Monday, May 9, 2011
Module 5: New Technologies
Resistance using technology in the workplace… THIS is the REASON I decided to pursue a PhD in Educational Technology! I wanted to learn the skills or theories or whatever it is I am lacking that would CHANGE this in my school. I wanted the credentials to become Curriculum Integration Director so that I could effect this change in my school. When I first started, my class was actually integrated…meaning teachers came with their classes and I integrated what was happening in their classes into their “computer lab” time. But teachers wanted no part of it. They would not help in the class and on days I was absent, they simply “skipped” computers that day rather than take the students themselves. When I asked why they don’t come if I am absent, they replied, “I don’t know what I’m doing and I don’t have time to learn something new.”
The overall attitude towards computers in the curriculum was and is, “I don’t have time to think up a lesson plan for computers.” This is a total and complete misdirection of thinking and understanding. They are still looking at computers as a topic they must teach rather than a tool they can use. I am here, I teach the students how to use the computers, how to do stuff, etc. The students have the skills; it’s the teachers who are just not interested in utilizing the tools and the students’ skills.
Using Keller’s ARCS model (Driscoll, 2005, p. 333) to help change these attitudes and resistance could be a helpful guide. I would begin with Relevance. By demonstrating to teachers through student projects I design based on their curriculum, I hope to show teachers how using the computer skills I am already teaching the students can be utilized in their classrooms to ENHANCE what they are doing and perhaps make it “easier”. By showing them Relevance, I hope this will translate to grabbing their Attention. Attention is a huge obstacle with my school’s faculty, so trying to grab it first will not work; I’ve tried it several times. The new approach is to show the Relevance first, then I will have their attention. Once I have their attention then we can delve deeper into the Relevance to help lead them into trying and wanting to know how and more.
With my assistance and training, I can start the teachers out with small assignments or projects with the students. From the successes of these I hope the teachers’ Confidence will build. This Confidence would be both in their personal skills and the realization that the students CAN do this and DO know what they are doing. As their Confidence grows, so too will their Satisfaction. They will begin to see transference of knowledge with the students and with their own personal skills. As their Satisfaction grows, so will the willingness and desire to try more. At least this is how I envision ARCS would help me affect the change in my school I wish to accomplish.
Reference
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
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For Module 5, I responded to the following blogs:
Bradley Gogan
http://gogans.blogspot.com/
Erica Ellsworth
http://ericaellswortheduc8845.blogspot.com/
Lauren Dart
http://ldart7105blog.blogspot.com/
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Response to Rand:
ReplyDeleteChristine,
Do you find oppposition to this same situation still occurs? I am finding most teachers are technologically savvy. There is a basic skill set now unspoken in the teaching world. It is expected computers are part of the job skill set. Electronic grading programs, school web pages are expected to be updated or at least contributions made to the site. Teaching is changing and computers, smart boards and the like are changing the face of brick and mortar classrooms. Resistance to change is futile.
Bradley
Bradley,
ReplyDeleteYes, this attitude is prevalent still, at least in the school I work in, which is why I am pursuing this PhD in the first place. I want to change that. Your statements are true to point about most teachers knowing they have to use technology in their curriculum. But our staff here has been here for 25+ years. They are not coming in with the same attitudes as a school with younger teachers coming in all the time.
-Christine
Christine,
ReplyDeleteWe share a lot of the same feeling in regards to Educational Technology in the K-12 scene. I decided to get my PhD because my school has discovered so many new programs, that makes teaching so engaging for the students. Therefore, I wanted to pursue a degree in it to learn about more programs to share with my colleagues.
Keller’s, “be what you want them to do” statement sums up how I think effective adoption begins. If we want teachers and students to effectively adopt a technology innovation, showing and modeling to them how amazing the tool is essential. Also, encouraging them to play with the tool will help them begin to believe in the technology tool. Have you ever had a "be what you want them to do" experience?
Thanks for your great post! Keep up your hard work!
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Christine,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that as I started reading your post, all I could hear was "resistance is futile." I know that you aren't trying to Borg your fellow teachers though :)
I can see parallels in what we both talked about this week. I can also see that the change piece is HUGE here. What you are doing would see to work, right? You are linking and scaffolding assignments so that no new work is involved and students are continuing on the same path. The biggest piece is that you are asking colleagues to step out of comfort zones. This was one aspect of motivation that I really had to rethink with the ARCS model. You are "selling"motivation really. How is it relevant to them? What are they going to get in return? It's almost like selling a product.
How long do you think it will take you to win over at least half of your colleagues?
Erica
Christine,
ReplyDeleteI have made a similar observation regarding the outcomes to technology implementation in my school district. Although the integration of technology tools into the classroom increased dramatically over the past years, classroom practices in our schools have not changed significantly. Transformation in teacher practices through the use of new technologies pose new challenges. Our teachers cite lack of preparation time or increased workload as barriers to their technology integration in instruction. Thus, I also agree that needed change lies in an emphasis on teacher support structures and motivation systems.
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and I must admit that at one time my thinking was also twisted concerning lessons on computers. I now have transformed my way of thinking and I want to know how to better integrate computer usage in the classroom to accommodate the needs of the student. With little knowledge about computers I decided to take the plunge and get an EdS in Technology.