The Technology training at Cartersville High School is
almost non-existent. Like most schools
during this budget crisis, technology training has fallen to the wayside. For instance, last year, we received a grant
that enabled the purchase of twenty SmartBoards in our school. I was actually the recipient of one of the
SmartBoards, and I eagerly awaited training on how to use it… and I’m still
waiting. During pre-planning, it became
clear that those of us who had this new technology would never receive formal
training for it. We were told to “play
with it,” “ask others who have one,” or “look it up on the internet.” I’ll admit, it was frustrating, and while I
did figure it out, I know that there are other, better uses for my board than
what I figured out during a couple of afternoons “playing with it.”
As a Library Media Specialist, one of the greatest ways to
serve your school will be to implement technology training and staff
development opportunities. While there
are challenges (time and money), there are simple ways to provide meaningful
and budget-friendly ways of training your staff. Remember K.I.S.S. (Keep it short, simple!).
When providing technology training, it is important to DO
the following:
·
Provide simple handouts that may include screen
shots, short sentences, images, and relevant information
·
Plan ahead and be ready for with a back up plan.
·
Provide instruction to groups who NEED it. Survey the teachers and principal first to
find the greatest area of need for instruction and lessons.
·
Meet teachers when convenient for them: during
lunch, department meetings, or professional learning community times
(PLCs).
·
Utilize experts within the school or community
that will cut down on the cost for the program.
·
Provide incentives for those who attend (food or
comp time works greatly, with permission from the principal).
·
Publicize your successes: if a teacher makes a
positive comment or writes a thank you email, make that pubic knowledge that
your tips and programs are working!
·
Provide simple, one-page tip sheets that break
the instruction down.
·
Allow time for guided practice so that the
teachers can work with technology hands on.
·
Be open to feedback and criticism. Not every person and every lesson will be
successful, so be prepared.
On the other hand, there are also things that you should not
do when providing tech training or staff development. DO NOT:
·
Plan long sessions after school or during
teacher in-service days. Teachers need
their time in the classroom.
·
Complicate the lessons by technology vernacular
that is confusing to others.
·
Assume that all teachers are at the same level:
there are beginners and advanced technology users in every school.
·
Provide sporadic staff development; meaningful
instruction is on-going throughout a school year.
·
Become frustrated if the technology fails
(because it will at some point). Have a
back up plan.
These tips are very helpful when designing and planning
staff development for technology training.
If you, as the LMS, are conscious of the budget by utilizing the
resources available and time by meeting teachers when convenient, you will be
successful and help your school to grow in a meaningful way!
One of your points that really stuck with me was the current general lack of technology training due to increasing budget cuts. It seems like this is really an opportunity for the library media specialists within the school to step up and offer optional in-service training classes or provide online modules to support their staff.
ReplyDeleteLike yours, our school had smartboards installed in every classroom over the summer and similarly we were not trained on how to use them. I sought out training outside of my school and was able to spend a day learning many of the features. Now, I feel like I could come back and redeliver a good deal of that information on-site at my school. While not everyone would need to participate, a great deal of teachers would really benefit from the training.
I know that media specialists, like everyone in education, are strapped for time and resources as well but offering teachers training tailored to meet their needs would engender a better and more supportive working relationship in the future.
You gave some great do's and don'ts for providing technology training.
ReplyDeleteSince funding has become more and more limited, schools have been more creative in finding ways to get the training to the staff. Many times, staff members are called upon to do staff trainings. This has mostly good pay offs, but one problem is that sometimes classroom teachers do not have any training in teaching adults. These guidelines are really helpful!
When we got our SMARTboards, our academic coaches organized the trainings depending on how comfortable you were with technology. It was so much better for everyone. People that needed more support got it, while those that were ready for more advanced skills got those. I think it is very important to remember the value of that when providing trainings. We are expected to differentiate for the children, we should do it for the staff as well!
It is clear that as media specialists, our jobs will be more and more likely to include technology training of staff. Not only do we need to stay on top of technology, but we need to stay on top of training adults.
I find lack of training to be an issue at my school as well. AS a new teacher I was hoping for training on my interactive whiteboard as well as programs that my school offers, but unfortunately I had to figure all these things out on my own. Luckily I worked in the media center at this same school for 5 years, prior to getting a teaching position, with a media specialist who really valued technology and even had her PH.D in instructional technology. I credit all me technology knowledge to her. My principal knows technology is important in the classroom, but does not value the importance of having teachers trained on the technology they have. Imagine the possibilities if we knew how to use our technology to its full potential.
ReplyDeleteYour do's and do not's hit the nail in the head when it comes to teaching technology to teachers! The most common problem with professional development seems to be that, for the most part, it is really boring and too long. We need to remember to keep it short and simple, or KISS : )
ReplyDelete