Change

The Importance of Being Tech-Curious in Education: Adapting to a Rapidly Evolving Technological Landscape

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Throughout history, people have learned through the traditional roles of teacher and student. However, the emergence of technology has added a new dimension to this dynamic at an unprecedented pace. With the integration of technology, teachers, students, and the learning process are all adapting in an increasingly vibrant manner.

Subsequently, we must examine and understand the various technological approaches to learning and their application to the teaching and learning process. By doing so, we can better equip ourselves to meet the needs and expectations of modern learners, who are accustomed to utilising technology in their daily lives. As such, it is essential for educators to remain open-minded and adaptable to these new advancements to provide the most effective and engaging learning experiences for their students.

While the traditional roles of teacher and student remain fundamental, the integration of technology has ushered in a new era of learning that requires careful examination and adaptation. To meet the evolving needs of modern learners, educators must embrace changes and integrate new technologies into their teaching practices. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this process, forcing education to adapt quickly to remote and hybrid learning. As a result, teachers have to become more flexible and innovative in their approach to teaching. The pandemic highlighted the importance of adapting to new technologies in education. Teachers must continue to do so to stay current and provide the best learning experiences for their students.

One of the surprising benefits of remote learning was the rise of technological integration in education. The ability to connect with students from anywhere in the world allowed for greater flexibility and accessibility, regardless of physical location or schedule constraints. Teachers quickly learned to become proficient in technologies that supported remote learning, such as video conferencing platforms, virtual whiteboards, and online collaboration tools. This enabled us to provide students with engaging and effective learning experiences transcending traditional classroom boundaries.

While some may have found remote learning challenging, I personally found it to be a positive and galvanising experience. Despite the increased workload and irregular working hours, I noticed something special in my students that I may not have discovered in a traditional classroom setting. I saw shy, introverted students find their voice and gain confidence through the use of technology in remote learning. This inspired me to incorporate more technological approaches into the physical classroom to help even more students find their voice and thrive.

Integrating technology into education has brought about new and exciting opportunities for teachers and students. It is now our responsibility as educators to embrace these changes and adapt our teaching practices to meet the evolving needs of modern learners. By doing so, we can provide engaging and effective learning experiences that transcend traditional classroom boundaries and enable access to education from anywhere in the world.

In today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, being technology curious as a teacher is more important than ever. Technology has changed the way we communicate, work, and learn. As educators, we are responsible for understanding and leveraging these technological advancements to provide our students with the best possible learning experiences.

Being technology curious means being willing to explore and experiment with new technologies in the classroom. This can range from using digital platforms to create interactive lessons to integrating augmented or virtual reality into lessons. Teachers curious about technology are eager to learn new tools and resources to enhance student learning and make their teaching more effective and engaging.

In addition to being willing to try new things, being inquisitive about technology also means having a growth mindset. This means being open to learning and willing to make mistakes to grow and improve. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential for teachers to remain curious and adaptable to change.

By being interested in the advancement of technology, teachers can also model lifelong learning for their students. By showing an interest in new technologies and staying up-to-date with the latest trends, teachers can inspire their students to do the same. This can help students develop critical thinking skills and a sense of curiosity that will serve them well throughout their academic and professional lives.

Being tech-curious means being interested in the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and technologies like ChatGPT. As AI continues to revolutionise various industries, including education, it is important for teachers to learn and understand this changing new paradigm. By doing so, teachers can incorporate new technologies into their teaching practices to enhance student learning and engagement. Additionally, understanding AI can provide insight into how it works and how it can be ethically applied to benefit society. By staying tech-curious, teachers can stay ahead of the curve and prepare their students for a future where technology plays an increasingly important role.

Despite living in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, why are some hesitant to adapt to the changing needs of modern learners? To meet the evolving needs of learners today, educators of all levels should prioritise becoming tech-curious to explore potential benefits for student engagement and learning. Educators must remain aware and adaptable, regardless of the level they teach. Recognising the shift in the educational paradigm towards a trilateral and interdependent relationship between teacher, student, and technology is crucial for all educators.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Build Trust. Fail Forward.

