Technology Reluctance: Getting everyone on board with technology integration.
Often, teacher can have a bit of reluctance to move from their old ways of teaching to new, innovative ones. I would like to present some ideas of how to get teachers to embrace technology learning and teaching. Specifically, I am researching new ideas and creative ways to get veteran teachers, new teachers, and substitute teachers to integrate technology in their classes.
Teachers with 20 or more years of experience
There are many ways that can help persuade even the most reluctant teachers to use technology in their classroom.
1. Begin by using it within your building, through staff emails, during staff meetings, and modeling during school assemblies.
Veteran teachers may not have as much experience with technology, therefore, they do not know of the many ways it can help make their everyday teaching tasks easier. (http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/) These are just some of the
easy ways that a school can help teachers see the benefits of technology:
Eventually, veteran teachers will see that these methods of technology use will help them in the classroom. They will begin to realize that traditional methods are no longer effective as different students learn differently at a different pace. They will begin to see how effectively it engages students with lessons. (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use- technology) According to experts, most children have a distinct learning preference, meaning they take in information best by either seeing, hearing, or moving their bodies. These varied experiences can help students digest information in new ways and improve their retention levels (http://betterinviolet.hubpages.com/hub/How-Technology-in-the-Classroom-Makes-School-Fun).
2. It can be easy for a beginner!
The following ideas are great for a teacher that is beginning to use technology in their teaching:
Teachers need to realize that there is a lot of evidence to prove the benefits of using technology in the classroom. According to CompTIA’s press release titled, “Technology Helps Boost Student Performance”, “ A net 78 percent of the 500 educators surveyed by CompTIA believe the proliferation of technology has had a net positive impact on overall education results, processes and performances. Among the positive impacts, 65 percent of educators said students are more productive today than they were three years ago due to the use of technology” (http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%E2%80%99s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspx).
3. Give them time to explore and allow them to feel ownership.
Teachers need the opportunity to explore the new technology that they may be using. Giving this new technology to them in the middle of their year may overwhelm them with too much to do. They will not take full opportunity to utilize the new technologies and ignore it, or they will try it before becoming fully comfortable with it and gain only frustration. According to http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/, May and June are the best months to introduce new concepts.
Teachers need to be given the opportunity to treat their school tools as their own. Let them put their music on it, have administrative privileges, set up personal email, and more. This promotes the extra level of comfort that comes with a feeling of ownership (http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/).
In addition, administrators need to help educators by choosing easy-to-use software and hardware in the classroom (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use-technology). It makes it much more frustrating to a newbie techie to try and learn a program that is an advanced or expert level based technology.
4. Professional development is a must
Professional development is important in allowing the teacher to see first-hand how technology can enhance their lessons and make it more fun to learn. Administrators need to provide them with numerous opportunities to enhance their abilities. (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use-technology) How are teachers going to be taught these new skills without experts to teach them? It only makes sense.
5. Mentor teachers
Teachers who are unfamiliar with technology can be assigned a mentor to assist them. It helps to know there’s someone who can guide you and help you incorporate technology in the classroom if you’re feeling overwhelmed (http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers). As a Tech Coach, I am able to see how many teachers struggle to understand what comes so easily to many teachers and may seem like common knowledge. However, it is very important that these teachers feel they have someone easily accessible that is non-threatening and non-judgmental.
New Teachers
Newer teachers have had many experiences to technology, since they grew up with it right at their fingertips. With my own personal experience, I remember that technology was used as a tool at first, mainly for word processing; as I grew up, it went from a tool to a form of communication entertainment with Instant Messaging and Email. Rarely was it used for a tool for learning. Newer teachers may need to be reminded the many ways technology can be used as more than a way to entertain kids. It can be used as a new way to learn.
1. We need to give new teachers many different ideas of how to use technology as an educational tool in the classroom.
There are many great sites that can help newer teachers realize there are many ways to promote learning with technology. These may include:
Substitute Teachers
Schools need to help substitute teachers feel like they can use technology in the classroom.
