Looking Into the Future

Consider the following quote from this article.

"The critical gear we carry on the research trail into the future is our mindset, one of exploration, of investigation, of accepting new ways of doing new things. Those who become entrenched in the past, those who say, "This is the way we've always done it," will find that their gear is too heavy.
The literature on change describes levels of initiation and acceptance of innovations. As I see it, educators are divided into at least four groups, quite similar to what one experiences on the trail: the forerunners, the trailblazers, who innovate; those who come along and build on what others do; the middle ground who try what the first two groups find out; and those who lag behind, saying, "This will never work; it's just a passing fad." As we negotiate the wilderness trails ahead, accepting and adjusting to paradigm shifts in teaching and learning will become the survival tools for education's future"

Which of the 4 groups are you in? Are you comfortable in that group or what group do you want to be in? What will you do to get there?

I feel right now placed in the middle ground. I feel open to trying new things but I'm not quite to the point of being a trailblazer or forerunner quite yet. As technology advances it will be used more often and in a variety of settings. I think that my being open to trying new things will benefit my practice in the technology area. I don't think everyone needs to be a forerunner, but I think no educator should lag behind. I hope during my degree journey and continued practice with reflection I can begin to build on not only what others do but what I do. I hope to continue seeking out new ideas in teaching by reading blogs, articles and having discussions with other educators. I plan to get feed back on ideas when possible from other teachers and from students. Yes, students. One of the best discussions I've been part of was in my Orientation to Education class where the professor brought in a high school student. It was an open forum where we college students asked the high school student questions. I learned a lot that day including the valuable opinion of a student.

Put the Spotlight on the Teacher Behind the Technology

A thought question was prompted to my technology class this week. "Where are you on the technology integration spectrum between "no use at all" and "all the time"? Are you comfortable there? What would it take to change that for you?"

It reminded me of a blog I read not that long ago and luckily I was able to find it again! It's Smart Blog on Education - Are Students Really Motivated by Technology?

Engaging kids
Motivating kids

Discovering how to do these things is like finding gold. I think before I started my journey in grad school to become a teacher, I would have placed myself in the "use technology all the time" end of the spectrum. It seemed rational to think if a student had a technological device in their hands they would instantly be engaged in learning whatever material I put in front of them. After all, I would be! At least that's what I thought, when the reality is more like I would be fascinated, engaged with the device; engagement with the content would be secondary. So what happens when the device isn't new and using it is commonplace? It won't be as exciting, or engaging, is my guess.

So while I started out thinking technology was the magic wand of teaching, though my classes, research, observations and field experiences, I'm learning that the spotlight needs to be on the teacher behind the technology. Technology can be engaging; how the teacher uses the technology and presents the material is still going to play a bigger part in student learning than the device its self. I no longer place myself at the "use all the time" end of the spectrum but a little bit more towards the middle. I will be careful about choosing the technologies appropriate to the lessons and careful in my planning of presenting. In the end, teaching is my job, not the technology's!