Musings in Edtech PD Part 1

As I write this post, I would like to start with the premise that this will not be the only post I intend to write about Edtech PD. Im new to this field and I would appreciate feedback as I am running in to some roadblocks as I try to help educators integrate Edtech in a meaningful way.

But before I even get into the Nitty Gritty, I want to start with an intro which I think most of us who are helping teachers can relate:

I have been teaching high school students with the utilization of web 2.0 tools for about a year now (with major success) as well as flipping some of my classes. My principal took notice and asked if I would be willing to coach other teachers with these tools too. I accepted and prepared for the 2012-2013 year with much enthusiasm. My school sent me to ISTE 2012 and this helped me become familiar with what other school districts are currently using in their classrooms. I spent most of the summer preparing material and tutorials as well as a Prezi which I used to introduce Edtech to the teachers during our first faculty meeting.

The presentation was a success, and the teachers were enthusiastic to start learning about these new tools to use in their classroom. I setup meetings with individual teachers (always 1 to 1), and I was pretty much busy most of the day meeting and helping them integrate Edtech.

But here is when I reached a little (personal) snag.

You see I believe that the purpose of teaching with technology is twofold:

1) You are speaking the child's language! Our kids are used to reading from a kindle as opposed to a book; Typing instead of writing; Searching the internet as opposed to an encyclopedia etc.

(but more importantly)

2) Our kids cannot succeed with the current structure our school system is based on; sage on the stage as opposed to the guide on the side!

Im not getting into the flipped classroom argument (although I do utilize it often) but its the concept that we are killing our students by forcing them to learn in a strict, one size fits all, lecture only (or majority) environment!

And it’s the second premise I'm having trouble getting across. They look at Edtech as a tool that kids are more comfortable with (i.e. # 1) but are not able to take it to the next level.

For me as an educator I started with the second premise first and I believe that why I was so successful in integrating technology. Most of my teachers are not doing that, and as a result, I believe, they will eventually throw these new tools away because at the end of the day why should a teacher try using things that their not used to using. It might be cool, but in their eyes not necessarily worthwhile. Pure lecturing is just so much easier!

-End intro-

So what do you think?

2 members like this

Comment by Shira Leibowitz on October 14, 2012 at 10:04am: Hi Michael,

You raise several essential topics: ways of peer coaching teachers to integrate technology, explaining why technology is important in education (beyond what tech to use and how to use it), and an even more fundamental focus on learning. I think we are experiencing a paradigm shift from a focus on what is taught to what is learned, shining the spotlight on our students as the owners of their own learning and serving as activators of student learning, more than experts and even more than facilitators. You may be interested in a blog post I wrote about a session with Michael Fullan I attended at ISTE: From Facilitator To Activator. In addition to the purposes to educational technology you share, I think additional purposes are: supporting students to craft a positive digital footprint, helping students learn to utilize technology to shape their own learning, inviting students create, and supporting students to collaborate safely and creatively.

Thanks so much for raising an important conversation! I'm looking forward to your forthcoming posts on educational technology professional learning.

Comment by Tzvi D. Daum on October 14, 2012 at 11:10am: Personally, I think your last statement says it all. I read that the number one impediment for teachers implementing more edtech is not necessarily skill but time. PD can address skills but it usually still requires a huge amount of time on the part of the teacher to develop and/or integrate edtech content. Add to that the fact that many teachers are not comfortable with edtech to begin with so you revert to what is more familiar.

What to do about it? I don't know. I think change must be implemented from the top down and start slowly. Teachers must know this is expected of them and you try to hold their hand along the way.

Good Luck

Tzvi

Comment by Tova Taragin on October 14, 2012 at 2:13pm: I think Tzvi hit the nail on the head. We have to do it slowly. I get "gung ho" and it just turns the teachers off. Unfortunately, we have not had as much PD as I would have liked. Can you share your prezi with me so I can propose using it with our staff? I wish we could have met and spoken at ISTE.

Comment by Michael Bitton on October 14, 2012 at 3:23pm: Its beautiful to see so many of us thinking along the same lines.

Mrs. Leibowitz: I agree! I think as a teacher, our focus usually revolves around the question, "What is the most engaging way to deliver information" as opposed to "How do my students learn." Something that I think many of us our now starting to pay more attention too.

Also excellent article, but I think that most teachers utilize what you described as "activating" already but in the context of a facilitator. (does that make sense?!) What I mean is that, I try to take myself out of the equation as much as possible when teaching, by guiding the learning but I don't stop there. At the same time I'm giving "feedback, accessing thinking, supporting/challenging goals, and monitoring learning" as mentioned in the article. I always assumed they these were integral parts of being the facilitator. (semantics maybe?) Nonetheless, the points are on target.

