Day 4: Top Three Things for Stakeholder Buy-In

What are the top three things to communicate when introducing the concept of technology integration to stakeholders? OR what three things must your audience understand in order to be fully supportive of the school's mission to integrate technology?

First and foremost, we need to communicate that by integrating technology, our students will be better prepared for THEIR futures.  Sometimes I think people forget this--THEIR futures, NOT ours.  The world is changing and evolving faster and faster.  Not much changed from when I was in grade school, then high school, and finally college (the first time I went).  I could plunk myself down and work, regardless of the years that had passed.  Nothing new and exciting to report for sure!  
Then I went to college the second time some 20 years later, and, BOOM, it was hard to keep up with the new ways to do things.  You don't actually have go to class, but you upload your assignments and chat with classmates thousands of miles away.  You can create projects with diverse tools to better represent personal ideologies.  What marvelous ideas are shared!  We are now GLOBAL.  You create and work and everything at a much faster pace.  Change is happening exponentially!  Writing reports, researching, reaching targeted audiences, presenting ideas, gathering data.  It used to take forever and now it can be literally instantaneous.  Instant gratification.  Instant knowledge!!  Instant ideas.  Instant tutorials!  Learning and adding on to a topic that is fresh and relevant in the moment.  That is the new world and if we teach "old school" these kids will not be prepared for the fast-paced world awaiting them.    

Second, that when we are truly integrating technological tools in our instruction, the students really are learning.  Those watching us need to realize that what they see happening may not be what it looks like.  It is not "games" for the fun of games.  Sometimes integrating technology doesn't look like it is educational at all!  It can be quite "messy" but if it is observed carefully enough, you will hear the kids talking the talk and understanding those concepts we've been teaching in "real ways."  They are discussing different ways to present; they are summarizing, synthesizing, and more.  I love the collaboration that takes place, the compromises (usually, and ultimately).  They want to unleash their creativity and be judged on their own merits.  They really "want" to work.  

Finally, it needs to be relayed that integration is a process, and we may not have all the answers up front.  Due to the dynamic nature of technology, things may evolve into something we hadn't expected.  We may have new questions or concerns and have to find answers to things a variety of things that pop up.  It is a learning curve because of the constant changes, and everyone needs to be open-minded and patient, and realize the final goal is to better prepare our kids for their futures (I know I said that before, but that is the most important thing!).  We may need to learn deep-breathing techniques for when it may not work out exactly as we planned, or practice our cartwheels for when it works out exactly as we'd hoped, or even exceeded our expectations.  We need to be fluid and flexible and we need to remind our stakeholders of the importance of their being fluid and flexible as well.

Day 3: Technology in my life

Technology in my life

What role does technology currently play in my personal life? 

I LOVE technology.  I have always loved just the simple amazing things a computer could do, even just word processing.  What a time saver, since my penmanship leaves a lot to be desired.  I LOVED access to the Internet, even dial-up at the time!  (Now it is never fast enough--rural living!)  Don't get me wrong;  I LOVE books, enough that I spent countless hours and money becoming a school librarian, but that escalated to the love of all knowledge available and the quickness of access. I could find the answer to any question and help myself or any student or staff member find what they needed and ultimately help them to find it themselves!  I remember taking those library classes, having to do more than I was used to, completely online and wondering what the heck I was doing.  I cried, and yelled, and screamed, and shuddered whenever something would not upload, or download, or save, or connect, or whatever.  But I just then took a deep breath, figured it out, and moved on.  Screaming and crying did not get my homework done or chats accomplished.  Lots of life lessons learned over that two years!

I remember trying to convince my husband that I needed a cell phone.  He had one for work, but I didn't have one.  I was a stay-at-home mom at that time so I was home, theoretically.  We had just moved and I convinced him that if something would happen to either of our children, God forbid, they'd have to get hold of me somehow.  I was out frequently and we didn't have family close by any longer.  I got a cellphone, with limited capabilities.  My next phone, when that one finally, thankfully, died, was capable of texting so I could keep in contact with my older son in college and my "exchange son" in Italy, and the next year, my youngest son in college.  AND I had limited Internet access while I was "out".  Fast forward to when it was time to upgrade our phones again:  I had to hard sell my husband on an iPhone, but he has admitted, publicly even!, that he doesn't know how he'd manage without it.  His line of work often requires immediacy in action and the smartness of the new technology fits his work style perfectly. 

