4-A-2+Wiki+Posting+Five+Ways+to+Think+about+Change

=Home > Assignments > 4-A-2: Wiki Posting: Five Ways to Think about Change=

List five ways to think about and address changes in technology in your classroom and school. With each way briefly describe how you plan to apply your thinking with your colleagues.
 * INSTRUCTIONS:**

Before developing your five ways to address change suggestions consider the following:
 * Considering the list of fears you brainstormed in the previous assignment, what are the common objections and fears your peers or administration may have to changes in technology?
 * How can you assess if the the objections/fears are valid? How can you educate your peers in determining if these fears and objections are valid?
 * How can you inspire peers who share similar beliefs and interests to apply changes in technology to their classroom or students' learning ?
 * How can you get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase?

Post your "five ways to address change" in the table below. Review your peers' postings and post at least ** two ** comment in the Discussion Tab above.

LaShell G. -Some common objections that they have are that they just don't want to make the change because they see nothing wrong with the way they are doing things now. They are not sure how long these new technologies are going to be around. They have issues with the amount of time they have to spend learning something new, and they may be worried about how safe it can be to trust all of your information being put into a computer. -I think the only way to know if their fears are valid is to look at the generation from which the individuals were brought up in, and from there you could assess the concerns that they may be having. The best way to educate peers is to show they the actual product itself, in the exact manner that it would apply to them. It would probably be good to have the history and background of the technology and how it will be effective. **How can you leverage peers who share similar beliefs and interests in applying changes in technology to their classroom or students' learning?** -In order to have a strong influence on your fellow peers, I think that it's going to be important to have some kind of support system to let them know that they will not be going through the transition alone. -I think that if we can show them the ease of adapting to the new change, they may be more willing to try it out themselves. I also think that maybe if they hear directly from their students about how they would benefit from the change, and how it's an important part of today's society, they will be more receptive to the exploration.
 * ==**5 Ways to Address Change**== || ==**Submitted by:**== ||
 * ** FIVE WAYS **
 * 1) I would plan **more research driven activities** on the laptops. They would require very specific rubrics and explanations to assist technologically-challenged students. (Example …..Students would plan their one week vacation to an assigned city. They would have to plan around a budget and also partake in recreational and educational activities.) I would apply this way of thinking with my colleagues by sharing my rubrics and explaining how my students were motivated for reading and researching information.
 * 2) Although I have not conversed with teachers in my building who are inexperienced with computers, those who are fearful would have to seek their own training or **ask administration to provide** for them and other inexperienced educators. Administration has been understanding with Smartboard training, because they provide for teacher training every year.
 * 3) I would allow for **more teamwork projects** so that peers can learn from each other from an academic and technological standpoint. I would establish clear goals, define boundaries, allow for flexibility and establish accountability. I would apply this way of thinking with my colleagues so that they also understand the social and academic benefits of students working on teams.
 * 4) While I am quite pleased that my school has projectors to use with computers, laptops in every classroom, and soon-to-be-purchased clickers, I sense that games are not part of the budget at this time. After reading about the amazing gains in academic knowledge while playing games, it seems like there **should be some plans to purchase games**. I would apply this way of thinking with my colleagues and encourage the purchase of exemplary games.
 * 5) I would allow for student experts to share their abilities with their peers by assigning a **project for an individual (or pair) to plan and teach a worthwhile lesson about technology or by using technology**. Students could show and teach a game that provides academic challenges. Also, students could teach about an individual or event in history by researching on computer. I would apply this way of thinking with my colleagues by sharing and explaining the positive results. || Wendy C. ||
 * 1) I would show them that this is not something that is going to just go away, and show them why it is important for students to have this technology in the classroom. So much of society is linked to the internet, and they will need to have these skills under their belt
 * 2) It is also important for the other teachers to know that they will not be going through this alone. I would establish some kind of support group so that they know that they are not going through this change alone because this can be overwhelming at first.
 * 3) Have the students show the teachers how easy it is to work around the computer. This will also give the teachers a chance to see how much the students themselves adapt to the technology, and the enthusiasm they have for it.
 * 4) Have the students show the teachers other technologies that they use for school as well as their personal lives, so that teachers can get a better idea about how useful it is and that maybe they can feel better about using it in the classroom.
 * 5) Show them that this can be fun for them as well. If teachers are able to see all the benefits of this transition, they may even want to incorporate into their our personal lives. This would also give them more practice.
 * Considering the fears some may experience in response to technological change, what are the common objections your peers or administration may have to changes in technology?**
 * How can you assess if the the objections/fears are valid? How can you educate your peers to determining if these fears and objections are valid?**
 * What ways can you think of to help get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase?**