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Recently I read Open: how we’ll work, live and learn in the future by David Price, a worthwhile and recommended read. One quote stood out. One that is both worrying and a concern for many in the profession. David writes that “it is often said that a time-traveller from the 19ths century, beamed into today’s world, would be bewildered by everything he witnessed, but would instantly feel comfortable in a school.”

We have all heard much discussion about moving forward with education: blended learning, compacting curriculum, hackathons, flipped classroom, MOOCs. While the list goes on and there are many eager to explore these approaches, I believe that there are two things interfering with our progress: lack of trust and fear of failure.

Failure and making mistakes are great learning opportunities and should be viewed as the lifeblood to success. Experimentation is about moving into unknown territory and we must have the freedom to fail in order to innovate.

Perhaps we need to look not at having the freedom to fail, but view it as failing forward. If we fail forward, we learn, innovate and build resilience. Freedom comes through opportunities. Opportunities are our guides and failures are our teachers.

Henry Ford said that “failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” It is agreed that we learn from mistakes and if we ask our students to be risk takers, then we must also be willing to take them. But why then aren’t we willing to try? Do we not take risks because we fear what others will think? Are we not capable, smart enough or experienced enough to succeed? Or is it because we feel there is no trusted support around us to help when we do make mistakes?

Michael Dell from Dell Inc stated that “to encourage people to innovate more, you have to make it safe for them to fail.”

Building mutual trust with those we work with is essential. Placing trust in others not only instils confidence but allows them to take ownership of the process. In turn, they should trust those who have given them the latitude to take risks. Trust is reciprocal. It is through this trust that we will be able to fail forward.

If our main concern is never to make a mistake, we will only ever meet the status quo. We won’t be looking for ways to make improvements or take any risks. Imagine an environment where innovation is not encouraged – All you will have is a hive full of worker bees, but no real visionaries to move forward. Is this perhaps why the time-traveller would feel at home in our classrooms?

Having the freedom to take chances and learn from our mistakes is essential. We have been doing it since childhood but somehow we have lost our courage to do it along the way. We must be able to make mistakes followed by the opportunities to grow from them and move forward in turn. It is not about rewarding the mistakes; the power lies in the trust to make them and learn.

Passion and purpose come from trust and enables us to embrace new thinking and learning. It is the courage we have in being vulnerable that supports the learning necessary for innovation, breakthroughs and success. Innovation and trust thrive in an environment where shame and blame have no stronghold. A culture that supports failing forward and encourages ownership of mistakes, reaps the benefits of better solutions and increases engagement.

Yet teaching remains one of the most private professions. We are living in a world that is highly social, linked and networked, yet we as teachers are fearful of sharing, being open to take risks and instead remain as we always have: retaining the status quo.

John Dewey said it best: “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” We cannot continue to deprive our students. We have to work at changing the way we do things. We have to learn to trust and to have the courage to fail.

Trust doesn’t just happen, and we don’t intentionally work at building it. Perhaps this is where we start. If we want to inspire the youth of tomorrow, we must first start trusting each other, have the freedom to innovate and be willing to fail forward.

David Price claims that “hard fun is something that all learning professionals should strive to create.”  So, here’s to the hard fun ahead of us as we embrace change, begin to build trust and take greater risks to innovate.

After all, in the words of Soichiro Honda, “success is 99% failure. What we learn through failure becomes a precious part of us, strengthening us in everything we do. So, let the tough things make you tougher.”

Build Trust. Fail Forward.

Open

Balance

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At the beginning of the year, we were challenged to find a word to focus on for the year. One word to focus on every day. One word to sum up who you wanted to be or how you wanted to live. (http://oneword365.com/)

I chose the word: Balance.

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A well balanced life is essential for living well. Everyone talks about ‘having more balance’ in their lives but what does that really mean? I made the commitment to go in search of greater balance in my own life and this is a reflection of my journey so far…

I feel like balance has become a ‘buzz’ word and as a result its meaning has become skewed. The very definition itself claims that different elements should be “equal or in the correct proportions.” Should this mean that we must maintain an equilibrium at all times? Is that even a realistic thought?

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Being a visual learner, I imagined a set of scales. They have the ability to balance and tilt in either direction. Perhaps the key to understanding balance was to ensure that you do not have the scales tilted for too long in one direction. If either side is taken to an extreme, something that is intended to be positive can end up being detrimental.

