Blog Post –Module 5
It is my belief that
whatever you introduce anything new one of two things will happen. There will be some that will accept and some
that will reject. Usually the ones who
reject are closed minded are have low self-efficacy.
At one point in my
teaching tenure I was the person who rejected using the Promethean Board. It had taken me such a long time to use the
computer. After being told I would
either use it or seek other employment, you know my only option was to use
it. The fear that I had was that I would
wipe out everything. That is why I
rejected its use. The Promethean Board
was just too much for me to digest all at one time. I received a year of training in 3
hours. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed
and like children we shut down completely.
The entire school year I used the Promethean Board as a chalkboard.
The following school year
the technology “geek” which was my team member and friend starting showing me
different ways he was using the board in class.
He had some interesting lessons that he was using and the student were
so motivated to learn. The lessons were
teacher directed but student driven. Not
only that, test scores began to improve.
I developed an interest in using the board. He then stayed after school with me for 30
minutes each day for about 3 months.
This is when I began to embrace technology. Based on my experience I would say due to the
low self-efficacy I was not willing to embrace technology.
The motivational ARC
Design Process as presented by Keller is an awesome tool for introducing content
and technology. This tool is stimulating
and perpetual. Motivation is a powerful tool but it works in different ways for
different people. Knowing this helps
instructors become better, creates better relationships with learners, and they
enjoy learning even more. I would
integrate the ARC Design Process in my lesson plans and instructional goals to
implement motivational tactics. This
could be very beneficial for new teacher or a person with low self-efficacy.
It took me years to convince my mother to buy a computer. She too feared the unknown. You have to slowly introduce new ideas to people and show them the positive side of technology.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Shirley,
ReplyDeleteFrom the experience you shared, it sounds like you were not given proper training and experience to feel comfortable enough to use your Promethean Board with students. This is understandable and what I have found to be the reason most educators hesitate to integrate new technologies. It is great that you have someone at your school to go to for guidance about learning and using the technology you have. Seeing the successes that teachers get in student performance always seems to be a great motivator for others to join in the integration. Great post!