 * 5 Ways to Address Change - Bridget G.**


 * 1) As a teacher, I need to provide more time for trial and error. I can teach students how to forearm pass volleyball or shot a lay-up in basketball till I am blue in the face. However, students will never learn the proper technique unless they have the opportunities to practice, practice and practice. Instead, of me standing in front of the class dictating the proper steps, I need to provide a few basic guidelines and let the students have some guided discovery on their own. Then, the students can share their practice experiences with the class.
 * 2) In my lessons, I would provide more activities with opportunities for students to develop meaningful games and drills to practice various skills. Students are very creative and have wild imaginations. If I make students part of the equation and hold them accountable, they will be more motivated to participate in the activity knowing their peers developed the game/drill.
 * 3) I do not incorporate research into my curriculum. I am hesitant to because my goal is to make my kids move, not sit in the computer lab researching. I thought how could I change and incorporate more research into physical education class? I thought of a question of the week. Students by choice can research the question, put their response in a box and at the end of the week, I will draw a name. The student with the correct answer will win a reward.
 * 4) To address technology as a school, I think it is important for everyone to be educated on why the change is needed in the classroom. Some teachers will not adapt their teaching style willingly due to time and extra planning needed for the lesson to be meaningful and productive. Therefore, the school needs to be proactive in developing weekly in-services to educate the staff on new technology. I am very fortunate to be at a school where the media specialist is technology savvy. She does a terrific job at offering weekly technology sessions for teachers to learn how to implement various types of technology, websites, blogs and other technology based activities. However, teachers need to be proactive. As a teacher, we need to practice what we preach. The more you use it the faster you will understand it.
 * 5) As a teacher, I feel it will be more beneficial for me and my students to provide opportunities for my students to use their creative thinking rather than I always giving them the answers. A goal as a PE teacher is to have students active 80% of the lesson. The more I involve my students in the problem solving phase the more connected they will feel to the lesson and the learning process.


 * || Mattb ||
 * || 5 ways to change

1. I thought the video (Managing Change and Technology Adoption) was excellent. The school I work at is going through some major changes, technology be at the top of a long list. In a lot of ways, in that video, I see the school I work at and myself. I’m going to send it to my new “superintendo” which I hope he will watch, consider, and share.

2. A better informed staff on the needs of the net generation would make a big difference. Our school just received an award for excellence for the second year in a row. Our first year superintendent is making tremendous changes in technology. I’ve heard some of the staff talking about how we’ve gotten these awards without all of these advances in technology so why fix what’s not broken? If they were better informed about the students we are teaching I hope they would understand how necessary these changes are.

3. I think it would help the staff to observe __firsthand__ the changes taking place being implemented. We have seen a lot of videos and they are useful, but I don’t think that they have the impact needed to get through to staff members who are late adopters or skeptics. Experiencing the change seeker and visionaries in action should be a positive experience. It would also help if we were to set up a mentoring system at our school.

4. The implementation of gizmos and gadgets that don’t seem overwhelming and that are fun to use instead of major technologies at the start of change would do a lot to keep the atmosphere positive. Starting out with iPods or iPads that are relatively low cost and low stress instead of big expensive Promethium Boards would help ease in technology and be far less intimidating.

