Teaching Beyond Our Fears Of Technology And Finding The Balance Within

I've never met a person that didn't fear something. Some of us fear spiders. Some fear heights. Some fear extra pounds. Some fear change. Most of us fear something about the unknown. As an instructional technologist I see teachers fearing the technology itself. I'm baffled by it quite honestly but I have learned to be a listener and to try to assuage their fears by good support and good analogies.

I have two teen daughters, one that has been driving for 3 years now and one in the permit stage of driving with adult supervision. On a regular basis when they walk out the door to get behind the wheel of a car, I say a little prayer. In their friend groups 94-98% of their peers get their license to drive and have access to drive around the ages of 16-17. It did not cross my mind to not let them have this privilege, responsibility, and what I see as a necessity in life. Most parents are on the same mind track as myself I believe- it's just part of growing up.

We, as parents, don't really overanalyze the fact that driving a car means taking risks like that child has never taken before, because if we did- we would wrap them in bubble wrap and duct-tape and place them in a rubber room to protect them. I'm not saying we don't worry and lament over the fact that "J speeds" and "K doesn't use her side mirrors like she should." I'm not saying that when the phone rings from an unknown number or from your child when you know they should be driving you don't do a "mini freak out." What I am saying is that we don't dwell on the fact that for the first time ever, they have control over their path of their day. We don't dwell on the fact that not only are they taking risks with their own lives but the lives of others as well. We don't dwell on the fact that they are in control of (plus or minus) 4,000 pounds of technology that will go 100 mph and their frontal lobes aren't fully developed. (Ok, maybe we are thinking about it more now than we ever have since you are seeing it in written form).

But the truth of the matter is, we don't let our fears rule us. We dig deep into the "balance scales of life" and we come to the realization that what the ability to drive allows exceeds the potential negatives of not allowing that child to function with this important skill.

I see the use of mobile technology in the classroom in much the same light. There are pitfalls- poor digital citizenship skills, distraction, inability to ascertain when it is appropriate to utilize tech and when it is not- but much like driving a car, it will be a lifelong skill needed for today's and tomorrow's students. We, as teachers, much like parents of new driving teens, have to put on our discerning "balance scales of life" and meet those needs with our students.

Just like we wouldn't throw the keys to a car for a solo trip to a 16 year old that has never driven, we have a responsibility to hand-hold our students in discerning good technology usage. When teachers say, "NO, I don't want it in my classroom" they are limiting potential- for their learning environment and for that student individually. We must reach beyond our fears, hesitantly if need be, and embrace change and technology so our students can be future ready.

The Three R's of Teaching with Transparency

 In a recent #satchat Twitter chat, I was talking about being a transparent educator. Transparency is a hard and scary task- it is honesty and openness at it's rawest. It is something as a rule I run from screaming like a girly girl that just saw a mouse. It makes me feel uncomfortable to be that real with anyone- to lay open my insecurities, my strengths, my weaknesses- being that vulnerable...well it sucks. There is a good chance I won't be the "professional" I should be because it also means leaving my emotions open, and when my emotions are open- I cry. I'm a big giant blubbering ball of sniffle because I tend to feel my emotions, all of them, like the intensity of the sun. Just typing all this makes me fluttery in my tummy!

BUT, there are benefits to transparency. When someone is transparent, we trust them. Mother Teresa said, "honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway." Transparency is an unifier. Good things happen faster when others see that their leader is "human."

I'm playing the alliteration game strong lately but it helps me to remember things as I get older especially! As I look at the value of transparency, I see three valuable "R's" that happen when associated with the teacher profession.