Mr. Daum: Thank you for your comment but do you think I should press upon the principal to make it mandatory to learn Edtech? As of now, there is no requirement, but that can change. Also, I agree, that learning about Edtech now might not have an immediate effect on whats happening in that particular teachers classroom, but at least the tool is there for them to utilize at a later date. A teacher, who has her curriculum setup and ready to go might/will find it difficult to add or change things in the middle of the year. (Summer PD anyone?)

Mrs. Taragin: Me too! Hopefully next year. Here is the link http://prezi.com/oypbn508nkfw/edtech-101/ A lot of it is based on the BJE keynote Dr. Jones gave in Los Angeles.

Comment by Tzvi D. Daum on October 14, 2012 at 5:11pm: I don't know your principal or what he or she expects of you. The only thing I can say is that people tend to resist change unless they have a good reason to do so. In my experience, you will have some teachers who "get it" and are all excited and will look forward to working with you while others will prefer to do things they way they have been doing for the past x amount of years. Thus, unless the school insists on at least some minimal amount of edtech integration from teachers, I would not get disappointed if some or most of the teachers choose not to adopt it. If your principal appreciates edtech he or she might insist on it, however unfortunately many principals still don't know how to use a mouse. (I am dead serious about that.) That is why I think for the most part it really is top down thing. On the other hand, I would also like to add that many excellent teachers have manged without edtech at all just fine so I can't blame them all that much. Just my own two cents.

Comment by Tova Taragin on October 14, 2012 at 6:29pm: My principal, thank G-d, is one who is leading with tech from the top down. It is encouraging when one of my fellow veteran teachers is excited and really wants to integrate tech in her lessons, and is always asking for my assistance in doing so (well, most of the time, my "computer class" is devoted to integrating tech into her lessons, as opposed to her doing it, but she claims she is learning a lot from what I do) to others who are complaining that I insist that they be in class during my scheduled class. They'd rather have a free prep period. They are not the ones who are going to utilize me to coach them in integrating tech, I can assure you. My principal thinks I am too "gung ho" and wants me to temper my enthusiasm a little (I have stopped sending out emails with links to great articles, blogs, apps etc...).

Comment by Michael Bitton on October 14, 2012 at 8:36pm: Having your principal behind you is a big plus. My principal is a big backer of educational reform, and loves anything that reduces lecture time in the classroom, but at the same time, I think he is a bit apprehensive when it comes to Edtech, and wants to see evidence of success before fully getting behind it. I guess time will tell. In the meantime I need to try my best and get the message across.

Comment by Shira Hochheimer on October 15, 2012 at 7:58pm: Hi, I just read this post and joined YU 2.0 since it is such a great discussion. What you are confronting is not unique to edtech but what happens when schools try to change. Here are some of my observations from some work changing curriculum and introducing technology. Like you, I am not an administrator but was a coach for introducing some major curricular changes in the school. It's taken four years but this year we finally have all the teachers on board without a lot of stress. 1) How you coach teachers should mirror how you want your teachers to teach students. Are you using a "sage on the stage" lecture mode to inform teachers of why edtech is important or are you using "guide on the side" to have them discover how edtech advances their own classroom goals? We want teachers to help students to set their own learning goals, and guide students learning through discovery while being sensitive to student strengths and weaknesses. Administrators must model this behavior when managing their faculty. 2) The goal is student learning and engagement. There are many paths to that end. Some involve edtech, but many teaching models do not. Often, it is easier and less labor intensive to use technology but teachers with experience may have other tricks to accomplish the same end. Engage them and learn from each other without judgement and they will begin to learn from you. 3) For true growth, teachers need to set their own goals and express why they want to use ed tech. You have formulated your rationale, but your view may not resonate with them. Have them quantify their goals and then encourage them to do some action research. Focusing on small growth and data will encourage them to keep trying. 4) Right now you are a coach. Once your principal starts requiring things of your peers because of your insistence, you have now set yourself up in a politically awkward role since you are not an administrator. A congenial work environment will help the students more in the long run than pushing through changes before the majority of faculty is ready. Plus, getting on your colleagues' bad side is not great career wise. 5) You are asking teachers to increase their work load without increasing their pay or time. Very few have the luxury to invest their own time to do edtech right without sacrificing their classroom management. Teachers' prep periods are not "free" but are necessary to help with the flow of the day. Be very mindful of what demands you are asking of the teachers and find ways to encourage if you can't give them more time or money for their work. Suggest small changes that save time and your colleagues will start to ask your opinion more. 6) Pay attention to the politics of the school. Observe who influences whom, who is popular with students, who other teachers go to for advice etc. Note who is defensive, who gets jealous etc. Channel your attention to the people who are the most positive and those who have the most influence on other teachers' perceptions. Steer clear of insecure teachers 7) Stay positive. Change is slow but it happens. You are planting seeds. Good Luck!

Comment by Michael Bitton on October 18, 2012 at 4:27pm: Probably the toughest thing you mentioned on this list is that "change is slow" but ill try my best! Thanks for the very helpful tips!

Musings in Edtech PD Part 1

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