5. Having the students get more involved in teaching and not just being taught. I have found that almost all of the kids I’ve asked for technology help have been thrilled to give it. I don’t think they look at me as any less qualified it’s actually been a very positive relationship builder. . ||

*** Considering the fears some may experience in response to technological change, what are the common objections your peers or administration may have to changes in technology?** a. Too time-consuming: Teachers and administrators feel like they are always doing more and more each year, and adding or implementing a new technology is just another thing they don’t have time for. b. We don’t have the resources: Many teachers complain that adding technology would be great if they had better access to computers and ones that consistently work. * **How can you assess if the objections/fears are valid? How can you educate your peers to determining if these fears and objections are valid?** Technology needs to be planned and time needs to be allotted to learn and implement. You can’t have a professional development in early September for a few hours and then not return to it until December, expecting teachers to have initiated it into their curricula. In order to assess the objections, you have to get real feedback from teachers during training and during implementation. More importantly, they need to see it in action and see how it can be relevant to them, individually. The fears are most likely valid, but teachers have to see the end result, the overarching benefits, and they need to see how their fears can be overcome (usually with ease and a little bit of effort). *** How can you leverage peers who share similar beliefs and interests in applying changes in technology to their classroom or students' learning?** It is important to have many people who share the same vision. These people can be utilized to help others who are more resistant. It is important to have others who can help those who are unsure or don’t know much about new technologies. *** What ways can you think of to help get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase?** **Complete the readings and review the presentation linked. List five ways to think about or address changes in technology in your classroom and school. With each way briefly describe how you plan to apply your thinking with your colleagues.** 1. **// Make sure that new technology is meaningful and worthy //** 2. **// Make a long-term commitment to increasing and accepting use of technology //** 3. **// Involve the student body and their parents in making new technology decisions //** 4. **// Train enough teachers so they become experts and can help colleagues //** 5. // Be willing to re-evaluate and be open-minded and flexible //
 * Before developing your five ways to address change suggestions consider the following:
 * //Show them that they don’t have to know everything about the new technology, just the main points.//
 * Students can often learn “on the job” and you can learn with them
 * You can have a student expert or another teacher expert help teacher others
 * //Show them the benefits and the ease at which new technologies might help them and their classroom//
 * Some of the resistance is often because it may look to complicated, but as with anything, sometimes once you do it or complete it, you can see how easy it might be
 * //Find time on your own to explore and experiment (preferably with someone else who knows what they are doing)//
 * Make some time over breaks and summers to explore implementing a new strategy
 * Meet with the media specialist to find out ways to use new technologies
 * //Assure them that there will be ample to time to be trained and many examples provided//
 * Some teachers might have resistance because they don’t think that anyone will follow through with the procedures or new programs
 * Don’t just use new software because it looks good or someone told you to. Don’t just go on the internet without an intended purpose or goal in mind. Don’t just try something new that really does not have value or a right place in your subject or curriculum.
 * We have to make sure that in order to change things in our schools or classrooms; we have to do some homework ourselves. A new technology might work really well or look really cool in another setting, but we shouldn’t force it to fit in our classes if it doesn’t.
 * There should always be trial-and-error for new technology, but let’s make sure it is worth even trying in the first place
 * Many schools need to make serious upgrades and changes to their current technology programs or even their attitudes towards technology. In order to do that, they have to commit to a long-term program with set goals of what they want to achieve for the students and the faculty in the end and along the way. Furthermore, teachers have to have input and be informed about this overall plan and direction that schools or administrators would like to take.
 * Don’t just say you will do something, do it, and then never update it, address it, evaluate it, or continue with it.
 * They are the ones who probably will know what they need and want to improve their studies and their commitment to learning. So, we need to not only get their feedback, but their input and their suggestions should be highly considered when beginning new technological changes within a district or school.
 * When initiating a new program, it is important to have experts available down the hall or within reach. If your colleagues are those experts, the transition can be much easier because questions and issues get solved quicker. For example, we recently upgraded our grading system. Our district trained about 7-10 teachers in our school. So, instead of emailing the one or two main people in charge at the district office, many of the issues were solved within the school within hours or a few short days.
 * Too often, districts, schools, administrators and even teachers are too concerned about implementing and fitting the new technology into everyone’s curricula. They have to be more open to the fact that sometimes things will not work or need to be altered. So, when a teacher cannot find value or worth in using a new program or strategy, it does not necessarily mean that teacher is being rebellious or insubordinate. It also does not mean that every teacher will use it the same exact way. || Eric ||
 * =5 Ways to Think About Change =
 * Teachers often make the assumption that students have technology at home. However, that is not always true. My initial change in the classroom would be to have my students complete a survey on internet use and access. I want to see if there is a digital divide. I also want to know if my students have basic knowledge of Web 2.0 tools. By doing this assessment I can determine how best to plan the integration of technology.
 * My colleagues may find this time consuming. I would present my survey to the teachers and put a survey on Survey Monkey that can be done with their students for easier results.
 * Utilize Clickers for the purpose of providing immediate feedback and assessing what students know. If the school purchased clickers, teachers could provide instant data for their students. It also allows for collaboration. Students could be placed in groups and given questions to answer about a lesson. The group would collaboratively develop the answer and click the correct letter by pointing the clicker to the screen. Teachers could determine the percent of students getting the answer right or wrong. If a big number chose the wrong answer, then that gives way to a discussion of a misunderstood concept.
 * This could be an issue for some because it would be new technology. Providing a teacher with a student trainer to assist in managing the clicker program could ease some hesitation with trying new software.
 * Provide Professional Development to teachers on the advantages of classroom blogging. Teachers could use the blog to encourage classroom participation. Students would be able to comment on each others comments. The teacher can stop taking home so many papers to grade. You can see what your students are learning.
 * My thinking for my colleagues is how to make their lessons more engaging for students who do not participate.
 * Encourage the school to purchase IPods for our Special education students who require verbatim reading of entire texts. The IPods could have stories loaded on them with questions that are aligned to the curriculum. Students will be able to do this in rotation. The whole class can be taught the skill using a video from teacher tube, and then go to centers to do individual tasks that have been uploaded on the IPods.
 * This would be done with one class in order to provide feedback to the staff. If the staff sees the benefits, then this could be implemented in other classes.
 * Engage in dialogue with teachers interested in integrating technology. Having a conversation with others may help determine what we need and how to best go about it. I often receive emails from teachers using pod casting or interested in Wiki spaces with their individual classes. If teachers share what they know and how best to implement, the school culture would change.
 * It takes a few to make something contagious. We could adopt a conservative and aide them in the integration process. || Michelle R ||
 * ====**The Use of e-readers in school:**====

