Action Plan – Getting colleagues excited about Ed Tech

When we became a 1:1 laptop school four years ago a serious challenge fell into my lap. This was a challenge that was exciting and I had a feeling that my excitement was about to become contagious and spread quickly across our campus. My challenge was to change the way teaching and learning took place at our school……. SAY WHAT!

Four years later I can say that we have come a long way with our use of technology in our classrooms, but it hasn’t been easy, nor should it have been. That being said, this is an ongoing challenge as we move further into our journey in the effective use of technology in the classroom. In fact, the challenge has taken a twist throughout the journey from questions like how could I use this tool in my classroom, to what tools are available to me and how can I use them to enhance what I’m doing.

We’ve been introduced to useful tools such as the SAMR and TPack models to evaluate where we sit, explore where we could go, and to think critically about what we do with Ed Tech.

So, where do I go from here? How do I measure success?

Dedicated time to work with colleagues is at a premium these days. Not only is it hard to come by, but it is rare to encounter a teacher who is jazzed about a mandatory lunch & learn after having taught all morning and looking onto a full plate in the afternoon.

Enter PLN.

My Action Plan: How can I get my colleagues excited about Ed Tech?

• expose my colleagues to tools such as the Cohort 21 toolkit, and support them
• help my colleagues to think critically about technology choices in the classroom using models such as SAMR and TPack
• give my colleagues opportunities to shine in the light and to celebrate their accomplishments
• expose the value of PLNs where teachers make the choice to dedicate precious time to them, and share in their excitement
• create an environment where teachers are keen to join and see it as a valuable use of time