Perhaps the best training we might give teachers is through opportunities to expand their creativity, build confidence in their ability to use available tools, and recognize their own potential as conscious and creative designers, with and through technology.
- Henriksen 2019
“I’m just not a technology person.”
If I had a dollar for every time I heard that as a technology educator, I could retire tomorrow. Most of my students are generally open-minded and exploratory in their digital literacy, but a good portion of educators at my school are hesitant to learn a new tool and are often stuck in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As a technology leader in my school, I want to emerge in the coming years as more of a trainer of teachers. In the past, I have been under the impression that the best way to do that is to ask to speak at PDs about specific tools for educators in my building. I have spoken about GoGuardian, Canva, Flip, etc., but I am realizing now that the training I need to do with teachers is mindset based, not skill based. How can I assist those around me in building their confidence and recognizing their own potential?
Once teachers explore technology options, they should be free to choose the one that fits their needs best. (This may not always be an option due to district requirements, pricing, availability, etc., but it should be the standard practice when applicable.) One size does not fit all for our students, so it should not be expected to work for educators. Educators can choose a tool that works for their needs, practice it, implement it, and hopefully master it. While we might not be experts at every tool or platform that we utilize, we should hone our focus on those that are most beneficial to our context. Once we master one tool and become closer to experts, it becomes easier to transfer the learning to another tool.
Even if educators gain the confidence and are given the space and choice to explore diverse educational technology tools, will that make them passionate about educational technology? Or will it feel like another item on the never-ending list of expectations from admin? It is unrealistic to expect every teacher to find passion for integrating technology into their work, but I believe it is obtainable to have them all become self-assured and optimistic in their usage of new technology tools. Creating a culture with a mindset of exploration and risk-taking is how we teach our students, so carrying that over in the professional learning community should be the standard practice. We need to strive to better equip our fellow educators to be technology users and integrators. Just remember: acknowledge success, grow confidence, explore new tools, master tools, repeat.
The first step is getting educators to acknowledge the successes they are already having in their education through technology. They turn on the Smartboard every day; they have mastered the use of SmartNotes on their computers; they can properly use Google Classroom. I think that once we “master” the use of a tool or platform, we forget that as a success and think of it as second nature. Each of these things is a skill that at once seemed impossible or incomprehensibly. I would like to be more celebratory of the successes of fellow educators in order for them to “recognize their own potential as conscious and creative designers” (Henriksen 2019). We encourage our students to celebrate their successes and even set aside time in class to do so (for example, publishing parties), so why are we so quick to forget to celebrate our own?
Once they are able to recognize that, confidence will follow next. With that confidence, educators will be more open to trying new things and playfully exploring technology, just as we are asking our students to do. Teaching educators is all about giving opportunities to explore technology. We can become so schedule focused in PD and want to fit so many things in that it becomes hard for teachers to find time and motivation to explore new technology tools. Giving teachers time to explore options and tools would be incredibly beneficial to making them more open to creatively integrating technology into their instruction. Here are some helpful links for exploring technology tools independently or along with colleagues:
Once teachers explore technology options, they should be free to choose the one that fits their needs best. (This may not always be an option due to district requirements, pricing, availability, etc., but it should be the standard practice when applicable.) One size does not fit all for our students, so it should not be expected to work for educators. Educators can choose a tool that works for their needs, practice it, implement it, and hopefully master it. While we might not be experts at every tool or platform that we utilize, we should hone our focus on those that are most beneficial to our context. Once we master one tool and become closer to experts, it becomes easier to transfer the learning to another tool.
Even if educators gain the confidence and are given the space and choice to explore diverse educational technology tools, will that make them passionate about educational technology? Or will it feel like another item on the never-ending list of expectations from admin? It is unrealistic to expect every teacher to find passion for integrating technology into their work, but I believe it is obtainable to have them all become self-assured and optimistic in their usage of new technology tools. Creating a culture with a mindset of exploration and risk-taking is how we teach our students, so carrying that over in the professional learning community should be the standard practice. We need to strive to better equip our fellow educators to be technology users and integrators. Just remember: acknowledge success, grow confidence, explore new tools, master tools, repeat.
Henriksen, Danah & Mehta, Rohit & Rosenberg, Joshua. (2019). Supporting A Creatively Focused Technology Fluent Mindset Among Educators: A Five-Year Inquiry Into Teachers' Confidence With Technology. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. 27. 63-95.