• Transparency makes us RELATIONAL. If we are truly "ourselves" as educators, we break down the walls of pretense. We no longer have this added lingering "getting to know you' time because we are human to our students. We have allowed them to see us "horns, warts, and all." Our transparency helps us to be more approachable and in that, students feel comfortable letting us in their worlds. When we strive to have relationships with our students they notice, and most the time they want to be known. Think back in your lifetime, the people in your life you most wanted affirmation from were the ones that you were in relationship with- not some teacher that sat behind their desk and didn't even know your name by the end of the year. Being relational may mean taking what we have always thought of as valuable instructional time to just do things that allow safety and unity in the classroom. While it is scary to sometimes take time for things such as this, the culture of the classroom changes so much that accelerated learning can then happen due to these safe relationships.
• Transparency makes us RELEVANT. I am 46 years old and only remember a handful of my teachers names from middle and high school. Why is that? For the most part they were just a nameless face day after day imparting the knowledge I needed for the test. I was a quiet kid and flew under the radar making A's and B's most of the time. I took no extra energy on the part of the teacher because I was easy. To me, my teachers were an irrelevant part of my life- a necessary evil, if you will. They never asked why I missed school the day after I missed, they never wondered what I meant by a comment and where it might have stemmed from. They didn't know me so therefore they and their classes seemed irrelevant to me. As oppose to a few teachers that stand out in my mind- like my business education teacher who found me in the hallway at the beginning of my senior year to suggest I take "Accounting 2" in her classroom while she taught typing (it didn't really fit in my schedule) because "I just seemed to have a knack for accounting." I hadn't even thought about taking Accounting 2 but her interest in me made me want to do so. Is it any small wonder that I later became an Accountant and then a Business Education Teacher?
• Transparency makes us REFLECTIVE. Not just us as educators, but our students too. Transparency allows us to push our students a little bit deeper beyond the norm. By being transparent we can ask them WHY not just WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE, and there is a good possibility they will take the time to figure out the WHY just because we asked. A transparent educator can easily slip into the role of mentor. All of a sudden we aren't just the computer teacher but we are also being sought out by students as they deal with struggles, successes, confusion, and life. We become a safety net for our students through our transparency, a place where they feel comfortable (or at least not miserable) to reflect on decisions. As educators ourselves, transparency with ourselves allows for real, raw, deep reflection. Sometimes we are least transparent with ourselves as humans. We want to be a certain way so we convince ourselves that we are. If we teach and lead transparently, we will be less likely to be surprised when the world doesn't see us a certain way. We also will become more honest about where there is room for improvement in our lives. Which of course, can only lead to becoming better teachers. 

Important Characteristics of a Technology Coach

School systems around the country are getting on board and seeing the importance of Instructional Technology Departments with "tech coaches" and because I've been doing it for a little bit I get asked quite often "What should it look like?" I believe every school has its own dynamics but after seeing this role in action for a few years now while, watching and hearing other people in this role, I think I can say there are things you should look for in a tech coach regardless of the school dynamics. While I think the role can be slightly different based on each school's needs, the character traits needed for success are closely the same.

Technology Coaches should be:

• Innovative- My definition of innovation is the intersection of "need" and "passion" under an umbrella of creativity. That being said, your tech coach should have the type of personality that is constantly looking for new ways to meet the needs of students. Ways that typically haven't been done in the past. Your tech coach should be a creative soul.
• Resourceful- Your tech coach should be someone that can think on their feet and adjust in the midst of a lesson. They are the ones the teachers are looking at to not feel intimidated by tech. When tech fails in a lesson (not IF but WHEN), a good tech coach has a backup plan and shows teachers that it isn't the end of the world. 
• Fearless- Your tech coach shouldn't worry about failure. They should work within a culture where they have permission to try things that might not work. They should be the personality type that isn't so overly perfectionist that they can allow themselves to take chances that might lead to failure. This only works if the administration creates the type of environment that says "just learn from it for next time."
• Tenacious- A good tech coach is much like a salesman. They can't sit in their office if teachers aren't wanting them in their rooms. They must push at times, pull at times, but they can't take "no" for an answer. A tech coach must have the support of their administration to hold teachers and students accountable for technology integration. This is the hardest point for me- to not take it personal when a teacher is anti-tech. A good tech coach can separate themselves from what they do so that they can keep relationships good.
• Diplomatic- A good tech coach realizes you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. They work on being relational with the teachers they support, not dogmatic or dictating. A good tech coach meets the teachers where they are and holds their hand when needed but pushes them out of the proverbial nest when it's time.
• Inquisitive- A good tech coach asks lots of questions of themselves, of their students, and of their teachers. They are in the hallways, listening to conversations, gleaning ways they might be more useful or resourceful. They are reaching out to their professional learning communities to see what others are doing. They are in contact with their professional learning networks to stay on top of the newest educational technology initiatives and innovations. Good tech coaches are connected educators.
• Digital Leaders- The best tech coaches are digital leaders, not digital managers. In a recent post by my friend Katrina Keene, she hit the nail on the head about digital leaders. She says "digital leaders model effective digital tools, have a strategic vision for the digital age, inspire use of digital tools, inspire teachers to own their own learning, shape a new digital age culture"  (http://www.teachintechgal.com/#!What%20is%20Digital%20Leadership?/cufo/55675f530cf23d0164c8c2f8). And here lies the line in the sand- to me this is the hardest role to fill. A digital leader is a great tech coach and it is what separates the mediocre, good, and great. I believe you can be a digital manager and be a mediocre/good tech coach but to be a GREAT tech coach, schools should be looking for digital leaders. 

