties are all required in order to have successful outcomes.” There are many variables to successfully incorporating technology into the classroom and like you said, the mind shift needs to be changed. I conducted my interview with my administrator last week and she talked about this in depth. She told me that when she started teaching 15 years ago, she was very illiterate in using technology and thought that it would be a hinder to learning. Fast forward 15 years later, she is one of the most technologically-advanced individuals I know. I asked her what the shift was- she said that when she thought of her students, she knew she could be doing more for them. That mind shift can only happen when educators find that answer for themselves; anything before is premature and it will not last.
Thanks for your comments, Sabrina. That’s so refreshing to hear that your administrator saw an opportunity for her own growth, despite having reservations. I think it perpetuates an important realization that all teachers will likely come to; even if they aren’t as courageous as your admin, they certainly can’t stop the movement of technology into the classrooms. Best bet is to continue learning!
Hi Amanda,
Your question on how do we facilitate this mind shift where teachers don’t find technology as a nuisance or hindrance to their practice but a tool that can improve learning efficiency. I think one issue is that teachers can often fall victim to the paradox of too much choice, whereby they become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of option available. I think the best thing to be done to facilitate this mind shift is to encourage every teacher, regardless of their digital proficiency, to explore at least one educational technology with which to explore and experiment with. There is also the argument, that teachers should not be adopting technology just for the sake of adopting technology. The adoption of technology always needs to serve as a solution to a problem or increase learning efficiency in some facet. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reflections!
Thanks for your insights, Bryn!
I completely agree that it can be entirely overwhelming- especially if teachers are just learning to navigate the systems themselves, in addition to having to think about how to best integrate them. Your advice for exploring one technology makes a ton of sense- this also facilitates room for thoughtful collaboration, builds confidence if the teacher then becomes the resident ‘expert’ on that one technology (or app/program, etc.), and narrows down the choices so the task of integrating tech seems much less daunting.
I also agree with your point that technology shouldn’t be used just for the sake of adopting it… I actually think that this can reinforce a ton of terrible habits if it’s not done thoughtfully and intentionally. This requires time though, and for everyone to have the same goals for tech development in education. Thanks for your input!
Hi Amanda,
I agree with your idea of a Buddy support system! It may help if we understand that people react different to innovation. The diffusion of innovation theory says that there are different groups of people – most videos seem to represent innovators, keen to pioneer new technology, as well as early adopters, willing to adopt it in their classroom. However, not all teachers will fall in these groups. Others may be part of the late majority – only following what the majority does. Or they are even part of the group of “laggards” – not willing to change, too being afraid of risks that technology may bring with it (e.g. role change, showing the own incompetence). The retired teacher in video 5 may fall in this category. I assume that any buddy system of professional development approach needs to consider that different teachers have different needs – and that some teachers are very reluctant to change and reluctant to try out new things. We may not reach all of them …
Elske
Hi Elske,
Thanks for your thoughtful response. Good point- I hadn’t elaborated much on the idea of different teachers being paired with people that would compliment their needs and help them grow. It would be tricky if they were averse to working with certain people (and like our students, would require some skillful coaxing!). I guess in that case, some sort of small group setting would ideally keep everyone accountable, and would give teachers the chance to explore a specific focus within their group. I’m thinking along the lines of what Bryn posted above- having teachers focus on one specific technology in a group small enough that no one would feel intimidated, but large enough that they don’t have to rely on and work with just one other person. It certainly adds another important layer to the equation- thanks for your thoughts!!