The school system where I am completing my field experience this semester is considered one of the highly technically advanced areas. The technology specialists are outsourced which provides the media specialist some form of relief. During my visits I have experienced teachers who are unwilling to learn the technology in order to teach their classes effectively. On different occassions I have also experienced teachers who were unaware of how to research items in the media center to simple troubleshooting in the classroom. They are very comfortable contacting the media specialist, but at this can be time consuming. The technology specialist is avaiable, but the familiarity lies with the current media specialist. When I approached her about this concern it seems that her "personal" approach is highly favored. The media specialist provides instructions and an introduction to the media center at the beginning of the school. She also offers group training by request throughout the year, if time permits.
Personally, I would provide assistance to the teachers by producing training aids on the most popular requests and individual group sessions if requested for more details and hands-on experience for the beginners. I would also include the teachers in the learning process if I am called to help in a classroom. I believe that all educators should be able to operate the equipment that they are entrusted with in the classroom setting unless other direction is given. This will allow me (media specialist) extra time to complete other projects and provide help to the staff members that actually need the additional assistance.
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5 comments:
Happy1 I strongly agree with yu about training teachers to troubleshoot their own computers and learning hot to use the media equipment independently. Surely, the media specialist can put her focus her attention on critical projects or others. Knowledge is power! If only teachers knew how prosperous they will be if they where proficient in technology use.
I agree with you in that if a teacher has the equipment in their classroom, then they should know who to use that equipment correctly. I think the media specialist should be available for group trainings at scheduled times, but cannot be available to just leave the media center to go help someone when they have their job to do as media specialist. We have a technologist at our school, which is great. The teachers have to turn in a technology request on the computer if they are having problems with technology. This helps cut down on the people just asking for help every second of the day, etc. The media specialist at my school is good about helping if there is a big need for help or if the technologist is out for some reason.
I hadn't thought about asking teachers to help with technical training, but in fact, I have done that in the past. For example, when I was teaching, I didn't have an interwrite pad in my room, so I was unfamiliar with it. This year, I had a teacher ask me about using one that I had checked out to her. I couldn't speak from personal experience, but I knew one of my colleagues uses one everyday. I asked my colleague to help the teacher with her interwrite pad, and it worked out great. I also understand what you said about teachers being reluctant to learn new technology, and I think that is a battle we'll be fighting for a long time. Great post.
Hi Felicia - I too have observed several teachers unwilling to demonstrate flexibility in technology at my school. It puzzles me that teachers promote flexibility and adaptability to students yet fail to practice it themselves. I often wonder how they would respond to the idea of mandatory continuing education courses in technology the same as the real estate industry requires continuing ed? Would they become more or less willing? Would students benefit more from their efforts? Would school systems even require technology specialists?
While I do not have the answers to these questions, I shutter to think what would happen if some teachers were held to similar standards as those who work private sector. Hmmmmmmm?
I would love to be a media specialist in a system that outsources its technology troubleshooting so that my time can be more free to do other media center activities. I do understand why the teachers would still seek out the media specialist for technology issues since they have a personal relationship with her. I think that your suggestion of providing them with aids that they can keep and refer to in case of need is very professional and shows that you care about your faculty's needs.
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