Dear “Nervous To Try Something New With EdTech”:
Being a little nervous and anxious to start anything just seems normal. It becomes abnormal when you allow your fears to overwhelm you. Teaching and Learning have gone beyond the traditional setting, and you’re not going to do yourself any good if you decide not to go edtech-wise.
So how do you go about it? Remember these 3 key things.
I Am Not the First to Do This
Disaster or challenge? When you get a file your computer can’t open – “search engine it”. Seriously – when the .amr and .mp3 file extensions come in from your student’s mobile-phone recorded conversations don’t panic. Just type in your problem into your favourite search engine and hit ‘enter’. Amazingly you will probably find out what you need.
I Have Help Available in Every Programme/App
Good thing about technology is you can always find self help. Look at the menu items for a software programme and locate the ‘help’ menu. And if you can’t find your answer there – see tip 1.
Your Peers Are A Great Resource
If you aren’t a fan of the blanket email then ask your school librarian. They see so many classes, and work with so many teachers, that they probably have an idea of who does. And if that doesn’t work – see tip 1.
So go ahead and try something new. It could be as simple as using a wordcloud instead of a worksheet. Or perhaps allowing students to send in files that you will mark/comment on in Google Drive. In any case be sure that someone out there has an answer when you confront a challenge. And if you happen to find success – let your department and your staff know what you have done. After all, the way we really know we’ve learned is to help out someone else.