It’s interesting that this assignment has come up now. We recently had a meeting with our middle school teachers. The administrator wanted to discuss the possibility of us allowing our students to use their kindles, or nooks, or whatever e-reader they had in school during times when free reading was appropriate. Often times the kids will finish a test or have a study hall in which free reading is appropriate. I was surprised that this was even being considered, because we do not allow the students to have personal technology during school. It seems like we might start allowing it “at their own risk.” Ipads were even discussed as e-readers. If I was a parent, I would not let my kid have an ipad in school (due simply to it’s cost). I think that this change will be a good change in our school. It will allow the teachers to see that technology is not always a bad thing, and it will prove that our students can use technology appropriately. As a side note, a second grader was talking to me about his e-reader yesterday. I asked him if he thought e-readers will replace textbooks one day and without hesitation, he said “yes.” I do support this idea but I think some kids might try to take advantage of it if their e-readers can do games or internet. We don’t allow wireless access to any kids or teachers here but if their e-reader is 3G enabled, or loaded with games, then there might be issues. Most of our Middle School staff seems comfortable enough to make an attempt at this change, so there aren’t any fears to address on this topic.

**Digital Textbooks:**
I personally would love to eventually see a change from physical textbooks to digital textbooks. I don’t think this change will happen overnight, and I’m sure many of our older teachers would not support this change. The resistance phase will be a tough one to get through on this issue. Teachers have become very used to using textbooks, workbooks, teachers’ editions, etc. This is the way it has been done for years, and I think the older teachers will have a hard time with a change like this. I think the proper way to move to the exploration phase on this issue would be for one teacher to perhaps try one curricular unit on a digital book. We have laptops at school, and they can use these for that purpose. If this unit is successful, then perhaps little by little, more teachers would be willing to try a book-less approach. As our school strives to be more green (for financial incentives as well as environmental), what better way to “go green” than to eliminate paper books? This would also be more motivating to the kids to use a digital copy of a textbook.

