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It's often hard to motivate teachers to use technology in their classrooms.
There are ongoing debates as to the causes and solutions of this problem. I
won't get into those debates here, but will focus on providing a few ideas to
help get regular classroom teachers more enthused and involved in using
technology.
- Train teachers in how to use various programs, and then give them
practice so that they can explore these applications on their own. Too
often, staff development consists of a crash course in a program and no
follow-up or opportunities for further investigation.
- For the true techno-phobes, develop full lessons that are simple and
easy to follow (lessons that have already been proven to work), and then be
in the classroom when the teacher implements the lesson so that you're
available to trouble-shoot and assist when needed. Once the teacher has
successfully taught a lesson using tech, she will have more confidence and
be more willing to attempt another lesson. You can gradually increase the
level of difficulty of these lessons and ease your way out of the room,
leaving the teacher on her own.
- For the really resistant teacher, make technology valuable personally.
If the teacher likes cross-stitching, teach her how to find cross-stitch
patterns online. If she likes gardening, show her how to use a landscaping
program or how to order plants online. It's much easier to get a teacher to
use technology if she has a little excitement about it and can see some
value in it.
- Show teachers games like Jeopardy (in PowerPoint), or other easy
activities like Puzzlemaker, and
how these things can be used with their existing curriculum. They love ideas
that are fun and that students get excited about.
- Find one ally (at least one) per grade level. Work with that teacher
extensively and find out how she is using tech in her classroom. Get her to
talk to the others in her grade level. Enthusiasm IS contagious! It may take
months, or even years, but gradually you'll find that you have more and more
allies throughout the school.
- This may be out of your control, but if you have an administrator who
supports you and technology, things will go much more smoothly. Talk to your
administrator and see if he/she is willing to put technology requirements in
place. At my school, we started by requiring teachers to use email to check
the Daily Reports sent out by the office. Teachers soon learned that if they
wanted to be up-to-date on meetings, etc., they had to check email. We also
keep our calendar on the Web site, and teachers are required to email me
announcements to add to the calendar, and to check the calendar for
conflicts before planning meetings. Some schools have yearly technology
goals for teachers, and teachers are required to develop lessons utilizing
technology. Do as much as your administrator is willing to allow you to do.
- Be available and willing to help teachers with even the most trivial and
minute of details. Often teachers are afraid they'll break something or
cause problems that can't be fixed. Be a lifeline for your teachers, and be
as patient with them as you are with your students.
- Watch the teacher as she practices using a program. She will often not
know enough to ask questions, and will feel completely intimidated by you
and the machine. Explain things in simple terms, and don't bombard her with
tech lingo. Make analogies when you can to help explain concepts. For
instance, to explain files and folders and the need for setting them up,
point out a real filing cabinet and how folders keep it organized.
- Plan joint projects, and then wean your teachers away slowly. Last year,
I participated in Georgia's PROMOTE project. I was the coach, and a regular
classroom teacher was my assistant. This year, she will be the coach and
I'll be her assistant. Gradually she will take over more and more
responsibility and eventually she'll be cruising along on her own.
- Teach teachers how to find lesson plans on the Internet. Provide links
that you know lead to valuable resources.
- Show teachers Web sites that they can use in class immediately (like
Starfall for younger grades). Teachers
get just as excited as the kids do when they see a resource like this,
especially when they realize it's free!
- In some schools (and for some teachers), student mentors work well. Do
not force this onto a teacher, but in my school, I've found my most
reluctant teachers are willing to listen to students, and are not as
intimidated by students as they are by me. Just be sure you choose your
student mentors well, and pick ones who not only know the tech, but have
patience and can explain things in a clear, helpful manner. One program
that's been developed specifically for students to provide staff development
is GenYes. If you have not heard of it,
please check it out. I participated in this last year and am planning to do
it again this year, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers
loved having students help them, and students loved becoming the teachers.
- Use units teachers have already developed, but change one part of it to
use technology. Don't recreate the whole unit, simply add or modify one
little part.
- Give teachers a chance to show off and share their successes with each
other. Our school has Tech-Share each month. We
also have a Techstravaganza once a year.
Their confidence will grow even more if they have a chance to brag, and it
helps if you brag on them too!
- Collaborate with teachers, and encourage them to collaborate with each
other, both in their grade levels and with other grade levels.
- Set up times for teachers to observe other teachers using technology for
lessons and for classroom management.
- Give teachers handouts and make these handouts available online.
Teachers are comforted by that paper list of directions. Make notebooks for
them to keep the handouts in. The easier you make it for them to use tech,
the more they WILL use tech.
- Minimize the risks that teachers face when using technology, and they
won't be as afraid to try new things.
- Make sure that students (and teachers) come away from lessons with
concrete projects, things they can show off.
- Go into the regular classroom to assist the teacher. Don't require that
all tech projects be completed in a computer lab. After all, the regular
classroom is where the teacher spends all of her time. She needs to learn
how to manage the technology, and she needs your help to do this.
- Show teachers how to change plans on the spur of the moment when there
are technical glitches. Many of us panic when things go wrong, and teachers
have to know to keep alternate plans in an "Emergency" folder if they need
to use them.
Other Resources to check out:
Have you found a good way to motivate your teachers? Please
Email me and share your idea!
Thanks to Pam Fields, Gifted Teacher at Wacona Elementary School, for several
of these ideas.
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