As an educator I believe that you have to stay on top of what’s new. We are preparing our students to be leaders and we have to teach them the skills so that they can be better prepared. Technology is changing every day and we have to stay on top of it. I have noticed that most of the veteran teachers at my school are so used to teaching a certain way that the technology that my school does has is going to waste.
My school received a math grant that included mounting projectors, air writers for the SMART Board, and math cps units. The math coach said that even though the classrooms had SMART Boards for years that some of the teachers were still using overhead projector to teach their math lessons. The coach said that she paid extra attention to these teachers and made sure that she showed them how to use the SMART Board and CPS unit. The math coach stated that by the end of the year that the teachers had improved on using the technology and that she started dropping in two to three times a week to once a week (which she was doing with the other teachers). I think that Keller’s ARCS model of motivation worked with these teachers. The coach gave them the added attention they needed, showed the relevance of using the technology in the class to help with student understanding. Confidence was showed when the teachers were effectively using the technology without assistance.
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Hello, Shauna. I enjoyed reading your post. It is true that veteran teachers often resist new initiatives, including technologies. Yet, I am even more discouraged when I see the newer teachers displaying resistant behaviors. At my school it seems that the veteran teachers are leading the charge in adopting new practices while the new teachers are struggling to keep their heads above water. I think this is where modeling come into play. The veteran teachers sometimes must model enthusiasm for learning as well as the new technology - it is a healthy reminder to see older teachers still trying new techniques in pursuit of a higher purpose.
ReplyDeleteShauna:
ReplyDeleteIt is very typical to have “paper trained” teachers using the technologies without skepticism. I think many of them have to see the benefits or the impact of the technology, and develop confidence. Further, many have a fear that they will not perform well with the technology; they will mess things up for their students. I have also noticed that when these teachers get to understand the benefits of the technology and become comfortable with it, they are willing to give it a try. As they try and gain success, their confidence is further boosted.
Soushira