**Computers in each classroom:**
Not every classroom in my school has computers stationed in the classrooms. I would like to see this change. I do not expect every room to become a computer lab, but if each classroom had four computer stations, teachers could allow small groups to take turns using the computers. These students could play a game that relates to the curriculum, research the day’s topic on the internet, or make a creative interpretation of the day’s topic with pictures and text. The activity would be up to the teacher, but I think this would increase learning motivation by allowing a different perspective on the teaching topic for the day, and for allowing the gamers some freedom in exploring the topic on their own. I honestly don’t think there would be a lot of fear of this increase in classroom computers. Most of our staff seems comfortable with this idea, and it would be more a matter of budget and space issues.

**Technology Integration:**
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I would encourage more teachers to give more traditional teaching lessons a “technological spin.” I would try to convince them that student motivation and retention would result. Allow students to create a video about how they solved a math problem. Let the students create another video to give their quick interpretation of a scene from the current reading book. Give your students the freedom to make a collage of historical landmarks in India for World Cultures class. Let your French students record a conversation that has intentional mistakes and play it for the class to correct. I think the resistance to this idea would be time. Many of our middle school teachers feel that their curriculums are very important and do not like to give up too many class periods. I think that perhaps the idea of adding a technology spin to a lesson might be misinterpreted as taking up too much time. I would approach this by trying to find examples or articles that allow us to clearly see the educational and motivational benefits of these activities. It would be a gradual change, but the more teachers that have success, the more it will be accepted.

**Technology can be fun and educational!**
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">My final message would be to get out of the past a bit and embrace even older technologies. I can’t believe the negative connotations that “showing a video” in class has. I recall that last year, I showed my PreK a video of “Blues Clues.” It was a musical episode. There was real content in there. There was melody recognition, instrument recognition, and singing all in one! All of these activities included on the video made real connections to my music curriculum. And it was a heck of a lot of fun for the kids to figure out Blues Clues while doing it. They had a blast and learned music at the same time. Well, one of the kids went home and told Mommy that “We watched Blues Clues in music class.” Not soon after, I got the dreaded e-mail from the administrator asking why I would show “movies” in music class. I understand that if a teacher is showing videos on a daily basis, then there is a problem. But I was surprised at the opposition to such a common technology that has been around for decades! If I want to teach my fifth graders about Jazz and trumpets, what better way than to show a video of Winton Marcellus playing the trumpet? There is no better way than for a child to actually see and hear the performer. My message here is not to dismiss a technology right away simply because it is a technology. Watching a video, or playing a game can be motivational and educational for a student. The resistance here would be administrators who still have a negative connotation of technology used appropriately. Informing administrators of the curricular benefits as well as the student motivation and retention of material covered could alleviate these fears and allow Administrators to feel more comfortable with technology. Just because it’s fun for a kid doesn’t mean that it’s not educational! || Peter || <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. I would first recognize that this is a process and not an event and approach it as such. If we acknowledge that we continuously have to evaluate how we can purposefully integrate technology into our teaching, then we will also recognize that we all are going to have to change and learn as well. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Develop a critical mass. We have to identify those teachers and staff members who are going to embrace change and get them on board as our cheerleaders. Once they show buy-in, then others will start to move. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Realize that just like learning, people embrace and acknowledge the need to change at different paces and we have to meet them where they are at and scaffold the training and implementation process. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Get the students on board. The net generation already has embraced technology and once we realize that we can learn from them, they will embrace the idea of teaching us. This is a win-win for all as that which we teach someone else improves our retention. **<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Focus on what is important. Technology should be identified and integrated in a way that enhances our instruction, but does not supplant it. If we get too many bells and whistles then the teachers will get overwhelmed and the students will get distracted.
 * **<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Five ways to think about or address changes in technology in your classroom and school. **

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Considering the fears some may experience in response to technological change, what are the common objections your peers or administration may have to changes in technology? **  · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers often tell me that they have to focus so much on teaching the standards in preparation for the high stakes test, that they don’t have time to experiment with “fun” and trendy instruction. · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Technology takes time, money and training and we don’t have any of these. · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teachers also often report that they don’t get enough training on the technology they are supposed to implement so they choose not to use it.