Why Being Average Is So Hard

"At the end of the school year my heart saddens for the average kid. The kid who didn't receive the plethora of accolades that others hauled home from end-of-the-year ceremonies. Not because the ones who received the awards weren't worthy of the award, but that there are a ton of kids out there giving it all they've got for the low B or the high C. Ah, those trophies and treasures. My prayer is that we all teach that those are the shiny things that are of greatest value living there on our insides. Character, commitment & excellence. Yes, everyone can excel in these three. May we all look to find these in each face we teach and parent." - Meghan Casey Cobble.

This blog post started with the above post my friend Meghan had on Facebook, but the sentiments could have been written by me. These are thoughts I deal with on a weekly basis. How best can we meet the needs of the average child and help them to see their worth and value? I've blogged around the idea before, today I will blog it headlong.

Schools spend extra time and money trying to meet the needs of student learning in the extremes- in fact, they are required by law to meet those students needs of the low achievers and the high achievers- therefore, the accountability of laws make states, administration, service staff, and teachers focus on these students. This is important, I am not saying that it isn't. Schools also spend funds trying to help students find their niche that isn't maybe "rigorously academic-based." For instance- the athlete, the actor, the singer, the artist, all have self confidence, much like the student that excels in learning due to the fact they have found something that pulls them out of the mundane of everyone else.

The average child that is not plugged in and the lower-level learners don't have this confidence thing going on. Yet that lower-level learner tends to have more one-on-one instruction/mentoring time to offset this issue. Connections matter! But what about the average child? How can we help them to feel confident and valued? My heart aches in this because there were times I was that kid. I was borderline average/above average most of my school career but the thing that kept me going was that I truly loved learning and had a knack for writing.

I have two children of my own that fall into that "average" ranking that don't necessarily love learning as a rule. Learning is hard for them at times. Frustrations are high for them at times. Successes are measured differently for them than for some students. There have been times I have definitely been guilty of pushing them too hard- as an educator and a mom. The truth is, there are times I've been disappointed as an educator and a mom- not just disappointed in their grades but in my inability to help them see their worth outside of their grades. I'll be honest, I probably own the angst of this more than the typical "mom educator" should.

How do I, as a mom, encourage them to be their best without smothering them or pressuring them? How do I, as an educator, see students like them and help them see their positive attributes to this world? It is a struggle for me, I will not lie, and I don't think I am alone. Average kids fly under the radar so much of the time- sometimes we don't know if they are meeting their potential or if they are skating on the "good enough" rink they have been placed.

Here is what I know- these are the kids that look back at high school and don't have a lot of fond memories. These are the kids that think there has to be an easier path, a better fit, nicer people, at the school down the road. These are the kids we often let down because they are either "easy," or because we perceive they just don't care so we don't seek to engage them. BUT these are the kids I'm passionate about- the kids I want to figure out better ways to reach. I'm open to suggestions and ideas, I'm willing to take the blame for my part, I want to help be a change agent in this area. Maybe it's because I was a "fall between the cracks" student that it makes me want to work hard to cause a culture change. Anyone with me?

Think Star Trek: Next Generation- Technology as an Accelerator

I don't admit this often but there was a time in my life that I didn't miss an episode of Star Trek: Next Generation. Just for the record, before the judgments begin- I didn't have a Trekie costume nor did I ever go to a convention. This admiration is way before I had decided to be a teacher but the idea of holograph rooms, telaportation, and all the gadgets that went along with planet exploration kept my attention week after week. My "hay day" with being enamored with the show was circa early to mid 1990's. I think back to that time and see how real some of those innovative gadgets on that show really are today. For example:

• Augmented reality and holograph technology is here. It's being used in the classroom to pull students in, to give visuals that have never been available before in 3D/4D ability (for instance http://elements4d.daqri.com)
• Wearable technology is here; the weirdness level will become less weird and the price point will continue to drop. We will see more and more of the population, student and beyond, talking into the watch on their arm or blinking to see incoming emails, texts, or videos. Are we all going to be like "Data"?
• While telaportation for humans isn't here, with the use of Skype, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime we can communicate with each other in real-time meetings. With the very recent invent of Periscope and Meerkat we can also be a part of events anywhere in the world in real-time. It's not telaportation but it's getting there.

What does all this mean? Technology is an accelerator- in life and in the classroom. In twenty or so years since I watched Star Trek: Next Generation in an almost non-believable sense of futuristic nonsense, we are seeing those novelties come to fruition. For many of us, the greatest benefit of technology is that it allows us to get more done in a shorter amount of time- not in a lazy sense of "I don't have to work as hard" but in the sense of "I can focus on other things that I never could before" way.

