I write this post while watching amazing teachers being given technology and just being told to use it. Oh yes, there may be the 3-hour training at the beginning of the school year that throws what ever product or subscription a district has purchased. These trainings are also typically done through a Powerpoint presentation. I have seen this happen for 15 years. It just doesn't work. Teachers need time to play with technology, see examples of how it can take the place of things that they are currently doing, and see how technology can help them be a better educator. They need time to simply learn. So how do we do this? There are probably a thousand different ways we could encourage and train teachers on a road that integrates technology...but we are embracing very few of them.
First, get teachers connected in their own PLN (Personal Learning Network). This happened for me by first encountering a couple of blogs and following their posts regularly. And then there was twitter, and the rest is history. Suddenly the two blogs that I was following became 15 and the amount of time that I spend reading and discovering new ideas exploded. The lessons and content in my classroom also began to change and looking back over the past six years it's been exciting.
Providing resources to help educators understand how important a PLN is and how to connect is the key to transforming teachers. There is very little time and few avenues open now to help teachers. I am at a point where I feel as if there are all these cool things teachers could be doing, but the time and opportunity to share them just doesn't exist. My hope in moving forward is that something changes and that helping, guiding, coaching teachers becomes something that actually happens and makes a difference. That new learning becomes the driving force behind change in our classroom. We just aren't there yet. Others are getting there I know and we just have to keep trying. School for kids today just shouldn't look and feel like it did even 10 years ago.
So tonight, I am tired and feel like nothing is changing. The good news is there will be something that will happen soon I know that will inspire a different post.
First, get teachers connected in their own PLN (Personal Learning Network). This happened for me by first encountering a couple of blogs and following their posts regularly. And then there was twitter, and the rest is history. Suddenly the two blogs that I was following became 15 and the amount of time that I spend reading and discovering new ideas exploded. The lessons and content in my classroom also began to change and looking back over the past six years it's been exciting.
Providing resources to help educators understand how important a PLN is and how to connect is the key to transforming teachers. There is very little time and few avenues open now to help teachers. I am at a point where I feel as if there are all these cool things teachers could be doing, but the time and opportunity to share them just doesn't exist. My hope in moving forward is that something changes and that helping, guiding, coaching teachers becomes something that actually happens and makes a difference. That new learning becomes the driving force behind change in our classroom. We just aren't there yet. Others are getting there I know and we just have to keep trying. School for kids today just shouldn't look and feel like it did even 10 years ago.
So tonight, I am tired and feel like nothing is changing. The good news is there will be something that will happen soon I know that will inspire a different post.
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