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How can you assess if the objections/fears are valid? How can you educate your peers to determining if these fears and objections are valid? **  · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I would assess if the fears and objections are valid by using a drill down technique and ask for specific details and examples. If the person raising the objections can provide a rationale and data, then you know that we need to listen.

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How can you leverage peers who share similar beliefs and interests in applying changes in technology to their classroom or students' learning? **  · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I call this developing a critical mass. Any time a leader needs to implement a change, they need to identify 5-10 people that the know will embrace the change and run with it. They can model the way and once resisters see that it is not so bad, they will start to trickle in and implement as well.

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What ways can you think of to help get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase? **  · <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">When we teach, we take small steps. I would train and ask a teacher or group of teachers to implement one small technology, and ask them to come back and report how it went. Then, we can break it into chunks and implement along the way as comfort grows. || Posted by Cristie Mc. || Since I’m comfortable with technology, I would encourage fellow teachers to build relationships with other teachers who are comfortable with technology. The idea of finding a mentor can be very helpful. <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">2) Take small steps Like learning anything, taking small steps will help make the plunge easier. The use of technology will be less overwhelming, since this new “stage” of incorporating technology into the classroom can be overpowering. Boomer-type teachers who have resisted technology thus far, can make the change easier with taking small steps. <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">3) Play with technology Teachers new to technology, I believe, have a long way to go. However, the more they sit down and take time to toy with the internet, email, and MS Office packages, the easier it will get. They need these basics before they can move on to higher level usage such as wikis, widgets, and state-of-the-art PowerPoint creations. <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">4) Watch others and get ideas Just by talking and observing other will help the transition process. Once a teacher starts to become familiar with the basic elements of technology, which are listed above, they can begin to foster ideas from fellow teachers. Also, observing their students or family members while at the computer, will be advantageous. <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">5) Leverage what your students know Have students teach you things once you begin to become familiar with what to learn. As we all know, you have to know what questions to ask, therefore, getting a baseline of “what” to learn is key. For example, once email is mastered (or almost), the teacher could ask a student how to chat online. In fact, I just learned about video chat this week. One of our virtual classroom teachers had a guest speaker for his class. I actually saw the man speaking, live, during class. It was exciting to see a new piece (new to me) of technology being utilized in our school. I told the teacher he was definitely reaching today’s net generation and I would be talking about the experience in my papers! || Patty A || 4-A-2 Chuck W. 1. Have students keep a Journal of the technology used in class. By having students keep a journal this will enable them to refer back to previously learned topic and use them to help make their use of technology smoother. I think that the students will be surprised about how much technology they have learned and see technology as learning tool. 2. Hold after school tech lessons with the students and other teachers on the team. Having these after school meetings will be both beneficial for the students and teachers. The teachers will not have to attend all the weekly meetings rather we can sign up for a week to attend. Since there is going to be different teachers there this will reinforce to the students that all the teachers on the team are using the same technology. 3. Have students complete and turn in their quarter assignments using Edline. Edline is a program that is use to post our teacher homepage and is a communication tool for both students and parents to contact us. By having the students submit their quarter assignments this way it will increase the turnaround time for teachers grading the assignments. 4. Have students signup for their online book and lab manual This is something that some students have done but many students never signed up. If all the students would sign up for this they would have the ability to read and complete assignments online. In the past we have tried this in our team and for the students and teacher that did it, it worked out great. In some cases it was hard to keep up with all the work of posting assignments and correcting them in a timely fashion, but I think if we stuck with in the end the students would prosper. 5. Start a tech talk during out biweekly team meeting This section I would try and implement during out team meeting to make sure all teachers are comfortable with using the technology in their lessons. I do foresee that some teachers may have objections to this due to the lack of knowledge they have on the different technology.
 * <span style="color: #0070c0; display: block; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">Five Ways to Think about Change <span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1) Build alliances with like-minded teachers