Technology in an accelerator in terms of flipped learning. Students can watch videos and take pre-assessments as homework the night before a new unit and teachers can spend more time working one-on-one with the students in the midst of processing. This approach takes a day of instruction away because it is done at home and allows teachers to have more flexible time to meet curriculum needs.

Technology is an accelerator in terms of the amount and path of learning for our students. We give students topics for research and with a few key strokes they are on their way to discovering insurmountable amounts of information. They then start narrowing down their topic of choice and quickly curate all that information into usable data for the lesson at hand. What once meant going to the library, seeking the card catalog, perusing a few pages of several books, going back to the card catalog, and repeating now has been streamlined because of "one stop shopping" of research due to the Internet. Technology allows students to dig more efficiently. 

Technology is an accelerator in terms of assessment. Software and apps have intricate algorithms built into them that allows teachers to gather data quickly and often to assess student understanding. Teachers now have the ability to personalize learning more than ever before because of this capability.

Technology is an accelerator in terms of communication. In my entire k-12 experience I never once contacted one of my teachers to ask them a question outside of the school day. E-mail didn't exist, teachers didn't give out their home phone numbers, and the culture was different. Today, technology allows teachers, parents, and students to be in more constant contact (for better or worse) to meet the individual students needs in real-time (or at least in much sooner time) than ever before.

I found this quote on Twitter via Fishtree Education this morning and it inspired this blog: "Curriculum is the road, pedagogy is the driver, technology is the accelerator, passion is the gas, student learning is the destination." I like the overarching attitude about education indicated in this quote.

The Happy #TruthBombs of EdCamp GigCity

Yesterday, after weeks of preparation, EdCamp GigCity came and went. That sounded simple, didn't it? Ha! It was one of the most stressful days I've had in a long time and a completely roller coaster ride week but I want to share the powerful inspiration I saw from this exciting edCamp GigCity experience. I choose positive thinking.

• There is safety in cross-school collaboration. When you are in a room with other educators and transparency happens, it feels somewhat easier to share struggles and successes. I'm not sure why; Maybe it is pride in your "home school" about successes. Maybe it feels easier to share failures with outsiders because you realize all these other schools have them too. Sharing with educators in your building adds the fear of judgment, sharing with non-building educators doesn't leave that hanging over you- just a thought.
• There is beauty in corporate learning. Brainstorming, roundtable discussions where there is the ability to share and ask questions allows for maximum results of information. When I look at the shared notes folders that were set up for edcamp gigcity which can still be accessed at http://bit.ly/edcampgigcity  I realize just how much learning was going on yesterday. Before we broke up for sessions, questions were asked like "What's augmented reality? PBL? Flipped learning?" Things that I take for granted as an instructional technologist, but quite honestly those questions made me excited for the day- it meant some teachers were going to have their socks rocked off- and I'm fairly sure I'm not wrong. Which leads me to the next point...
• There is value in blowing someone's mind. It happens to me as well- I go to the ISTE conference and feel like I am in "information overload" mode but what happens is that after I self-curate all the amazing things I've learned I come out with a "nugget of wisdom" (or two) to implement. Sometimes conferences/edcamps/professional development days feel like learning through a fire hose, but the value is that within the overwhelming amount of intake usable information comes forth for future greatness.
• There is awesomeness in the fact that edCamps aren't Tech camps. I'll be honest, even though I repeated this 27 times, because I was pushing it, most teachers thought it was a tech conference at my school. I love edCamps because they are NOT tech camps, therefore the "techies" aren't the smartest people in every room. Everyone brings value to an edCamp because the path of learning is based on all those lovely little sticky notes that started the day- the ones where anyone in the room could say, "I wanna learn this!" edCamps tend to have many technology-based sessions due to the educators that tend to attend but it isn't locked into just that. I love this fact because it allows us to learn from everyone in attendance.
• There are outstanding educators choosing to better themselves on Saturdays. On. A. Saturday. Educators that worked all week dealing with the frustrations of "end of year personalities" choose to better their practice. They made the choice to be a part of learning ON. A. SATURDAY. Do you see the awesomeness of that statement? Yeah- 136ish educators that care enough about what they do to come to an unconference on. a. Saturday. Ok, ok...I may have gone to far with that point but what I am trying to say is that there are outstanding educators out there in our community and beyond. Everyday on the news we hear the negatives of schools in our area but I'm here to tell you that I met a ton of teachers and administrators yesterday that care about what they do and how they do it. They should be applauded.
• There is innovative dreaming for the future of education. I wrote a recent post about the value of innovation in education- yesterday I saw it firsthand. I saw teachers asking questions, leading discussions, weighing possibilities and thinking "what if..."- I totally, completely LOVE "what if" thinking educators. I was fairly busy doing behind the scenes stuff during the day but I did get to pop in and out of a few sessions. I myself have a "what if..." moment I hope to implement next year from listening to what the Sequatchie county school system is doing with a "student tech club." I can't wait to see what people had to say on their exit form to see what they got from the day as well.
• There are determined outstanding educators all around me. Wowsers. I loved listening to what was going on in the schools represented in those sessions. I was blown away by the intelligence in the rooms. We need to tap into this greatness. We need to visit each other and see what's happening. We need to grow these newfound relationships- after this weekend, our PLN (professional learning network) exploded. We don't need this to be the end, we need edCamp GigCity to be the jump off point for continued greatness and learning. We need to follow each other on Twitter and communicate via educational Twitter chats, we need to follow up with our home schools and make suggestions to those around us to connect with those we met. There is such great value in breaking down the silos of not only our own rooms but our own schools. One tweet I 100% agree with said, "Build collaborative culture not competitive - open the doors of learning from each other #edcampgigcity" -@hollowayreader. This is an opportunity for us- it is up to us to move forward with it. We talked summer "lunch and learn" networking opportunities that would continue to include private and public educators. This excites me.
• There are educational administrators that see the inspirational benefit of the edCamp model. I was thankful for the attendance and support of various administrators at this event. Educators that see their administrators value edcamps see the value themselves. Those are the type of principals/ administrators that see teachers willing to think outside the box because they feel safe to innovatively think. My "YES" moment of the day was when the assistant superintendent of Hamilton County schools tweeted  "Most significant edu discussion I've had in years #makerspace #edcampgigcity" -@RRSharpe. He's not even my administrator but to me this was an epiphany moment. He spent the day going from session to session, listening and learning. There was nothing he could really implement in the classroom but he was supporting the Hamilton County teachers there and listening to their hearts and minds. He got it.

