Taking the Edge Off of Tech

As someone who is incredibly excited about the opportunities provided by technology, sometimes I don't realize why some are not as excited as I am. I am constantly looking for technology to enhance learning as well as open new dimensions of learning for my students. But for many, new tech tools can be a bit frightening - especially if you're trying them in front of a group of teenagers who may or may not be very forgiving. I was reminded of this fear recently in a tech class I was teaching for teachers as one teacher explained her anxiety about "messing it up" in class. This opened up a great discussion about the value of mistakes and the relationships built by learning together. I always tell my class, "Okay guys, this is new for me so let's try it out and see how it works. I value your feedback on this."

This anxiety over trying new technology combined with a lack of understanding about the function and benefits of many available new tech tools often inhibits meaningful technology integration in classrooms and can limit student learning.

In the last part of the school year, our Technology Focus Group decided to create a series of short videos designed to communicate the function of these new tech tools while at the same time addressing the anxieties by giving some basic how-to information. We shared these on our school's professional development group in Edmodo so that they would be readily accessible to all school employees. These videos were posted roughly once every two weeks with a challenge to try it and share your experiences. I wish I could say the feedback was immediate and positive, but actually, we have not had a lot of feedback from teachers... yet. It takes time, and we will continue these infomercials in the coming school year. Below is a video that we shared to communicate the many uses of Google Forms and to provide basic information for getting started.