1. Model technology in the classroom- working. Provide teachers the opportunity to see other teachers in the classroom and how they handle technology with their students. 2. Resources and supports in place for teachers to be successful. Provide technical supports, people and resources to help the teacher not feel alone and more willing to take a risk. 3. Training of specific skills. Provide training for different programs or a technology skill that can be transferred into the classroom, but give the teacher a sense of comfort as the “expert”. 4. Technology showcase once per week. The school could showcase a technology skill or program once a week and encourage teachers to try it in their classroom and then report back on how it did or didn’t work. 5. Time. Give the teachers technology and the freedom to “play” and learn about how different tools work and feel better about using them with students.
 * 5 Ways For Change

Before developing your five ways to address change suggestions consider the following:


 * Considering the fears some may experience in response to technological change, what are the common objections your peers or administration may have to changes in technology?

Commonly the concern is time. All of the teachers complain that there is no time with the ever- changing demands of the curriculum to develop projects and assignments that incorporate technology, hold the students responsible, and keep the rigor and relevance of the curriculum.


 * How can you assess if the objections/fears are valid? Administrators and other teachers can go and observe peers to shed a new light on their classroom and then maybe collaborate as to how technology can be infused, but keep the material and standards set by the teacher.

How can you educate your peers to determining if these fears and objections are valid? Training is key, all teachers need time to work with the tools and feel a level of understanding. It is very hard for a teacher to use something brand new in the classroom with students and not try it first to see how it may work.


 * How can you leverage peers who share similar beliefs and interests in applying changes in technology to their classroom or students' learning? Our district is really trying to do this now with encouraging teachers to work together and try a cross-curricular project. If the teachers and students are all working together towards a common end result and meeting all of the standards, the final result will be better and the students will have had even more exposure to new material.


 * What ways can you think of to help get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase? Time and confidence, if a teacher knows that they are being supported and it is ok if they try something and it completely flops, they will be more likely to try again and work through the situation. As noted in the presentation, students are very resilient and are willing to work through problems, the teacher just has to take a “risk” too. || Submitted by Nicole Weisz ||

· **Create project-based assignments that focus on new technologies** – The only way to prepare students for a technological world is to let them experience it. By creating projects that are based on internet tools or computer software, students are exposed to the different educational uses for technology. · **Involve parents** – Invite parents in for technology nights. Hold basic computer classes for the parents who may not know how to help their children at home. That way when there are research projects at home, the students can receive support. · **Teacher Training** – There need to be programs offered to teachers so they can receive tech training on their own time, at their own pace. It should not be something forced on the teachers or they may be more resistant to the change. The teachers cannot effectively create technological assignments and projects if they do not know how to use it themselves. · **Create a classroom community**- By allowing students to create blogs and add to a class website, the students are gaining experience using these internet tools. The students are also able to communicate safely in an online social environment. Students who are adept at using certain technologies can become peer teachers to help the other students. · **Partner with other teachers** – Find other teachers who are actively involved in using technology in the classroom. Create some kind of sharing space or forum for ideas to be exchanged. Work with other teachers to create resources and small training sessions for those teachers who are not comfortable with new technologies. || Submitted by: Allison H. || Julia P. Before developing your five ways to address change suggestions consider the following: Some common objections my peer may have to changes in technology would be that we, as a school, have received Academic Excellence by the state, so what we are doing must be working. It would be too time consuming to change everything we are doing now. It would be too costly to jump into technology that will be outdated next year! We need to address people’s fears and objections as valid. If you want someone to listen to you, you need to validate their feelings as being real. Then show them how better the system can be and educate them on how beneficial these small changes are. Offer constant support to those people with the greatest fear. Create support within by constantly reminding the staff that we are all in this as a team. Get peers out of the "Resistance" phase into the "Exploration" phase and leverage peers who share similar beliefs and interests by having them showcase what works in their classroom. Have peers learn from each other and borrow lessons to try out technology in their own classrooms. Show the ‘hold-outs’ what works in your classroom, then ask for their advice in enhancing the lesson. Pretty soon that resistor just made that lesson his/her own. __**5 steps:**__ Educate the staff, board members, and community of the learning styles of the Net-Gen so they are aware that we need to change in order to provide our students with the best opportunities. We are currently teaching them to meet the standards of an antiquated system of education. Once they are out of the education system, how will they fair in our technological world? We need to prepare them to handle situations and solve the problems of the future. Provide training time to build up confidence in all staff members with the new technology before handing them devices and expecting them to implement them in their classrooms. Hands-on trials sessions prior to purchasing to allow teachers to see what technology is available. (My eyes are open to a whole new world with this class. ) Build communication and support with parents by having tech nights with students and parents. The parents can learn with the students. The kids can show their parents that they indeed are learning while they are on the computer and even showcase some work. Choose technology wisely. Don’t just purchase new tech gadgets to say that we have them. Purchase devices that can and will be used often that can enhance the already existing curriculum and move students forward.


