When I first entered the teaching profession, I realized that we were still conducting our education by using chalk and board, or a similar tool; ie white board, dry erase, over head projector with wipe away sheets. All of this, when I was in school, was extremely boring to me. I was a visual learner, and I liked to ‘see’ whatever point the teacher was trying to make. I applied this to my department at school and became a lead teacher for introducing and using technology with the curriculum. Soon the school started using me to further train other teachers in incorporating technology with their curriculum. From this incorporation, we went from using power point lessons, to smart boards, to interactive response technology (IRT).
Teachers from my department walked in on several instances where I was using the IRT in my class and asked for a demonstration. They were intrigued by the classroom management this device provided, and the immediate response to gauge subject understanding. My supervisor also asked for a demo to better understand the use of the device. I created a lesson plan for the teachers and implemented the demo on them. Some of them were excited, but most of them were afraid of using the technology because it seemed overwhelming. The people built a wall around them and used every excuse in the book not to use the technology. I slowly worked, one-on-one with each teacher that showed resistance but really wanted to try the device. Over the course of the year, I have gotten through to most of the teachers who are starting to realize the capabilities of the IRT. I guess it was the working one on one that really broke through to the teachers because they really wanted a proper “guidance.”
ARCS model home
http://onlignment.com/2009/09/using-john-kellers-arcs-model-to-motivate-online-learners/
ARCS model home
http://onlignment.com/2009/09/using-john-kellers-arcs-model-to-motivate-online-learners/
Q
ReplyDeleteWord of mouth is always the best advertisement...some people have to see it for themselves, others are a little slower to catch on..
Sometimes we have to remember that for learners to learn and grasp onto something new, no matter the age, is very important. Even though we are discussing teachers and thier use of new technologies, modeling and providing a safe environment for them to try somethink ng new is still a much needed step. At times I think that is even more true for adults because they REALLY do not want to seem like a failure in front of anyone especially in front of their students. I am also the first to say show me an example that I can use as a model.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for you to do is to keep offering your help and eventually most people will take you up on it.