1. The regular teacher needs to allow the substitute teacher access to his/her computer.
It is important that all teachers in the building get “on-board” with allowing substitutes to have access to their classroom computer and SMART board. Not only does it allow the classroom to continue to be run how it is when the regular teacher is present, it also gives the substitute more of an opportunity to become a “teacher” and not just a noise-control coach and warm body in the room. Educational technology—such as computer labs or digital whiteboards including SMART Boards—can help transform the substitute’s role in the classroom from babysitter to educator. The teachers [will] leave stuff on their computer, which goes directly to the SMART Board… You can go on the computer and pull up whatever they need you to http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/10/technology-offers-opportunities-challenges-for-substitute-teachers
2. Mentor teachers need to step up.
It is also helpful if technology savy teachers and staff in the building can mentor or assist the teachers who are subbing for the day. I know that when I was subbing, I had at least one name of a teacher who could give me some help as needed. This makes it much less intimidating to begin a lesson using technology. In addition, this person can help give the guest teacher some information on how technology is used in the building. Substitute teachers need to know up front any classroom rules and procedures. This is obvious. But what we need to remember is to tell them the school’s policies for technology use. “For substitutes teaching at multiple schools, there is the added challenge of knowing the schools' policies on everything from dress codes to hall passes and, increasingly, technology ranging from personal devices such as cell phones to school-provided technology like laptops and iPads/” ( http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/10/technology-offers-opportunities-challenges-for-substitute-teachers)
3. Substitute teachers need to be given resources of sites that they can find supplemental lessons and materials, as needed.
As your school decides to move forward with a technology plan for the school year, you may find that implementing many of these ideas I have listed above will greatly improve the technology proficiency, knowledge and success of all teachers. Good luck in your venture forward!
Teachers with 20 or more years of experience
There are many ways that can help persuade even the most reluctant teachers to use technology in their classroom.
1. Begin by using it within your building, through staff emails, during staff meetings, and modeling during school assemblies.
Veteran teachers may not have as much experience with technology, therefore, they do not know of the many ways it can help make their everyday teaching tasks easier. (http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/) These are just some of the
easy ways that a school can help teachers see the benefits of technology:
- DropBox can facilitate distributing handouts to faculty
- Google Drive is a better alternative to emailing drafts back and forth
- Google Earth can provide more interactive exploration of places, like the Grand Canyon
- Google Calendar makes scheduling appointments and reminders with multiple people a simpler task
Eventually, veteran teachers will see that these methods of technology use will help them in the classroom. They will begin to realize that traditional methods are no longer effective as different students learn differently at a different pace. They will begin to see how effectively it engages students with lessons. (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use- technology) According to experts, most children have a distinct learning preference, meaning they take in information best by either seeing, hearing, or moving their bodies. These varied experiences can help students digest information in new ways and improve their retention levels (http://betterinviolet.hubpages.com/hub/How-Technology-in-the-Classroom-Makes-School-Fun).
2. It can be easy for a beginner!
The following ideas are great for a teacher that is beginning to use technology in their teaching:
- Power Point game reviews – Teachers can easily find created game show style power point templates online that can help them review for a test.
- Webquests are also great ways to “guide students to search the Internet for specific information.” These can also be found already created online in many different units and subjects.
Teachers need to realize that there is a lot of evidence to prove the benefits of using technology in the classroom. According to CompTIA’s press release titled, “Technology Helps Boost Student Performance”, “ A net 78 percent of the 500 educators surveyed by CompTIA believe the proliferation of technology has had a net positive impact on overall education results, processes and performances. Among the positive impacts, 65 percent of educators said students are more productive today than they were three years ago due to the use of technology” (http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/11-06-28/Making_the_Grade_Technology_Helps_Boosts_Student_Performance_Staff_Productivity_in_Nation%E2%80%99s_Schools_New_CompTIA_Study_Finds.aspx).
3. Give them time to explore and allow them to feel ownership.
Teachers need the opportunity to explore the new technology that they may be using. Giving this new technology to them in the middle of their year may overwhelm them with too much to do. They will not take full opportunity to utilize the new technologies and ignore it, or they will try it before becoming fully comfortable with it and gain only frustration. According to http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/, May and June are the best months to introduce new concepts.
Teachers need to be given the opportunity to treat their school tools as their own. Let them put their music on it, have administrative privileges, set up personal email, and more. This promotes the extra level of comfort that comes with a feeling of ownership (http://plpnetwork.com/2013/03/27/hesitant-teachers-technology/).
