Who knew that we would so quickly shift from the wonderful world of libraries to education being such a multi-media event! The shift is dramatic and encouraging, however I think there are many who are still reluctant to jump on the band wagon. I too, would have been one of those who lagged behind simply because it is easier to keep doing things the way I always have as opposed to taking the time to learn something new. The most beautiful revelation I have had is that most of the new ways of creating and presenting information are not all that time consuming to learn. I read a note on a friends fridge that said "Fear is a feeling, trust is a choice." We must get beyond the fear we feel and trust in the future of education.
What does this have to do with Wikis you ask? Well, wikis are one of the new ways to present information that could be a good catch. The media specialists at Harrison High School where I spend much of my time, created a Wiki using a free source so they were limited to 100 who could join. But, they forged ahead thinking that if this really caught on, they could worry about that later. So, they worked and planned and created a Wiki that provided email sites for each department and links to websites that would be beneficial to them. They also included a generic site for postings of information that would be appealing to everyone. Teachers could also post any relevant ideas they had that could help others.
Great idea...right?!?! Well, they only had 3 teachers join. I asked what they thought might be the issue? Overwhelmed was the reply. Ever feel that way? Every day your kid comes home from school with a new blog you are supposed to visit, or you buy something new and are supposed to visit that website as well. Weather, news, information, emails, school, work, church, etc. The list goes on for sites you must visit. Training was the other reply. Possibly if the teachers had an in-service to be trained on how to use a Wiki, see how easy it is to use and realize the teaching advantages it would create, then they might be more interested in taking the time to visit.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
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I completely agree that many educators need some sort of in-service to introduce them to new technologies for their practice. Sure, there are some early adopters who are always on top of the latest electronic tools, but many teachers struggle to find the time to experiment, and even if they do learn the basic functions of these tools, don't always know how to incorporate them into the classroom. I think there is also a bit of anxiety, possibly left over from the early days of computers when one wrong move could make everything go kaput, of "messing up", that prevents more potential users from exploring on their own.
ReplyDeleteAn inservice, however, helps all of these issues; time is set aside for everyone to meet and learn about what wikis are, how they can be used in the classroom, and how they function. The person providing the inservice would most likely walk users through each step of setting up their wikis (even if the goal was to use the school wiki as a professional collaboration tool as you described, an individual wiki to be used in the classroom would help to extend this and help teachers to gain a deeper understanding), helping them to see that many times, using new technologies is fairly easy once users understand how and why they are useful.
Technology is a wonderful tool to use in the classroom to enhance and support instruction, however many teachers seem either scared of the new technologies avaiable or simply overwhelmed at the thought of learning something else on top of their already long list of things to accomplish before the day ends. As a classroom teacher, I can relate to the overwhelmed teachers as I feel that way often. I believe that in some cases the teachers want to try something new and want to incorporate new technology tools into their instruction but they have no idea where to begin and are often embarrassed to admit that they do not know where to begin in order to begin using technology tools that are unfamiliar to them. In order to help ease their fear, I believe that it is important for the media specialist to hold an inservice in order to teach the teachers how to use a technology tool, such as wikis, in the classroom. The media specialist needs to not only teach the teachers how to use the tool, but also share with the teachers the importance of the tool and provide an explanation and proof, if possible, as to how the technology tool will help to increase student understanding and learning. If teachers know that implementing technology into the classroom will help to improve their student's learning, I believe the teachers would be more willing to learn and to try something new in the classroom!
ReplyDeleteWell put Geralyn! I would have to consider myself among the overwhelmed masses that make up the profession of education. However, I have found that I am much quicker to embrace technology than most teachers within my school. Although learning a new technology requires an up front investment in time, I find that technology typically makes my life easier in the long run. As result, teachers’ reluctance to embrace and learn new technologies often forces the county to mandate technology training. Often times the result is more time spent on training personnel and in-service materials than on the actual technology being introduced. Schools need to find a way to make their teachers, new and old, enthusiastic about using new technologies by showing how it can make their life easier in the long run. One way this could be accomplished is to have the media specialist act as a technology advocate to the teachers on a daily by addressing question on a daily basis and remaining approachable.
ReplyDeleteWow, Geralyn, that is interesting that only three teachers joined their Wiki. Wikis are such a great sharing resource...they don't know what they are missing. However, I completely understand "overwhelmed!" The teachers at my school are struggling to keep their heads above water with the latest learning-focused techniques, new grading policies (including students re-testing repeatedly), complicated new online grading system, meetings, completely new curriculum in math and science, and more meetings. How can media specialists make their lives easier and not add another expectation? I think if we're able to open the door with just a few adventurous teachers, setting up a Wiki for them and their classes to work on a couple of projects, and then spread the word! Literature classes could create "resume wikis" for characters in a novel or play they are reading.
ReplyDeleteA math or business teacher could create a "Buy a Car wiki" interest, financing, car dealer info, car model reviews, etc. Then it could be showcased on the school's website and encourage more interest in how Wikis can be incorporated into lesson plans. If we can show teachers how easy they are to set up and how they can let students do most of the work, they won't continue to be so "overwhelmed."