New Technologies

In 2005, I was appointed by the former principal of the high school in which I currently teach to be the school’s technology coordinator and web designer for the school’s website: A position that I accepted with honor and humility, and still hold, maintain and regard with dignity. A feature of this position is to plan and execute technology professional development workshops for my fellow teaching colleagues in a timely manner. On one occasion, the school decided to switch from the system of the manual submission of grades (paper-grades) to a system where the grades are submitted electronically. A planned workshop, in collaboration with the school’s chairman of programming, to teach the faculty how to submit their marking period grades electronically via the school’s district email was set to get underway. Upon the announcement of this workshop several weeks in advance; it was met with negative responses by a few teachers. Some of these responses ranged from the timing of the workshop to its necessity. It was noticed that these negative responses were mainly from the faculty members who were in an older age category, and who had been teaching for a vast amount of years. Having observed this type of initial resistance, the program chair and I informed the principal, who told the faculty that it was a mandatory exercise, and that she would not tolerate such behavior.

On the day of reckoning, many of the resisting teachers straggled into the workshop. With this type of negative response, we (the program chair and I) decided that we were going to use a lot of hands-on experience, and less modeling, as we thought that this would have been a more practical way to demonstrate the need for this type of technology. The workshop began with a very brief overview of the reason why this change must be enacted. While making this presentation, the program chair was being heckled by a group of teachers who were seated in one section of the room. Some of these expressions of disapproval included questions and statements like: Why do we have to change? The way that we are submitting the grades is alright, nothing is wrong with it. Will this change improve the performance of the students? Who will benefit from this change? The principal then paused the meeting and ask the teachers to listen, as they will see the real benefit if they give the presenter a chance to continue. This was done, and the brief presentation was complete.

It was now my turn as the technology presenter to address the group. I modeled the use of this new wave of technology in the grading system. I then asked different teachers to volunteer in using the technology. To my amazement, this was where the root of the resistance originated. The younger teachers did not mind showing off their skills of technology, but the older, more experienced teachers, were afraid to use this modern day tool. I discovered that many of them did not use emails, more so, the district’s email. At that moment I realized that my job as the school’s technology coordinator has now taken on an added responsibility-teaching teachers how to use email (something that I took for granted).

If this workshop is being conducted in 2010, and with the knowledge of John M. Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model, I would take a much more sophisticated approach to solving this problem. First, I would reckon that the older, more experienced teachers lacked the motivational skills that were needed to accomplish the task. In trying to inculcate this motivation, I would seek to gain their attention by capturing whatever little interest there is and stimulate their curiosity to learn. I would use low tech analogies that they used in their classrooms when introducing a topic to their students, comparing it to how I use hi tech to gain their momentum in the desire to learn new tools of the education system. Modeling, as was demonstrated then, would be a major issue, as this would try to encourage them to adapt to this new wave of discipline that is sweeping through the system of education. The next step to increasing the motivational level of my experienced colleagues is to show them the relevance of this new technology to the grading system. I would tell them that this new learning will improve their existing skills, and that they would best learn by building upon their present knowledge and skills. I would show them, during modeling, how they have technology skills embedded within them, and that these skills are just waiting to be released. With reference to future usefulness, I would allow them to see the need of the task for their immediate future, and how it makes the workload much lighter as teachers who are engrossed in consistently grading students work.

Having gained their much needed attention and showing the relevance of the new technology tool, my next task would be to build their confidence in the use of this tool for success. I would help them to believe or feel that they will succeed and control their success of the use of this new technology tool. In building this confidence, I would inform them that understanding the use of this tool will take time. They do not have to rush in understanding it, and if confronted with difficulties while using the tool, I am always available to render assistance. Don’t be afraid. I would also share with them their control over the use of the tool. They control the technology tool; the technology tool does not control them. This will allow them to demonstrate ownership, not just over the tool, but of their learning of technology.
Finally, after building all this confidence, seeing the relevance of the technology tool to the education system, and capturing their attention, I would now turn to the goal of satisfaction. Every person, irrespective of their strata in society, needs to feel that their accomplishment is recognized and that their effort is not in vain. So, in allowing them to feel satisfied, I would constantly praise their efforts when they emailed grades to the program chair. This praise would take the form of positive feedback and reinforcement of the use of the system. I would also invite the principal to commend their efforts and show her approval for their acceptance of the challenge.


References

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Retrieved February 8, 2010, from ARCS model of motivational design (Keller)