So, what is it we are trying to balance? Perhaps it is not work on one side and life on the other. Maybe the comparison is between internal (mind, heart and health) and external (work, social, family, fun, environment) aspects of the spectrum. Were the ends the same for everyone? Or could they change for each person or each situation? You might possibly weigh your balance on two alternative elements. I might change them periodically.

I once read that, in order to achieve balance, you must become a person that is more capable of accepting and dealing with chaos and has the personal abilities to create balance in their own lives. This year has been a journey of self awareness. I find that the more mindful and present I am in my life, the better choices I make around where my energy goes – giving my life much more balance.

After almost a year considering my word, here is what it means to me:

I have learnt that balance is different to each of us. It is about recognising what is important to us and how we choose to fill our time. To achieve balance, we need to prioritise each side of the scale. Whether you refer to it as a work / life balance, or the balance between your internal and external self, they’re not two halves that should or can coexist in equal measure at all times.

Balance is about being able to guide yourself back when you’ve gone too far one way or the other. It’s about being flexible, yes, but more importantly it’s about being forgiving — being able to say to yourself that it’s OK if you don’t know the answer, and it’s OK to change your mind.

Balance is about letting judgement roll off your back, whether it comes from those around you or from inside. It’s about letting go of pride and accepting help when you need it, just as much as it’s about silencing the voices around you and being brave enough to follow your own inner guidance. It’s about seeking the calm amid the chaos and being patient if it doesn’t come when you call.

It is a process I am still learning but remembering the process is more important than the destination helps. Sometimes I am going to focus more on one area of my life. For me, this does not necessarily mean I’m neglecting the others. Changing my perspective of what balance means and how I can achieve it, is bringing me a renewed sense of contentment.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” (Dalai Lama)

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Appraisals and Mentors

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I have been teaching for 20 year and have only ever had two appraisals and one mentor (when I started at a new school). Recently I have been thinking a lot about these two words. While my views may not reflect may others in education, I believe they are pivotal to the continued success of more experienced teachers.

Let me begin.

Luckily, I am a passionate teacher who gets up each and every day with enthusiasm to start my day with my primary aged students! Don’t get me wrong, some days are particularly tough and can be so challenging I have almost broken. These moments in time have made me the teacher I am today and, as I teach my students, they have been learning opportunities for growth. However, the more experience I gained, oddly the more doubts I had about my abilities as an educator. Why? I no longer received feedback about what I was doing well and what I could be doing better.

Being left to decipher this for myself because I am experienced, has inadvertently left me doubting. Now for some, once self-doubt begins to settle in, this can activate a cycle of negativity and low self-efficacy that can be hard to pull out of. Psychologist Albert Bandura believed that one’s self-efficacy can play a major role in how one approaches goals, tasks and challenges. If our beliefs in our ability to accomplishing task are mistrusted then this lowers the chance we can achieve them with any form of success.

Edward Osbourne Wilson, the biologist, once said, “We’re drowning in information while starving for knowledge.” The problem is the information in our heads is not always accurate and knowledge is hard to come by when educators no longer have the opportunities for review. So why do some schools only offer three or six month appraisals and nothing after? Why are mentors only allocated to new staff?

Surely appraisals give us critical feedback on our performance and offer an opportunity to set future goals so we can continue to improve as educators. Appraisals can highlight our value and thereby helping to stop the cycle of negativity. You build a sense of appreciation!  I understand I might be in the minority is seeking an appraisal but I have come to realise that without it, I am becoming complacent because I no longer set goals for myself. I genuinely want to improve yet I need guidance in looking forward. Doesn’t everyone?

I acknowledge that the word appraisal can cause some to feel nauseous and worried. It can also be challenging for management to find the time to meet with each employee. Nonetheless, the bottom line is about growth and development and I strongly feel that it is something worth fighting for. Won’t it make us all better educators?

AITSL tweeted an article recently with the caption “Mentors play a role in support of early career teacher’s wellbeing.” This made me think about what wellbeing supports are in place for experienced teachers. Should they not also have opportunities to have a mentor to support their wellbeing as well?

A mentor is defined as an experienced or trusted adviser. Now while I acknowledge they are usually matched with younger colleagues but what if we look at mentors from a different perspective. What if being a mentor is about sharing practice or knowledge? What if instead of it being based around younger inexperienced teachers but is more about those wanting to learn more. For example, could schools not offer a STEM or Writing mentor?

