Does Change Need To Be a Difficult Thing?
This week, the RETA folks continue their excellent webinar series on Monday night at 6PM with Having a Web Presence with Google Sites and Google Notebooks. Google is an extremely positive force in the classroom, offering teachers and students alike a broad range of free technology products and services. This webinar is a must for all educators interested in student engagement and differentiated instruction.
The weekly “Inbox” from The National Council of Teachers of English had some intriguing articles worth a peek:
Program Could Turn Arkansas’ School Buses into Classrooms
On the Way: Nation’s First Tech-Literacy Exam
Understanding Students Who Were “Born Digital”
Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers
Yearbooks Fade as Networking Sites Propagate
At the end of October, there will be another series of exciting technology changes taking place at Socorro Consolidated Schools. First, Windows users will notice our switch to Microsoft’s Vista operating system. If you are like me, the only exposure you’ve had to Vista so far are the TV commercials in which a test group is tricked into thinking that they are looking at some other Windows operating system. Click the Vista link to explore some of the fabulous new features that will be available to teachers, administrators and students.
Another major improvement will be the upgrade from Microsoft Office 2003 to Microsoft Office 2007. Microsoft Office 2007 includes the same products that many of us are already familiar with: Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher and Access. We will have a new computer-based email client called Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, which also includes a calendar and an address book. Our web mail client will become Microsoft Outlook Web Express, a product with superior functionality to the present web-based client. You can visit the links at the right for more information.
All changes should be in place by the time teachers return from fall break
Changes of this magnitude make it natural for a couple of concerns to come to mind. One major question that we all need to ask ourselves is, “What are we going to do to make sure these new technologies translate into improved instruction and student engagement in the classroom?” Microsoft Office 2007 and Vista are great products … but they only have educational value if my students use it as a productivity tool. As a teacher, I’m obligated to ask myself, “How can I make these new resources have meaning for my students?”
Another obvious question involves the learning curve that may or may not have an effect on users who are new to Vista and Office 2007. Office 2007 has a whole different look to it and the old, familiar toolbars are gone. While I personally have Office 2007 on my home PC (the one that is currently residing in storage in Capitan), I haven’t used 2007 since June. Hopefully it is like riding a bicycle. On the other hand, Vista will be a whole new world to me. How much training and PD are we all going to need on this? How much time will users be willing to invest in learning about these new products?
On Friday, a sales rep said to me, “Well, you know how teachers are about change. They are worse than children and grandparents.” This statement was admittedly irritating to me as a teacher but, as a leader, it was cause for some reflection. Sure, some teachers I’ve known are resistant to any type of change. Is that more or less than anything I saw in the business world? It probably isn’t. In fact, the worst group I ever tried to lead through change were sales reps (a fact that I shared with the sales rep after I told him I wasn’t interested in his stuff).
Change is only as valuable as the perception of the people involved. All the propaganda, rationalization, logic and pleading will not force users to buy into Vista and Office 2007. The conventional wisdom being supported by many management tomes these days is that understanding the need for change is a strong contributing factor in successful change. Many of these same books suggest that instilling the fear of NOT changing makes sense.
Frankly, as educators, we are in the business of change. Our day-to-day activities in the classroom are essentially an effort to change the behavior, performance and knowledge of our students. We work hard to make sure that the change that we lead our students towards is a change for the better … changes that include improved behavior, better performance and increased knowledge. We live in a world where changes happen at faster and faster speeds, especially in technology, and that allows us very little time to get comfortable with new products. Just when we think we have something in our grasp, the next new product is coming down the pike at us at light speed.
While there are many reasons that a switch to Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 makes sense, there is one reason that should matter more than others. The primary beneficiaries of this change must be our students. If Vista and Office 2007 make the lives of teachers and administrators better, then that is a huge bonus. However, in order to prepare our students for college, careers and the world of tomorrow, they need access to and experience with the most current technology. Each of us has a moral, ethical and professional obligation to give our students access to these new productivity tools.
The choice of how teachers will use these tools is entirely a personal one. Teachers who place a high priority on student engagement, the quality of work assignments and the creation of dynamic student outcomes will find this to be a very exhilarating time. The Tech Team will be glad to support your choices and provide ideas for PD, lesson planning and student application. Hopefully, for our students’ sake, all teachers will get excited about the changes that will be happening in three weeks.
What is the fear of not getting excited about Vista and Office 2007? Ask yourself some questions. Am I being fair to my students? What will my students not be learning? Will my students be more engaged if we (teacher and student) use Office 2007? How can Office 2007 improve my students’ achievement? Where will I be if I don’t embrace what my colleagues are using? What is scaring me about trying these new products?
This week’s Spotlight on Technology Award goes to Marian Royal, Socorro High School’s librarian. Marian has been a driving force behind technology for the district for some time, and her leadership at the High School is a great asset to the Tech Team. She has high expectations and is a powerful advocate for her students. She is an outstanding role model for the application of technology and a great resource for everyone at SHS. Congratulations, Marian (and thanks!).
