Creating Contagious Change

I often hear these teachers say things like, “the kids these days with their youtube and video games just aren’t as good as the students in the past.” I am almost happy when they say something like that because they at least notice that things are working and something needs to change. The hard part it convincing them it’s them and their teaching practices need to change. I found an amazing article that supports their, the teachers’, theory that the students are not the same by pointing out that it is partially because the proliferation of technology into the students’ daily lives has changed the way they learn. (READ THAT ARTICLE HERE PART 1 & PART 2). Don’t get me wrong it’s not all downhill from here change is very much an uphill battle all the way until it is done, but I have some tips for those of you who find yourselves trying to create contagious change.

Let’s face it bringing technology into the classroom for many teachers means CHANGE! And we’re not talking about a little change like going from overhead projects to document cameras we’re talking about the hard hairy changes that typically get a lot of pushback from teachers. That’s what makes my job so hard, some of these teachers who have been teaching the same way for the last 15+ years are very comfortable and rather set in their ways.

1. Get the teachers trust. I typically find a personal technology need that they can use some help with. This gets my foot in the door and helps me establish a relationship with the teacher.
2. Be intentional. Make sure you make it a point to stop by and see that teacher frequently just to check up and see if you can help them in anyway. Don’t forget to ask about that problem you helped them with to “make sure” that it is still ok. Really you’re just subconsciously reminding them that you care enough to help them.  
3. Convince them to let you model a technology lesson in their class. This is the most important step. You need to communicate with the teacher and find out what the students should be learning when you will be there with the technology lesson. You must use the technology to enhance the learning of the content, DO NOT JUST TEACH A TECHNOLOGY SKILL. You need to help you teachers see that technology isn’t a “pull out skill” to be learned from another teacher. They need to see it as a critical element that enhances their students learning.
4. Give them some homework! Help them design a lesson that integrates technology that they will teach. Offer to be there just in case they need technology help, but really, in addition to being tech help, you are there to give them feedback and encouragement after the lesson is over. Be sure to start with what was good and went right before getting to the constructive criticism.
5. The last step is to provide them with a support structure to help them to continue to grow in their technology use. I like to connect them to other techy teachers and I always point them to the list of asynchronous PD resources that I am creating.