Aug
19
Adopt a Teacher
August 19, 2009 | Tagged pln, teamwork, technology team | 1 Comment
Team
As the new, and first, Instructional Technology Coordinator for my district, one of the things that I want to accomplish this year is to establish Campus Technology Teams. I strongly believe in communication and collaboration among teachers, administrators, students, parents, etc. While working with two other school districts in the past I have either been a part of or have created Campus Technology Teams and they have been very successful in my opinion. One of the things that I noticed while being part of a team or leading a team is that when we first start off, the team is very small, a handful of teachers if we are lucky, but by years end, the team has doubled in size.
The team I created at the high school while teaching consisted of 4 people originally; myself, the Librarian, an English teacher and a Social Studies teacher. My goal was to teach these teachers how to use different technologies at first and then how they could integrate that technology into their classrooms. This campus had a history and a culture that consisted of teachers fighting against whatever the principal asked of them, any new programs, and a lot of the teachers just didnt want the “extra” work.
However, with the Campus Technology Team, I didnt force the team members to push technology onto other teachers, I just asked that they make the other teachers in their departments aware of the technology they knew and used in the classrooms. If one of their colleagues bit on the technology bait, then I asked them to take that person in and show them how to use that technology or technologies. Slowly, but surely, they began to tell me that some of their colleagues began asking about the technology and how it works and how it can be used. By the end of the first year the Campus Technology Team went from the original 4 people and had grown to 8 people; myself, the Librarian, the English teacher, the Social Studies teachers, a Math teacher, 2 Science teachers, and an ELL teacher.
Therefore, I am hoping that the creating of Campus Technology Teams will work the same way in the current district I work for. I know it will probably be a great challenge but it is a challenge I am looking forward to. So, in the words of Tim Holt I ask you to consider this…
IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS YEAR…
Adopt a Teacher.
Take at least one teacher under your arm this year and assist them with and the learning of technology. It can be a teacher who has some knowledge of technology but just doesn’t know how to integrate it into their lessons or that one teacher who feels like she is the “dinosaur” of the group and is afraid to use even the smallest amount of technology. Even if you feel you are a novice with technology take what you know and share it with another teacher or teachers, communicate…collaborate…create.
Have a great school year!
Comments
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Paul, the Adopt a Teacher concept is great! I love the story of the campus technolgy team you created. In my experience the most transformative change usually occurs one small step at a time. I’m going to share this idea with our campus technology facilitators and encourage them to adopt some teachers, too. Have a great 2009-2010!
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