In addition, administrators need to help educators by choosing easy-to-use software and hardware in the classroom (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use-technology). It makes it much more frustrating to a newbie techie to try and learn a program that is an advanced or expert level based technology.
4. Professional development is a must
Professional development is important in allowing the teacher to see first-hand how technology can enhance their lessons and make it more fun to learn. Administrators need to provide them with numerous opportunities to enhance their abilities. (http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/624-how-to-make-a-hesitant-teacher-use-technology) How are teachers going to be taught these new skills without experts to teach them? It only makes sense.
5. Mentor teachers
Teachers who are unfamiliar with technology can be assigned a mentor to assist them. It helps to know there’s someone who can guide you and help you incorporate technology in the classroom if you’re feeling overwhelmed (http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers). As a Tech Coach, I am able to see how many teachers struggle to understand what comes so easily to many teachers and may seem like common knowledge. However, it is very important that these teachers feel they have someone easily accessible that is non-threatening and non-judgmental.
New Teachers
Newer teachers have had many experiences to technology, since they grew up with it right at their fingertips. With my own personal experience, I remember that technology was used as a tool at first, mainly for word processing; as I grew up, it went from a tool to a form of communication entertainment with Instant Messaging and Email. Rarely was it used for a tool for learning. Newer teachers may need to be reminded the many ways technology can be used as more than a way to entertain kids. It can be used as a new way to learn.
1. We need to give new teachers many different ideas of how to use technology as an educational tool in the classroom.
There are many great sites that can help newer teachers realize there are many ways to promote learning with technology. These may include:
- 100,000 Stars
- Wiki pages
- Blogs, such as Blogger
- Edmodo (Unlike Facebook, it has excellent security features that keep interactions private (and protect students from cyberbullying) http://betterinviolet.hubpages.com/hub/How-Technology-in-the-Classroom-Makes-School-Fun
- Voki makes doing oral presentations much more manageable for introverted students. As studies show, many children feel safer and become more social when they use a computer program, since it eliminates the need for face-to-face interaction. ). http://betterinviolet.hubpages.com/hub/How-Technology-in-the-Classroom-Makes-School-Fun
Substitute Teachers
Schools need to help substitute teachers feel like they can use technology in the classroom.
1. The regular teacher needs to allow the substitute teacher access to his/her computer.
It is important that all teachers in the building get “on-board” with allowing substitutes to have access to their classroom computer and SMART board. Not only does it allow the classroom to continue to be run how it is when the regular teacher is present, it also gives the substitute more of an opportunity to become a “teacher” and not just a noise-control coach and warm body in the room. Educational technology—such as computer labs or digital whiteboards including SMART Boards—can help transform the substitute’s role in the classroom from babysitter to educator. The teachers [will] leave stuff on their computer, which goes directly to the SMART Board… You can go on the computer and pull up whatever they need you to http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/10/technology-offers-opportunities-challenges-for-substitute-teachers
2. Mentor teachers need to step up.
It is also helpful if technology savy teachers and staff in the building can mentor or assist the teachers who are subbing for the day. I know that when I was subbing, I had at least one name of a teacher who could give me some help as needed. This makes it much less intimidating to begin a lesson using technology. In addition, this person can help give the guest teacher some information on how technology is used in the building. Substitute teachers need to know up front any classroom rules and procedures. This is obvious. But what we need to remember is to tell them the school’s policies for technology use. “For substitutes teaching at multiple schools, there is the added challenge of knowing the schools' policies on everything from dress codes to hall passes and, increasingly, technology ranging from personal devices such as cell phones to school-provided technology like laptops and iPads/” ( http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/10/technology-offers-opportunities-challenges-for-substitute-teachers)
3. Substitute teachers need to be given resources of sites that they can find supplemental lessons and materials, as needed.
- Discovery Education’s United Streaming is a great way for substitute teachers to use a filler in a lesson as needed. Our district should invest in this subscription.
- Teacher Tube/YouTube
- Khan Academy
- Learn Out Loud
- Teach-nology
- Discovery Education Crossword puzzle maker
As your school decides to move forward with a technology plan for the school year, you may find that implementing many of these ideas I have listed above will greatly improve the technology proficiency, knowledge and success of all teachers. Good luck in your venture forward!