Cutting Edge versus Bleeding Edge Technology Adoption

As a rule, I definitely wouldn't consider myself a "BANDWAGON" technology adopter- those are the ones that are using new resources blazing the trail for educators like myself that would rather consider technology use after others can give me feedback and suggestions. Why am I that way?

1. Time. There is never enough time in the day to get the things done I want to get done, much less the things I am curious about. Cutting edge technology comes with kinks and bugs. That takes time. 
2. Limited Resources. My budget for innovation isn't very big so therefore I am not going to spend it on non-proven products/tools. I want to make sure I am going to get a bang for my school's buck. 
3. Cautionary Nature. As a rule, I tend to want to make sure there are no unforeseen issues regarding adoption of technology. I prefer allowing someone else to jump off the bridge first while I watch to see if they sink or swim. It's my nature.  

All the above being said I believe it is fair to say that I stepped out my usual mold when it comes to voice user interface. In 2016 when Alexa first entered the market I immediately took it to a teachers classroom for a brief "trial" to consider the potential. I imagined this being a useful tool but I didn't truly decide to jump in until the Echo Dot Kids Edition hit the market. I liked the fact that with FreeTime, Alexa wouldn't have adult conversations with our students. I was ready to try! I reached out to many people in the VoiceFirst industry and was blessed by being given 5 Echo Dot Kids Editions and 5 remotes to pilot at our school. 

Here is what I can tell you today, bleeding edge adoption is a lot easier than cutting edge but I have enjoyed the challenge and nature of riding the wave into classrooms regarding Echo Dot Kids Edition in the classroom. Starting in August, I didn't know you couldn't use blueprints with the Kids Edition, I didn't know you had only use kids-labeled skills for this device unless you enable it in FreeTime and even then it may or may not show up in FreeTime for you to enable it. 

Cutting edge means quirky, disappointing, time consuming, and ever-changing. It means hours on the phone with developers. It means teachers feeling so frustrated that they want to quit. So for me, as an instructional technologist, it also means taking the lead in trying new things and handing the product over to the teachers. It means staying informed. It means questioning. It means suggesting. It means trial and error. It means time; finding that time, being intentional with that time, and growing from taking that time. 

So I say this, if you are going to choose to be a cutting edge adopter versus a bleeding edge adopter (where many of the why's and how's have already been answered) then make sure you believe in the product or tool's value and potential. If you don't, you will want to give up or take the easy route of waiting it out until someone else finds all the answers. I don't want that. I believe so strongly in the value of Alexa in the classroom that I am willing to be the evangelist for its classroom use in a world screaming all the reasons why it shouldn't be. I am willing to put safeguards up and wait out some awesome capabilities until it works within the parameters that equal safety. I am willing to blaze forward using critical thinking to creates opportunities for our students while still waiting for the technology to adapt to the true classroom needs. 

Being a cutting edge adopter means adopting with limitations. It means encouraging those that are on board with you. It means trying that thing again...a different way...failing...trying again. This experience has been good for me because it not only has pulled me out of my norm but also has pushed me in the area of a growth mindset and sticking to my learning goals. All the things I want for the teachers I serve and the students we teach. This process has honed me as an educator to be mindful of all the moving parts that come with learning. My one word for 2019 has been "resolve." This project alone has helped me to live that word out loud as well as to model it to others. 

When was the last time you learned something challenging, exciting and new?

I'm going to tell you a secret about me: I hate to fail- I don't do it with dignity. Because I hate to fail I often don't like to take chances either. As a child (birth to 18) I was fairly athletic and always loved to be active but place a new game in front of me or a concept I didn't know yet and I immediately became a wallflower. I would allow the fun to happen all around me while I watched because I was afraid I wouldn't be good at it. This is something that I have to be mindful about even today. I have to push myself out of this comfort zone and the older I get the more I find myself willing to fail, but it's still hard. My perfectionist and competitive tendencies sometimes overpower me.

In the past couple of weeks I've found myself truly pushed out of my comfort zone regarding learning. In one case circumstances caused the need for learning and in the other case passion to create caused it. I self taught myself the intricacies of 3D printing in the last couple of weeks due to a need my students had. I'll be honest, I haven't perfected this skill nor was I even 100% happy with the end results but I accomplished it. Next step: accomplish printing AND design.

The next thing I accomplished was creating my very first skill for an Amazon Echo. Alexa can now read my blog to all the millions of people interested (humor me) by adding the skill "All Things EduTechie Oriented" from the skill store. I was actually shook when I realized I had accomplished this task. My skill set was 100% lacking in trying this. The instructions often looked like greek to me. When I finished, just like a toddler that would run to mom and ask her to put their crayon artwork on the fridge, I started texting coworkers and family with the results! I'll be honest, I took the path of least resistance to create it. There are things about it that I wish worked differently, it isn't perfect. But I did it. 

