Comments on: Technology competencies

By: Mary Woodard

Mary Woodard — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:13:49 +0000

Thanks for commenting! It’s so important for us to work with the instructional technology folks to help get these people up to speed.

By: blogjunkie

blogjunkie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:37:27 +0000

I have blogged on this very topic. I work with a staff that are very techie and it is wonderful. They want to know all sorts of things and showing them what is available to them through the library is wonderful. But I have worked at schools were this is not the case. It is so frustrating to have teachers dig their heels in and refuse to learn tech skills or improve their technology skills. The students are so tech savvy these days that if you want to remain relevant you’d better be up there with them! Love the “remain employed” bit.

By: Mary Woodard

Mary Woodard — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:52:55 +0000

I think you are right. We know that teaching skills in isolation doesn’t work for kids, why would it work for adults? I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but you know that teachers need these skills. Keep working and looking for opportunities to share with them!

By: Cathy Nelson

Cathy Nelson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:23:58 +0000

I sent that same quiz to my teachers with the offer to sit down one on one to talk informally or if desired, formally. I had a few who were more techie than not seek answers to a few, but overall, most did not respond. Sigh. I thought my sharing the quiz would make more want know answers or brush up on their own skills. I think all I did was make myself seem more alien to them, and made them feel even more inadequate with reference to tech skills. But the ones who did come asking questions…well…they would have come with or with out the quiz. This quiz did not help me at all. I think it made people think I’m not on the same playing field with them. I wish I had more postive things to say, especially since I knew ALL the answers. One plus though–my principal said we should take small tips and do a five minute tech tip at the beginning of faculty meetings. That’s okay, and we are doing this, but I’m a firm believer that tips in isolation really don’t make an impact. They ONLY make an impact when the learner NEEDS them–which might explain why very few wanted to know how to do the things in the quiz in the first place.