Title: The Reluctant Learner Overcoming the real-life obstacles and resistance to integrating technology into curricula
1The Reluctant Learner Overcoming the
real-life obstacles and resistance to
integrating technology into curricula
- By
- Alix Peshette, Linda Skaug,
- Mica Brown, Jerry Weaver
2- Our third-fourth combination teacher quietly
stated to me After I finish writing the 12
daily sets of lesson plans I need for next week,
grading my papers, running off two language
tests, two reading tests and two math tests for
next week Ill see if I have time to search the
internet for an appropriate site for social
studies. - Kimberly Simms
- English teacher, Technology Coordinator
- Monticello High School, Louisiana
3Obstacles and Resistance
- Fear
- Lack of knowledge and training
- Lack of time
- Lack of resources
- hardware and software support
- Lack of motivation
- Close to retirement - why learn now?
4Name Your Fear!
- Fear of humiliation - in front of students,
parents, community, administration - Fear of knowing less than your students
- Fear of not knowing how to allocate limited
computer resources in the classroom
5Opportunities for Humiliation
- You will mess up in front of the class
- You will be publicly judged by students, parents,
peers and administration - What if there are technical glitches?
6Dealing with The Humiliation Factor
-
- Everyone is human and so are you!
- Practice, practice, practice!
- Model the lesson for colleagues
- Glitches happen - live with it,
- be flexible, and have a Plan B.
7Conquering Your Fearof knowing less than your
students!
- Teachers can model a life-long learner philosophy
(no one knows everything!) - Use student expertise for peer coaching in the
classroom - Have an student incentive program for sharing
knowledge with all learners in the classroom
8Debugging the Lack of Knowledge and Training
- Select on-site technology mentors
- Establish support groups via interactive
environments (Tapped In, Phorum, etc.) - Use on-line tutorials/training
- Attend face-to-face classes
- Attend conferences and workshops
- Go to district in-services
9Lack the Time? Find the Time!
- Use on-line tutorials - work at your own pace
- Fund release time
- Dedicate staff development days to technology
- Give stipends for technology workshops that
result in a curriculum product
10Mining for Resources
- Design techniques for the one-computer classroom
- Effectively use what you have
- Solicit funds grants, PTA, business partners and
community sources - Solicit donations of used computer equipment
- Use Net Day or similar volunteer programs for
wiring/digital grant - support
- training
- software
11Grow Your own...Hardware and Software Support
- Techno-savvy teachers at your site
- Techno-whiz kid students
- District personnel
- Business partners
- College internships
- Parent volunteers
- Retired people with technology skills
12Overcome Those Ole Retirement Excuses
- Learning technology can...
- rejuvenate your creativity
- develop a post-retirement second career, business
opportunity or new skills for personal growth - pair you up to share your other skills with an
enthusiastic newer technology-savvy teacher
13Motivate the Un-Motivated
- Learn technology to meet personal needs ie
learn e-mail to contact family and friends - Receive recognition, pay and equipment
- Become enthused by the technology
- Big Picture
- Enjoy the bright light of student success
- Observe another teacher who uses technology
creatively and effectively
14Our School Site Technology Plan
- Step 1 - Address teacher fears during
- In-services using group discussions,
- role playing, and skills assessment, etc
- Step 2 - Develop a site-wide technology plan with
input and buy-in from all stakeholders.
15- Step 3 - Develop a climate that encourages trust,
risk-taking, and cooperative learning with the
technology - make technology fun! - Step 4 - Make time available for learning
- Instructional minutes, staff development days,
release time, stipends. - Colleague share fairs - see what others are doing.
16- Step 5 - Make the environment Technology-Resource
Rich! - Put technology tips in the staff newsletter and
school web page. - Support conference attendance
- Provide opportunities to preview software and
uses
17- Step 6 - Offer incentives!
- Give district staff development credits
- Offer stipends
- Use technology hours for 150 hours of
Professional Growth for credential renewal - Encourage staff to take computers home over the
summer/break.
18- Step 7 - Establish Curriculum Goals
- Create special interest groups
- by grade level
- subject area
- technology expertise or experience
- Have staff members develop and implement a
technology-based unit or lesson plan
19A Final Student-Focused Thought SCANS has
focused on one important aspect of schooling
what they called "learning a living" system. In
1991, they issued their initial report, What Work
Requires of Schools. As outlined in that
report, a high-performance workplace requires
workers who have a solid foundation in the basic
literacy and computational skills, in the
thinking skills necessary to put knowledge to
work, and in the personal qualities that make
workers dedicated and trustworthy.
20Support Resources
- LearnLots Tutorials
- http//www.learnlots.com/webskins/
- CNET Help.com
- http//www.help.com/
- Tripod.com
- http//www.tripod.lycos.com/
- Angelfire.com
- http//angelfire.lycos.com/
21Bibliography
- Sandholz, et al. (1997) Teaching with
Technology Creating Students-Centered
Classrooms. New York Teachers College Press. - McKenzie, Jamie. (1999) How Teachers Learn
Technology Best. Bellingham FNO Press. - Lewis, Laurie, et al. U.S. Dept. of Education.
(1999), Teacher Quality A Report of the
Preparation and Qualifications of Public School
Teachers.