Supporting Educational Technology

As I continue to explore the ways in which technology might impact educational environments, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that I need to focus my skills on the possibilities that technology can afford.  What I mean is that it should be my job to understand and stay abreast of what’s current in technology and share that knowledge appropriately. 

The skill of a truly great educator never fails to fill me with awe.  I often feel flatfooted in searching for that perfect analogy or when asked for a definition for a word that I certainly know.  Realizing that I need to continue to build that skill, I’ve also come to terms with the fact that my greatest skill may lie in exposing others to opportunities and facilitating a solution. 

Great educators and even mediocre ones don’t need me to tell them what to do to present a lesson.  But where I might provide some help is in sharing the knowledge of technology and best practices that I have garnered in my research.  Providing a springboard and an open mind to help them brainstorm their ideas and eliminate some of their frustration might be all that’s needed.  A teacher’s time is better spent developing a lesson to meet the goals and objectives of the material to be covered, whereas mine could be better spent helping them see the possibilities of technology in a concrete way.  For example, to help alleviate anxiety about website development, blog posting, wikibooks, and freeware, I could provide simple workshops, short videos or demonstrations.  Initially, a great deal of “hand holding” might even be needed.  But once converted, those that adopt technology will quickly become the “hand-holders” to others. 

I believe that I need to continually grow and learn because once I stop, I will start to die.  In this vein, I also believe that in order to play a supporting role properly, I need to constantly seek fresh ideas and information and try new things.  By doing this, I can have a greater impact on how things get done and slowly facilitate the broader movement to infuse technology in a way that reflects what is happening worldwide.