639 most important thing blog week 2
I had the great privilege this week to interview Shasta Grimes, my lovely wife of almost ten years. This interview provided me with some information from her perspective about the current trends and issues in the field of educational technology. She spends half of each school day teaching students and the other half of the school day helping teachers as one of the schools "Technology Integration Specialists." She likes that she is not alone in this role, there is a team that collaborates on what the needs are for their school in regard to technology integration. Perhaps the most important thing that stuck out to me in the interview that I had with her was that she desires to help teachers become familiar and comfortable with using technology and help them to be able to bring that information to the classroom. She mentioned that one of the challenges those working in the field of educational technology are facing is the inability to keep up with the advances of technology. She also said that proper training for administrators and teachers is important. Along with that, she mentioned that it isn't enough for teachers to have been trained in technology, but that it is very important that teachers are able to keep themselves informed about current trends in using educational technology. Spending just to have the latest technology/gadget is not what staying current means, but being able to use the resources that work best for their school and in their classrooms.
Chris, you said Shasta helps teachers become familiar and comfortable with using technology and help them to be able to bring that information to the classroom. What strategies does she use for accomplishing this? Does she typically train one on one, or is it group training? What methods has she found to be most effective for training teachers in new technology? What does she see as the greatest instructional need for “non-techy educators?” I am considering the possibility of creating a website designed to help train educators in the basics of current technology while also maintaining a focus on education and educational effectiveness. I am sure Shasta is quite in tune with current needs. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Michael
Michael,
ReplyDeleteAs with students, teachers need differentiated teaching also, so they offer a variety of options to reach their teachers. The best thing they been able to do for the non-tech teachers is to make them feel comfortable with the tech team so they are not intimidated to ask for help when they need it. The tech team is made up of "people persons" with the thought that a "hardcore tech" person may be more intimidating and use tech language that non-tech teachers wouldn't understand. Offering a lot of different options for getting help has given them a comfortable and safe place and team to turn to. Here are some of the ways she says that their tech team offers their help:
1. Tech Tuesday - For the teachers that like group instruction they offer an after school training once a week to meet a need that seems to be popping up with several teachers in the school or to introduce something new. It's completely voluntary and they get CEUs (Continuing Education Units/Credits) for their time.
2. Tech Tips of the Day/Week - At the beginning of the year Shasta started sending out Tech Tips to help the teachers with little tech issues. Anything from organizing e-mail to keeping students safe when searching online has been covered. After getting feedback from the teachers about trying to keep up with the e-mails, she moved it offline to a blog (www.techtipseachday.blogspot.com) The teachers have responded great to this because they can go on their own time. She sends an e-mail with a link at the end of the week with the topics covered and if it's something they are interested in they can go check it out and if it doesn't apply to their needs they don't have to do anything.
3. Walk Throughs - Something she just recently started doing is to simply walk around and talk with teachers. The teachers know who she is, so if they have a tech question they can help teachers right then. If she can help right then she does, but if not she has them e-mail her, so she can (or someone on the tech team) can help them.
4. They have designated certain responsibilities for each member of the tech team so the staff know who to go to for what. This keeps them from duplicating their work and saving time.
5. 10 Minute Rule - They decided if someone brings one of the team something that they can't figure out in 10 minutes, then they pass it on to someone else in the team so they don't waste time trying to figure something out that someone else may be able to do quicker.
6. The team encourages those they help that "Each one must teach one," so they want them to go back to their team or grade level and share what they learn with others so they don't have to keep repeating their work.