When I was teaching Kindergarten in the Private school a few years ago I tried to get another teacher on board with using technology in her classroom and also to complete her lesson plans. This teacher did not like technology and refused to change the way she did things. She thought she was just fine with out any of it so why change now. She refused to even try it at all in her classroom. She didn’t want anything to do with it. She had a very negative attitude towards technology and virtually everything else. With regards to Keller’s ARCS model, I could have designed a motivational strategy that could have generated satisfaction for using the technology in her classroom. A training session where the uses of the technology in the classroom were highlighted may have peaked interest and created a path for motivation. Being able to see the technology and how it would enhance something that she already does in her classroom could have created an inlet for satisfaction and a wanting to learn more about it. As stated by Driscoll, “People can harbor beliefs about their capabilities, or lack thereof, that bear no relation to their actual ability to perform some task” (Driscoll, p. 317, 2005). Allowing the teacher to see what could be done with the technology and then guiding her in the use of it could change her mind set towards it. Sometimes the birds need to be pushed out of the nest and I believe that is what it would have taken for this teacher.
Reference:
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
**** I repeat myself ****
**** I posted to Carol Lee & Laine Pagan's blogs. ****
Nice blog Sherry.
ReplyDeleteI bet the teacher was tenured. Not enough is mentioned about the affect that the security of tenure status has on a teacher's willingness to embrace change. What do you think?
Hey Sherry,
ReplyDeletei have gotten the same kind of response from some teachers in the past also. I think the methods you chose might have helped. Some it works for some it does not. As you say sometimes we have to be pushed into doing things. Thats what my principal did one year. He made it a requirement for all teachers to use technology in their lesson plans at least once or twice every six weeks. I think it should have been more though.
When teachers think what they are doing works, so why change, it is difficult to change their minds. You described great ways to encourage a change. It is hard to convince people to take risks when they are unsure of the topic at hand. Motivation, training, and support will offer great assistance.
ReplyDelete