This week, I read an article about how teachers are afraid to use technology, and how their tech-savvy colleagues can help alleviate that fear. Attendees of the iNACOL blended learning symposium, a large educational technology conference in San Antonio, had a lot of discussions about this fear of technology held by many educators. They determined that many teachers have anxiety about being embarrassed in front of their students when the students are more proficient with new technology than they are. In addition, many teachers also fear that new technology will take too long to learn and they may face repercussions from their administrators if they struggle with it.
The goal in several of the conference sessions was to find solutions to help teachers feel more comfortable around technology. One solution involved setting aside time for teachers who have successfully used a new tool or technique to model said technique for their colleagues. Other suggestions included having students take the reins on a technology-based project with the teacher observing and learning, and providing personal devices for teachers to take home and familiarize themselves with it gradually on their own time. The general solution to alleviate technological anxiety is to communicate the message that it's OK to take risks with technology and be vulnerable. One district has even made it a point to stress to administrators not to penalize teachers on their evaluations if they use a technology that fails. It is the attendees' hope that they can help their colleagues become less stressed and facilitate more openness to technology by implementing these strategies.
I think this article is so important. We, as educators who are taking this course, should take it upon ourselves, like the iNACOL attendees did, to help our colleagues as we become more comfortable with what we are learning. This will help our schools as a whole progress towards the future.
Article: https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/conquering-teachers-tech-anxieties-recurrent-theme-inacol/
I can see this being a legitimate problem for many professionals. Many of the professionals I work with are very behind in the use of technology. They struggle with knowing how to use it properly, even very simple things. In the district I work in though, there is not a lot of backlash from administration because they are even more behind then we are. Many times I will get called to the office to fix an administrators computer! I do think it is very important though to help other's along in the use of technology rather than making them feel stupid for not knowing how to use it.
ReplyDeleteI know this can be a common concern. I think giving teachers more opportunities to see the technology in use seems like a great plan. I also liked how students could take the reins and use the program. Communication is definitely key, if teachers communicate with one another about technology it can help with tips and tricks to make using technology much easier to effectively use it in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think another reason why some teachers are hesitant to use technology is because they don't wish to admit to students that they are not experts in the area. I know when I started using Google a few years ago, I told the students we would be learning together as it was new to me as well. A colleague suggested that I use a "tip board" where I could post steps the students had learned and share with all of the other classes. Worked really well and we were truly learning together.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a reality, even for young teachers like myself. I love to incorporate technology into my lessons, but it is SO embarrassing when things don't go according to plan...and let me tell you, high school students can be down right mean! I feel like I need to always be on my "A game" when I teach them, so if I make mistakes or they find glitches along the way, I lose my credibility to them. I agree that there should be more time to practice some of the new technology that we use in our daily teaching so that we don't have to learn as we are delivering a lesson!
ReplyDeleteThis fear is definitely more common among educators than most would think. I think this speaks to the importance of professional development and training to help teachers keep up with the continuous advancements in technology. I also think that it's important for administrators to understand the learning curve and rather than penalize educators for attempting something new, they should reward them for it. Just like a new curriculum, it takes time to implement technology into the classroom effectively and successfully.
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