From day one of my teaching career at Camden-Frontier High School, I have seen myself as an technology leader. Some individuals did not enjoy seeing some new punk coming into their school and showing them new things and telling them to use technology in their classroom. I remember the looks on their faces when I gave my first technology presentation to the entire teaching staff half way through my first year of teaching. As I reflected on my presentation, I thought to myself, “Why are they so upset with me? Why am I getting these “Who cares?” looks?” As I look back on that presentation today, I realized my set of expectations for that group of teachers wasn’t practical. I was asking them to do things that they had never heard of and I was throwing things at them 2039482048 miles an hour. I understood their frustration, but I felt like it was my job to give them as much information possible so they could see a variety of cases where technology does and can work.
However, what once was their frustration has now turned into teachers who are slowly, but surely, using technology in almost every lesson. Teachers now come to me for questions, suggestions, and comments and I absolutely love it. Now, I am even learning from them and stealing their ideas. One teacher in particular, a kindergarden teacher, I believe, made it her goal to never use technology. She was non responsive to any of the technology that I or the other teachers were using. In the last year, she has taken a complete 180 and now has a SMART Board in her classroom (Yes, it might have happened to show up in her room one day without her knowing). Though you will never hear her say, “I love this thing,” the idea that she is using a piece of sophisticated technology is powerful.
So, what must I or any of us do to be technology leaders in our school district?
I think one of the basic ideas is that you must work slowly. I realized that pushing technology onto teachers won’t cut it. They need time. It’s hard for people to break their habits. We need to realize that a habit of 2, 3, 4, or 5-plus years is hard to cut.
Technology leaders must also be able to show cases of success. I can talk all day long about how using Facebook has engaged my students in and outside of the classroom, but if I don’t show any success stories, then it has no value, weight, or pull with the other teachers. Tech. leaders can indirectly show successes of their technology tools through word of mouth. If kids like the technology that you are using in your classroom, they will talk and they will tell other teachers about the fun they are having in your class.
Technology leaders must attempt to keep up with the latest technology. We all know the Web is package full of tools and is constantly being updated. If tech. leaders want to stay up with the rest of the world, they must be able to some how keep up with all those tools, new and old. Tech. leaders can do this by continuing their education and by consistently going to new professional development sessions.
Finally, tech. leaders need to be available. If teachers or students come to you for assistance, then you need to give them your full attention. It’s your job and your role. Regardless if you’re getting paid for it or the issue they have, you need to show each person the same amount of respect as the others.
Jeffrey Fisher 