I often like to think I'm a growth mindset kind of girl. I have no problem reading material that is contradictory to what I currently think and growing from it but it took these last couple of weeks to realize I do tend to shy away from truly learning the HOW TO of really new things. So as I look at what spurred me I also can't help but see correlations in ways we can spur our students as well:

• Time. Both of these new skills took time. For one I actually put some things on hold and worked after school to get it done. For the other, the flu gave me the chance to just focus on it. We need time, uninterrupted time to think through things that are challenging. Adults and students need time to devote to learning and using that time intentionally is important for the learner to persevere.
• Reason. Tell me they why. Before 2 weeks ago I didn't really even have a desire to do either of those tasks but now I'm pleased as punch that I have accomplished them. What happened to cause this? I had a WHY- whether intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated knowing why you are learning something gives you the guts to keep going when it gets rough.
• Resources. To learn new things we need the access to the tools to get us through the learning goal. Whether it be the wide world web, an expert, or a 3D printer or Amazon Echo...you can't accomplish the learning if the right tools aren't available. 
• Validation. This may sound vain but learners need validation. There was this moment when I accomplished the task of creating an Alexa Skill and someone ask "are you going to create it for Google Assistant as well?" I felt diminished in that moment. I said, "Wait a minute, can we just glow in the moment in the fact I did something I didn't think I could do?" How often do we push our students to the next thing after an accomplishment instead of truly celebrating the current accomplishment? For some of our students every math problem, essay, or summative assessment has that same sense of "Oh my goodness! Look what I just did!" as I felt this week. I want to be more mindful in celebrating growth in my students and not just seeing it as a check mark and herding them forward to the next thing. 

I love weeks when you learn something about yourself that you might actually even see as a flaw. I'm going to work harder in examining myself more frequently for things I might be shying away from due to fear. What I really learned from something that is challenging, exciting and new is that it feels marvelous (even if it isn't perfected) to accomplish that which you thought was hard to do. 

Cleaning House for 2016! Things Educators Should Leave Behind in 2015

There is a sense of finality in the lives of educators that doesn't exist in most professions. We see a year being over around May, we see large changes at this time because we no longer teach the students we've grown fond of as we anticipate summer and then the next group of students. It is this time of year, in January, where we have a nice break and we look towards finishing our school year. There are definitely pros and cons to the feeling of "stop and go" "new and old" "beginnings and ends" that go along with our profession.

Today is the last day of 2015, a day many people make resolutions for the future- giving up soda, taking up exercising, reading your Bible regularly, eating less cheese- things we think will make us a better person for the future us. So many of us look towards the future with anticipation. In order to move into 2016 with a positive mindset there are also things we have to leave behind from last semester. Things that we have allowed to supersede our effectiveness. Things that need to be swept out of our lives as we face this new year. Things that hold us back from being our best self. They include:

• Hurt feelings- Perhaps it was a parent that said something that made you feel like you weren't meeting their child's needs but you were doing your best. Perhaps it was a co-worker that is just hard to get along with. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding that you haven't let go of. Perhaps you were truly "done wrong" but holding onto those hurt feelings just causes a festering in your spirit that will poison your next semester. Forgiveness, whether warranted or not, will free you from that poison. Forgiveness will help you leave hurt feelings behind. 

• Insecurities- As humans we aren't perfect. Every year we are challenged with students that make us feel insecure because we fear we aren't meeting their needs. We are faced with new district/school initiatives that push us out of our comfort zones. We fear we are under qualified, not equipped and ill advised. Be easier on yourself. Know that perfection is not possible. Being your best and trying your hardest is always important. Instead of focusing on your shortcomings look at these things as opportunities for growth. Insecurities can lead to stagnation but accepting shortcomings and owning them can lead to a willing heart with a growth mindset. Accepting the fact that you aren't perfect is part of this. Don't get disheartened when someone shows you opportunities for personal growth. A growth mindset can help you leave insecurities behind.

• Fear- Fear paralyzes us. We all fear something professionally. Sometimes it owns us more than other times. Fear of change is one area that can cause bitterness and gossip. Fear of change is normal, reactions to fear is the important thing to focus on. Being honest with yourself and others that you fear something is a great first step. When you can face your fears with an open mind you are more able to overcome them and leave them behind.

• Failures- We've all had something in the first semester that felt like a big time flop. Maybe it was a lesson plan, a conversation, a relationship, or just a day. We can't allow failures to become our identifier. We must fail forward, learn from our mistakes, and let them go. We must dissect why they happened and then leave them behind.

For some educators, there is dread when thinking about that last day of Christmas break. They don't want to face this next semester. It's time to do some professional house cleaning. Sweep those hurt feelings, insecurities, fear, and failures out the back door with 2015. Fling open the doors and windows of yourself and face 2016 without the garbage holding you back. Your students don't deserve to be surrounded by that stink. Your coworkers need a team player with positive input. Your administrative team values those that can rise in diversity. Loosen the 2015 bad vibe noose and head into 2016 with a sense of celebration!