Teachers and Tech.
It was interesting, I had the opportunity to read Vivian’s Weblog and she commented that children are very versatile, but teaching teachers technology can be a big issue. I could not agree more. Although, I am not all geared up about computers myself I have always been sure that I learn what I need to, to do my job. However, many members of my staff do not share my feelings on this matter. I can recall the opposition I received when I had to be the one to inform my staff that the district was requiring that all attendance be entered on CIMS (our districts management system) everyday by teachers. During this discussion things got very heated and much of their frustration was directed at me (the shoot the messenger mentality). The complaints ranged from my computer is crap, to I can never get on line, to I don’t have the time, to what if the system crashes. I have been faced with opposition before about things that have been directed by senior admin. however, this was unbelievable. As I reflect back , I now know that most of the hostility was generated by fear, fear of the unknown. Teaching is something that many of these teachers are masters at but technology is an area they know very little about and quite frankly it intimadates them. At one point I had to be blunt and use the analogy that if they were in the banking industry and had been for the last 20 years that the job would look very different today than it did 20 years ago, so the technology piece in education is just a sign of the times as it is in all fields of work.
7 Comments »
Leave a comment
-
Archives
- November 2007 (7)
- October 2007 (7)
-
Categories
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Hi! I read your blog … and a good thing … Vivian? Who knew? Not me! I just read Vivian’s blog and added her to my blogroll today! Yikes!
I have heard a lot of the grumbling about the integration of technology into teachers’ daily tasks too. I have grumbled and griped on my own time too. It’s one of the reasons that I am taking this course. I have had some semblance of skills previously and need to build on those skills. You pay your money and you take your chances. It’s more to all of our advantages to put our good energy into doing what we can. It comes down to having to expect as much from ourselves as we do from our students … and that includes the initial grumbling and griping. Hey, fear can be a great motivator!
You are definitely preaching to the choir here. Just as doctors make the worst patients, teachers often make the worst students. My approach was to make sure there were no excuses. Making sure the infrastructure of computers and access were in place so that there was no reason they could not get on board. If you give them a car to drive and a nice paved road, they have to take a drive. Its often useful to take away their horse and buggy too so they can’t go back to the old ways. It is unfortunate, but mandating change sometimes is the only sensible way to get people on board, but that also requires the cooperation of administration if it is your own initiative. As someone in IT said somewhere: “Train the best, drag the rest!”
You are right about fear of the unknown, many people complain about technology but it is really the fear of not knowing what you are doing that is the problem. They just have to realize that they need to get on board with tech or they will be run over. I love analogies.
I sure know what you mean when you talk about resistance. I’ve been in the “encouragement” business in helping teachers with technology since 1986 and I still hear the same arguments that I heard then. Sometimes I think it boils down to “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” It reminds me of the huge controversy when I brought a “gasp” ball point pen to school. This was in the day when we used nib fountain pens (ya I know!) My ball point pen was sent home posthaste with a stern warning NOT to bring it to school again. The arguments against the ball point pen were really arguments against change. We’re highly educated professionals working in the education field and promoting learning – life long learning. I don’t get it.
Great to hear on the comments on this topic. I didn’t think about it being FEAR that held us back! But I think you’re right! To add to this, how about when you DO ask for help the tech guy and the computer teacher geek who tell you 50 things you can do to fix it but the “computer geek speak” (sorry to all you “geeks” but..)was so complicated you lost them after “well, try connecting this thingamabob to the whatsit and then….and … and if all else fails, reboot.” I think we all need a class in computer vocabulary..it’s a whole new language out there! And then there’s the guy who “fixes” it with lightening fast mouse clicks you can’t follow and then says “Okay, now you do it.” AHHHHHHHHHHH!
In talking to techies it is like asking for directions in the city: 3 blocks straight down, hang a left, 2 more blocks, hang a right, 1 more block, drive east for ten minutes, bypass the bypass, it’s the yellow house on the corner… you can’t miss it.
And when the wife asks “What did he say?” You reply: “He said we were lost!”
The best way to find yourself is by getting lost and then deciding to get behind the wheel to navigate around anyway and simply enjoy the ride.
I agree with you Angele. Teachers have a fear of computers and when they are asked to use a computer for their job, they do have a tendancy to get angry. They are not angry with you, it is their fear showing. When we asked teachers to do things on the computer, we need to also inservice them on how to do it. It is not enough to hand over a booklet of instructions on how to perform the task that is asked of them. Teachers need to be properly inserviced so they know what is exactly expected of them and how to acomplish the task. To often teachers are informed that this is what you need to do but we forget they need instruction also.