 * # **Communication** – I think one of the most important areas is communication. Changes in teaching methods, technologies, and the ways that net generation students learn need to be communicated to all parties involved (parents, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders). Communication should be made through in-service meetings, classes, faculty meetings, e-mail, etc.
 * 1) **Exploring** – In order for teachers to “buy in” to changes, they need to be able to explore new methods and technology before the changes are officially implemented. Giving teachers time during in-service days and meetings to see the importance of the changes and how to apply them to their own content areas. Content area supervisors and department chairs should help with the process.
 * 2) **Observation** – Teachers need to be able to observe how technologies and new teaching methods are used. This should be done before exploring the changes. This could be done by observing another teachers class that uses the technology/changes. This could be done at your own school or a different school.
 * 3) **How do people react to change?** – Teachers need to understand how different people react to change. The focus needs to be on the teachers who are willing to make the changes. Teachers who are not willing should be left alone according to Kapp in his presentation. You could do this by using a questionnaire that is sent out to all teachers.
 * 4) **Advocate** – The teachers that are willing to make the necessary changes should be advocates to other teachers and stakeholders. These advocates could provide statistics of successes with new technology and teaching methods and help others adopt the new changes. || Bob K ||

1. Identify technology that would be useful in the school setting. - Just because a technology exists doesn’t necessarily mean that resources should be used to place it in the school. - Form a committee of forward thinking teachers and administration, to access current technology in the school, and what technologies would be good to add. 2. Have the committee show the staff what they have chosen and why. - Showing the other teachers that the technology was peer chosen and why they chose may alleviate the feeling that they are being forced to adopt for no reason. - The committee should also show how other teachers have used the new technology, so they have real world examples. 3. Provide initial training for the teachers on the new technology. - Teachers should be trained in a group setting, so those who are comfortable can become early adopters in the school. - Teachers who are having a more difficult time can receive more training. 4. Provide additional training for staff having a hard time adopting. - Teachers who are having a hard time adopting can opt for one- on- one training. 5. Access classroom use. - The committee should go around the school and observe how the technology is being used. - The committee should report their findings to the school and offer any suggestions. || Stuart S. || The biggest hurdle at my school is that computers are not readily available to students in class. There are a few computer labs which are shared by the entire school and there are a few rolling computer stations that can be brought into the classroom. Having colleagues come around to accepting computers is not as much the problem as is the availability. Obviously in this economy that will not change any time soon.
 * 5 WAYS TO THINK ABOUT CHANGE
 * 4A2 John Andruss

The first step toward more technology use within the school would be to have a clear vision that the faculty can share. Perhaps a small cohort could be formed to draft this vision and implement it slowly. A concrete vision and a process of small steps would make the process less imposing .New practices every month or use professional development days.

A select group of teachers who are willing to implement new software could be used to show what can be done with new technology through their examples of how they implement it in class. Short presentations could be given by these teachers at faculty meetings. Other teachers would hopefully see the advantages of the new technologies and want to use it themselves.

Training is always a concern of teachers. When will time be allotted for training and will additional support be available after the initial training. Training could take place on professional development days. A group of expert teachers could be formed to help those less comfortable with new software to help after the training is complete.

Teachers would have to be kept up to date through communication from the cohort on new practices and examples of what further use can be made with technology. Short training opportunities could be set up for lunch, department meetings, after school, etc. Particular members could be in charge of departments and expected to keep everyone up to date. || John A ||