According to educator and blogger John Spencer, from his experience as a technology coach, teachers tend to move through several stages as they integrate new technology. He urges fellow technology coaches to emphasize training that considers these stages.

The first stage, Spencer says, is resistance. He says when new technology is ready to be placed in a teacher's classroom, it is necessary to consult with the teacher and discuss its impact on learning and instruction before forcing it in.

"I found that asking a 'low-tech' teacher with great pedagogy to help develop training was a way to get tech-resistant teachers on board," Spencer said.

Next, he says educators move through the awareness and experimentation phases. As educators become more aware of the potential good the EdTech tool can have in his or her classroom, he or she in turn becomes more willing to experiment with it.

Spencer insists on allowing teachers to be creative during this time so that they can best get a grasp on what instruction with the new technology can extend to.

Hopefully, then, the teacher will be ready to adopt the new technology in his or her classroom now. Spencer says from there, the teacher will be learning where to substitute the technology for other modes of learning during instruction.

He encourages trainers to help teachers focus on a "blend of learning to use technology, planning curriculum with technology" and thinking about when 'low-tech' works best, he said, according to his post.

As teachers begin to encounter bugs and glitches with the new technology, an inevitable nuisance according to Spencer, they will begin to get frustrated. Spencer says trainers and coaches must help "to push a growth mindset that sees mistakes as a natural part of the process."

Should this all go smoothly, Spencer says, the teacher will be ready to fully and wisely integrate and the classroom and teacher alike will see a transformation.

By the end of the phases, "teachers [will] begin leveraging technology to its full potential -- students [will begin] using it in a more creative, connective way," he said.

Read the full post here and comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

05/21/2015