Leading From The Heart

by Tracy Rosen, teaching & consulting since 1996, blogging about it here since 2007. All views are my own and you should take them with a grain of salt, I do.

Is integrating technology still the goal?

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Tracy Rosen

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A short while ago I began a discussion on LinkedIn asking if people agreed with my statement that integrating technology was not the goal. The comments were rich, if you are a member of TIE (Technology in Education) at LinkedIn, go ahead and read the comments. So many good thoughts.

I thought I’d open it up for discussion here as well.

So…

Do you agree with my statement that integrating technology is not the goal?

I talk about it in more detail in this little video created for DevPro – a professional development project initiated by consultants Marc-André Lalande and Avi Spector that aims at flipping PD for Quebec’s English sector adult education teachers.

Comments

2 responses to “Is integrating technology still the goal?”

  1. Tracy Rosen Avatar
    Tracy Rosen

    Hi Penny and thanks for the comment!

    I agree, we need to have more conversations about the notion of allowing for the use of technology to help in learning. I wonder, though, if we are going about it the wrong way when we talk about integrating technology. It is often received as something to be added on to what teachers already do – and is met with resistance (what? Something else to do?). Or it is received as a replacement for what is already being done – and is met with resistance (what? The way I teach isn’t good enough?).

    So how can we move beyond those resistances as quickly and effectively as possible? I think it has to do with talking with our students and allowing them to experiment with using technology as opposed to us trying to learn something new and then teach it to them.

    What do you think?

    Reply
  2. Penny Ryder Avatar
    Penny Ryder

    So true. I think we say we are integrating technology though because unless we mention that it should be getting a look in, teachers don’t test it out. And until you test it out, and then practise, you can’t see the benefits. Too often teachers are confronted by the challenges before they get to see the improvements to learning possibilities. As with all learning, we don’t ‘get it all’ the first time, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Teachers need to be ‘integrating technology’ before they feel comfortable enough to add it to their tool box to select from in order to meet required competencies. It’s like playing an instrument – it’s not intended to sound laboured and be played note by note, but in the early days, that’s what is necessary. First you need to develop the required skills, then you can play from the heart. Teachers should be rewarded and acknowledged for trying new things out and then respectfully guided toward using them to further educational goals. Superficial beginnings can lead to Super results.

    Reply

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