Bridging the Curriculum and Technology Gap

I'll be honest 5 years ago I had no idea what ISTE or ASCD were. I was a content part-time elementary computer teacher asking kids not to peck during keyboarding and throwing in some Microsoft Office Suite skills for the future. I was plugging along happily allowing my students to have the last ten minutes of class to play "games" like Rockner's Bad Day, Scratch, and Paint. Life was simple if not a wee bit boring.

Even before I started teaching, "Oregon Trail" was a very engaging video game in 1971 for students to learn basics about the east-west emigrant route. It didn't replace the need for a lot more direct instruction for students to learn the ins and outs of the expansion to the west  though. Much like the Oregon Trail scenario most technology-based options were not robust enough to be an integral part of a curriculum in any course we taught. But times they are a changing!

Here we are in 2016 and software is becoming adaptive to student learning, more robust in its offerings, easier to gather data from, and a cost efficient alternative to textbook adoptions or the software/app is completely inline with adopted textbooks. Times are changing. Who looks at what resources drive classroom instruction is changing too. The pool of lookers is growing- both technologists and curriculum specialists bring value to these conversations.

In a recent twitter chat I said "a4b: I also think in the future the lines will become more and more blurred between tech and curriculum #tntechchat." It's something that crosses my mind regularly. As more technology is part of the curriculum of the classroom, more and more curriculum-based questions are asked of me. I've thought long and hard about a doctorate in curriculum to prepare for this shift. Interestingly, the same night I posted the above tweet, I saw a curriculum specialist with the same worries I have- becoming obsolete because of a lack of skills set. For him, his fear was he wasn't tech savvy enough. It was an "aha" moment for me. What does this mean for the future of curriculum leadership? I think more slowly than it should, technology integration classes will be a big part of curriculum education programs. 

Don't even get me started on what the "perfect" librarian, STEM coordinator, or even teacher evaluation criteria should look like. Tech is changing the typical skill sets needed to prepare students for the future- whether we like it or not.

But what about the here and now? How do we who are in the workplace remain relevant and continue to grow into the roles as they progress? I fear being an SMH educator. What's that? "Shaking My Head" educator. You know what I mean. You read a tweet, an email, hear a dissenting remark that just makes you shake your head at the personality. The one so far in the past or so caught up in themselves they can't see value in lifelong learning, acceptance of change or personal/educational growth. 

Do I have fears, sure do. I see technology getting so broad in what it can do that it is becoming harder and harder for me to feel like I can support it. I am an instructional technologist without a computer science background and I have no coding skills. Is this going to be the future of my job? In my world it's important to stay on the cusp of understanding of what's out there. It's almost every day that I get pleasantly surprised by some platform or software that I didn't know existed that can meet a need that I currently see in my school. Staying on the bleeding edge of knowledge is an anxious place to be. Wondering if you are suggesting the best scenarios that will last for at least a few years is a constant thought pattern. Being relevant is huge. 

I am thankful for working with a team of educators both within my district and on social media that helps me flesh out who I am and where I'm going. It's a rollercoaster ride of morphing curriculum and needs constantly!

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Tyranny of the Urgent vs. Importance of the Expected

                                                      

But what if it did? What if as a technology coordinator I put more value on putting my things on hold when the teachers, administrators, and students I support needed me most? What if my job was reactionary? What if I put out fires first and worked on the expected as I could?

Everybody loves a hero and at some time or another we have all needed one. We have been in a situation where no matter how hard we try, we just can't figure out what to do. We are stuck. You are probably thinking of a moment in your life right now that looked like that. How did you get out of the situation? Chances are someone with a skill set, tools, or time you didn't have swooped in and saved the day for you. Someone that realized the urgency of your situation and helped. 

As support staff to an entire school I sometimes struggle with the feeling of lack of accomplishment. I have this list of things to get done but a smart board isn't recognizing a computer, an iPad is giving a popup message, or speakers aren't working. While this is just a small portion of what I am here for, solving these issues gives me "tech coach credibility." If I will help in the small stuff with a smile on my face, teachers are much more likely to feel comfortable with me helping them in big stuff. They are much more likely to hear me out. 

But it's my job to find the balance. If all I do is put out fires and save people from their procrastination of not trying things first over and over again, I am enabling them as someone that always needs to be supported. On the other hand, the unexpected happens. It is in this unexpected moment that the rubber meets the road and I am seen as a resource and remembered for future ideas.

The hardest part for me is being everything I am called to be AND staying relevant and forward thinking. I believe a good instructional technologist has to always be aware of what the next thing might be to make a big difference in their school. For me right now that means spending time looking at open educational resources and finding the time to do it. I believe professional development and research opportunities are vital to me being the best instructional technologist I can be. I also know all the knowledge in the world will not be useful to any organization unless I am meeting with teachers, assessing situations, creating opportunities for student growth, and keeping a finger on the pulse of the curriculum direction of my school.