I realize the experience may not have been what everyone was looking for but I woke up this morning tweeting the Chatt Tech Crew about things we could do to make the next one better. What a gloriously wonderful day of collaboration and learning that I now have in my educational toolbox for the future.

What are you known for?

If I am walking down the halls of school as kids are coming into the "holding tank" before school starts, I say "Good morning!" to every student I pass in different ways- sometimes I sing it, sometimes I use a silly voice, sometimes I give a fist bump but regardless, I intentionally speak to every person I pass. This week a parent said, "my daughter loves the mornings when you pass her in the hallway, she always tells me about it." Folks, I'm probably the least likely "morning person" that you know- but I'm now known for my bubbly morning greetings.

Several years ago my husband opened a donut shop, Chattanooga's Julie Darling Donuts. He chose to use my name in the business name. On a fairly regular basis I get asked questions about the business and donuts because I'm the "icon" but folks, I've never made a donut in my life. I've signed autographs, had my photo taken with costumers, and to some I am known as the "local donut lady."

This week, I had the honor of being listed as writing one of the Top 50 Must Read I.T. Blogs for 2015. I'm number 48 on a list of amazing blogs- some of them are full time presenters and publishers. This acknowledgement of my blog seems to have immediately affected my "standings" in educational technology credibility. Did I change as an instructional technologist since I first started blogging several years ago? No, but I am now viewed as someone worthy to be listened to and followed due to EdTech Magazines recent article.

Some of the ways we are viewed in life we have no control over- they happen due to our choices and the views of others towards us. Sometimes we do, say, or accept things that affect the ways others see us as well. 

As I've thought on this, I've realized the roller coaster of life for myself- the positive and negative ways I've been  viewed in my lifetime are longlasting and far reaching. As an educator, I relate to administration, children, parents, and co-workers everyday and they view me based on biases, experiences, and words that have been formed in their minds regarding me. As somewhat of a people pleaser, that sometimes petrifies me.

Everyday I try to be a positive, helpful, encouraging, loving, innovating, educator in the lives of others. At the end of the day I sometimes fail in any one or all of those areas but I strive to be better the next day. But I'm in it to be a game-changer. I can go through the motions and just see what happens or I can be intentional about the type of changes I want to see in education and how I can be a part of those changes in a positive way. I'm not a fan of status quo- I am not a fan of complacency. I desire to be better and do better. Sadly, if you aren't moving forward as an instructional technologist, you are not drifting in place- you are falling behind. I don't believe the educational technology field allows for stagnancy. My world is constantly changing with the advent of new apps, gigs, and educational philosophies that bring it all together. I choose to be remembered as a digital learning leader. How do you want to be viewed as an educator?