One of my colleagues, in response to my blog ‘Overcoming the red tape’ highlighted the fact that many teachers are ‘stuck in a quagmire because they have a defeatist approach when it comes to technology’. This comment, brought to the surface, the memory of my grandmother sharing with me, her fears of lighting the stove when she first got one and how often she would revert to using the coal pot even though it was the same fire. Of greater concern is the fact that many of our senior citizens still prefer to stand in line at the banks rather than use a debit card. It is not just that old habits are difficult to break, it goes beyond that, into the realm of our fears of the unknown.
Reverting from the traditional approach to teaching reading means coming out of our comfort zone and entering that unfamiliar zone. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. stated that "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of a challenge." Challenge here being ‘the test of one's abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking’ (Webster’s Dictionary). It will be a challenge for us as Reading Specialists to train this technologically diverse group of teachers to this non traditional approach to reading . What we must keep in mind is that this upgrading of both content and pedagogical skills is inself a challenge to our trainees.
Hi Junet
ReplyDeleteYou are right about our fellow teachers who have not been exposed to this ICT course been overwhelmed with challenges. Nonetheless, there is hope. We first have to assuage the frustration and adjust the attitude of our fellow teachers and we will be on our way to developing professionals who are competent users of the new technology in our classrooms.
I found a video that speaks specifically to the challenges involved in training 'traditional' teachers to use modern technology. The author likens educational technology as a foreign language and so she argues that all the techniques which apply to foreign language learning can be applied to the learning of this new technology. Here is the link to this interesting video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyhJxpHTqy0&feature=related
Hi Junet,
ReplyDeleteI loved your quote by Martin Luther King jr. Many teachers are unwilling to accept new technologies because of they way they are taught them, which is in a rushed manner, and then directed to use. They are also skeptical about changing methods that have brought them success in teaching because of previous experience. Although the content of reading has not in essence changed, web 2.0m technology has been added as ways of grasping student interest and making learning more relevant to what is being done in the job market.