always learning

Do you have this problem in your schools too?

Teacher A has been told to integrate technology. Although there has been some technology training throughout the year, Teacher A does not have much time to devote to learning all there is to know about technology integration (and even less time to actually learn how to use the technology). So, Teacher A assumes that s/he can assign a cool “technology integration project” and the kids will just figure it out on their own. Teacher A then assigns something exciting (like a digital video commercial) and tells the students that s/he will only grade the work once it has been turned in on DVD. Teacher A does not provide classroom time or equipment for students to complete the project, nor does Teacher A contact the technology facilitators because s/he figures that the students will just figure it out on their own.

Which then leads invariably to this situation:

The Technology Facilitator sits at her desk, blissfully unaware of this “technology integration project,” when, just at the end of the school day (the day before the project is due, of course) the entire class of Teacher A’s students rush in holding video cameras asking for help burning to a DVD. The tech facilitator is surprised to find out about such an in depth project via the students (not the teacher) and sets about helping as much as she can. She knows that these students do not know how to edit a movie independently. She also knows there are no DVD burners available so students physically can’t burn their DVDs.

And now what do you do?

I am always anxious to help get technology projects off the ground. I promote integration like there’s no tomorrow. But what happens when teachers really have no concept of the actual process it takes to complete a project and then they just assign it anyway? Who’s learning here? The kids are in a panic to finish their work, which they don’t know how to do. The teacher is irritated at the students for asking for help on something they can “just figure out.” The tech facilitator is frustrated at being kept out of the loop because now the students aren’t really learning how to use technology effectively. And all the while there is a clear structure in place for how to integrate technology…

How do you deal with this situation when, in reality, you’re just another teacher too?

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