I can spend hours figuring out how apps and web tools work and how I could use them, either professionally or personally, and I can do this from anywhere! We don't own a TV, but if I HAVE to watch something recommended, I can do that anywhere as well.  I can read any number of books, and have them with me, wherever I am.  I can connect with any family member from anywhere.  I can work or play.  

How has it impacted your professional life? 

It just carried over.  Once you have crossed that line, it is just part of who you are.  I don't know how long I would last if I wasn't allowed to use my tools.  Really.  I would have to have them line my room with rubber walls.  If I know I can do something quicker on a computer or another device or web tool, I know that my students will also.  It gets them excited and wanting to work.  They are usually right up there with me and, quite often, already ahead!!  So we learn more together.  

I am always the first to volunteer to try things, or the first that is asked since I don't mind that.  I don't know everything by a long shot, but I am not afraid to ask, and not afraid to "Google", and not afraid to figure it out.  People I know know that so I can sometimes work out the bugs beforehand, if that makes sense.  Once you are exposed to various technologies and tools, you have a more natural way of figuring things out.  Things may look just a little differently, but it works out.  Directions from someone or the Internet make more sense.  I scour for more information that I may find helpful, in the classroom and professionally, and even personally.   Classes, like these, and workshops and seminars and Twitter and other sources are wonderful as they give me ideas of other ways to use what I have, or other tools I just have to try.  And I can carry anything directly to school. 

What adjustments would I make or have made?

A big adjustment is time.  I have always explored technology personally, and now I explore for work as well.  It is a natural fit, but sometimes I feel that 24 hours isn't enough time to explore different options fully.  Sometimes many tools I find can be utilized in both settings and that works out fantastic, but some can't.  I find myself searching more for work-related things and my personal searches don't have priority.  I will be so involved in looking for something in particular that really want to implement and I will look at the clock and a lot of time has passed. Yikes.  It is a good thing my children are grown ups and my husband knows I love my job.  

Time.  Then we have to take the tools we have found and integrate them into what we have planned and actually make it work.  Educators just never have enough time, and changing curriculum to involve more technology takes time.

Another adjustment, for me, is having the devices handy and enough of them.  Last year five iPads was enough since I was lucky and had 18 students.  And the computer lab was right next door, and I knew how to schedule it, so I was in there much more than my allotted "tech" time.  This year five isn't enough with 25 students.  It works okay, but it isn't the best ratio.  So I borrow a LOT from other teachers.  Some teaches don't use theirs as often as I do (sad for them, great for me!).  

We also added 1:1 Chromebooks in Language Arts this fall, so I have that diversity.  We switch between the iPads and the Books depending on what our goals are.  I am trying to get more iPads since smaller groups work better, but I understand the financial constraints of our district.  We are extremely blessed and lucky to have what we have, and I know I am lucky.  So I try not to complain too much.

A bigger adjustment is convincing other teachers that these tools can be used in their realm as well, and technology is NOT scary.  I came into the game late, and so technology has always been part of it.  It is a natural extension of me.  Most of my cohorts have been teaching quite a bit longer and are more fearful of change.  What they do already is remarkable, so changing is big.  I had already tried and failed and tried again and failed repeatedly while taking my online classes, so doing it in a classroom with students wasn't that big of a deal.  I just take deep breaths and move on.   

Convincing the powers that be and my fellow teachers that these tools can be used educationally, and that the "chaos" is really students learning is what we have to do.  Group work is working; using tech tools is working.

It is so natural for me, it is hard sometimes to understand why it isn't for others.  I feel progress is being made.  Some teachers have jumped right in and we can share some remarkable things; some stuck their toes in the water to start and now have come in to their waists!  I see deeper water by years' end!  It takes some convincing that they have come so far already and it is safe to go out deeper.  We'll be there for them.  Some still watch from the shore, but at least they are watching; they haven't gotten up and gone home.  There are always a few that get up and go home, but that is okay.  For now.