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The question you ask yourself at the beginning is important, so naturally you spend some time crafting it. Certainly “Should I use technology in my classroom?” is a starting point, but you probably have no choice from a historical perspective, so “How should I use…” is more practical. Then you move on to “How should I teach my students to effectively use…” and so on down the rabbit hole.
While you’re doing that, though, I submit that you should look around at what others are doing, or maybe a nascent idea of your own, and just start trying things out. Talk to others who are trying things out. It might come to nothing, or completely miss the mark (it also might be a roaring success). However, you will have accomplished two things, at least: first, you will definitely learn something you didn’t know before, including those tiny details of implementation. Second, you will have broken the paralysis that comes with all the question forming and perfection seeking (or in my case, the quest for the ultimate in streamlining and platform independence, let’s call it “NoSpace”).
And then, when you have carved, shaped, and sanded your mission statement, you will have the skill and experience to put it into action.
Adam,
What a powerful reflection on where to begin your journey – others need to read this for sure!
I appreciate the power of the initial questions: “What digital technology can I use to support my pedagogy?” “What tool can I try to solve this problem that I have uncovered?” “How can using Socrative help me help me reach the students that are struggling, or ready for enrichment”. These are some I ask myself in the classroom…
Thanks for this thoughtful post,
garth.
Adam;
I certainly enjoyed reading your insights on considering when and how to use technology to support your teaching and student learning. Risk-taking is certainly at the core of any instructional change and it is so great to witness you eagerness to experience and experiment! I hope I will get an opportunity to read more of your posts!
Thanks for your commitment to Cohort 21!
Rosemary
Hi Adam,
I just read Allison Harding’s post that you might also appreciate.
http://cohort21.com/allisonharding/2014/10/20/navigating-the-digital-superhighway/
One thing that she points out is that there are 1.3 million apps on the market right now — it’s no wonder we can feel paralyzed…just knowing where to start can seem overwhelming, especially when we want to ensure that everything we are doing is intentional to improve student learning. But, like you said, talking to colleagues who are also grappling with the same big questions is certainly the best way to start. I look forward to working with you this year to explore some of these topics!
Leslie
Great post, Adam!
I couldn’t agree with your notion of “just start trying things” more. I’ve never seen myself as someone who is overly “tech savvy,” but I have learned how to make use of various EdTech tools by simply diving in and “poking around” different websites and apps. As you say – sometimes these attempts don’t lead to anything at all …but every once and a while, it does lead to a “roaring success”!
Thanks for sharing,
Allison
Awesome post Adam. Liberating in a way. Just to extend the idea beyond colleagues, I think so much of my insight into various applications have been gained through the ongoing discussion with students. I know my approach to technology and how it’s implemented and considered in my classroom has changed dramatically and almost unknowingly over the years. There was a time, and perhaps not too long ago, where I felt a kind of pressure – however self-induced – to resolve those very essential questions you’re asking before implementation. I think this describes the paralysis you’ve identified. But now I’ve grown to love the messy experiment with a particular application which effectively emphasizes the meta-cognitive reflection around those larger questions.
I’d love to know what your students are experimenting/playing with these days.
graham
Hey Adam,
I like your rabbit hole analogy! It’s so true and there are so many who simply fail to start… Justin makes a good point of knowing your tech inside and out before you introduce it but it’s as important to know your pedagogy inside out so that you can effectively leverage the tech to improve student learning.
Your post is well written, and very reflective. I really look forward to reading your future posts!
Thanks for all the supportive comments; right now I’m wrestling with Java and trying to up my game as a programmer. I have a lot of accomplished and brilliant students to keep up with (or at least not fall too far behind!) Still fighting the multi-platform blues: Edsby, FirstClass, Edmodo, SurveyMonkey, PowerShell, bash, Google Forms, Excel, Java, Twitter, Diigo. Google makes me hopeful… but I’ve been hopeful before…
I’ll stream some more consciousness for you anon…