Pushing out of the comfort zone…

 

I must admit, I was a bit anxious and nervous about the first Cohort 21 F2F. I am a huge fan of collaboration and networking, but Cohort 21 was another beast. The positive energy and extreme enthusiasm was so exciting, but also made my introverted self want to run the other way. I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone, and I was so happy that I did. I felt so supported by my team leaders and my group members, and had a hundred ideas buzzing through my head by the end of the day. @swelbourn@psenior @lmustard @gvogt @jgravel @fvillano @eoboyle @graemecasson

This leads to blogging. Another area where I am being pushed out of my comfort zone, and the reason I am doing this at 10 pm before my “homework” is due. It is ironic that being a technology integrator/innovator, I avoid blogging like the plague. I am by no means a writer, but I am glad that I am being nudged to do this.  There is extreme value to sharing your thoughts and opinions, especially through a medium that is actually great for introverts! 

Which now leads into my Action Plan. In my role, I made the choice to focus on teachers to help support them to use technology to improve learning outcomes. Specifically, I want to push teachers out of their comfort zones to foster technology innovation. Being new to the school this year, I attempted to identify the “urgent” needs of the teachers through informal conversations and observations. I noted the following:

• Support/resources to disrupt their classroom practice
• Time to implement innovation in classes
• Training with technology or someone to push into classes

 

I decided it would be beneficial to interview teachers from different schools divisions, subjects and experience with technology (sorry, it was more than three!) by asking the following questions:

I’m interested in learning more about your experience implementing innovation using Technology in the classroom.  In particular, I’m hoping to learn about your needs when it comes to using technology to transform student learning.  Can you tell me about a time when you used technology to “disrupt” your classroom practices? How did it go? Did you feel the technology helped with teaching/learning?

Conducting the interviews was extremely worthwhile and gave me a chance to really connect with teachers and learn about their experience and/or hesitations with integrating technology to enhance student learning. A common ask was for more training and support, and actual time to play with the technology to determine if it’s worth the investment of time and resources. Some teachers expressed themselves as “old school” and would be willing to implement technology with examples of it already being used successfully. I loved the process of meeting with the teachers as I learned the amazing things that many of them were already doing within their classroom. I realized the benefit of connecting teachers across the schools by showcasing how they are integrating innovation, and that anything is possible! I hope this will inspire other teachers to disrupt their traditional classroom practice.

P.S – I am starting to enjoy blogging a bit now, especially with these Bitmoji’s!