In the field of education, we desperately want to share practice but unfortunately, we are always so pushed for time and it is rarely differentiated. Could offering mentorships be a possible solution? Perhaps this is a way for staff to develop areas they feel are lacking. On the flip side, feelings of being valued and appreciated could transpire for the mentor.

So, where to from here?

I once came across a quote about an arrow that said: “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. When life if dragging you back with difficulties, it means it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.” And this is what I will do. No matter how many self-doubts I may have, I must continue to look forward. I will seek to rebalance my calling to teaching through appraisals and mentorships. I know that I am valued, appreciated and have a lot to offer but it is always assumed that I know these things. Sometimes you need to hear them too… even someone like me with 20 years of experience!

Be a designer: Transforming schools

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“Your students deserve classrooms that support their learning experiences. You can design that space.” Hare and Dillon

If I were able to start a school from scratch, it would look very different to those traditional classrooms we mostly still have today. There would be considerable flexibility: in furniture, space and teaching. Seating would be a range of options from coffee to standing tables. There would be sofas, bean bags and pillows for those wanting an alternative to sitting at a table. The space itself would have several ‘zones’. The function of these zones could be determined in collaboration with your cohort of students. Examples could include a quieter zone, a reading zone, an imagination zone, a maths zone or a science zone. Lighting would also be different for the various zones as well. Teaching would no longer be someone standing at the front giving all the information to be rote learned for constant testing.

Interestingly, this dream is starting to become reality. There are some school who are bravely taking a step in this direction. Gone are the days of classrooms. Instead they are now referred to as ‘studios’. Work has been replaced with ‘learning’ which is encouraging continuous effort that is enjoyable not a labour. Teaching also is changing. Some schools are opting for team teaching where there are two studio teachers and an assistant for each grade level. Yes, the class sizes might be a little larger but there are three educators assisting students with their learning. How wonderful to have another educator teaching alongside you who helps you to co-plan, co-teach and co-assess! Imagine having a second option on how to reach a particular student, a second option in the form of another teacher who ‘knows’ that student as well as you!

With change there are always challenges. It can take staff six to twelve months to adjust to working within these new conditions. Let’s consider the changes that can be overwhelming at first. There may not be one physical seat for every student; teaching may not occur as a whole class but as small group workshops; students may take more ownership of their own learning thereby building self-regulatory skills; learning might have more of an inquiry focus; and teaching personalities and styles my take some time to find their working balance.

There are also many beneficial changes that can transpire that should be noted. Think of a ‘studio’ where learning is amplified; students are more motivated and engaged and they feel empowered; overall focus and attention is significantly higher; teachers are more like coaches who guide, instruct and prepare their students; and the process of learning is valued higher than the end products. If students can take ownership of their learning through choice of content and where they actually undertake their learning, the benefits can be astounding.

While these changes might seem to some like science fiction and a fearful next step, in fact I am seeing the extraordinary benefits. Yes, I have the pleasure of working in such a transformative school. Our school was redesigned with the 21st century learner in mind. We are now in our fifth year of learning studios and I don’t think I would ever go back to my old classroom where I did everything on my own. I now work in an extremely collaborative environment where students are exceeding expectations. I am living the dream in a very exciting learning environment.

Back to the reflection question: If you were to start a school from scratch, what would it look like?

Curiously, I recently bought a book at an EdTechTeam conference in Melbourne and that would exceptionally valuable if you starting the journey of redesigning your school. “The Space: A guide for educators” by Rebecca Louise Hare and Dr Robert Dillion is an amazing resource. It is both instructive and is a guided notebook for you to jot your ideas down. It provides the right amount of thoughtful provocation and advice for moving forward. It will inspire you to rethink what a school/classroom should look like or be. I recommend this book to anyone thinking of making a step towards a learning space that empowers students!

 “Your students deserve classrooms that support their learning experiences. You can design that space.” Surely this is what we want for our students! Let’s be brave and take the first step towards this goal.

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Moving Forward

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Education. We know we need to change. We watch documentaries about it, people post on Facebook and tweet about it. Yet how do we move from behind the screens to actively make the changes we so desperately agree with? Have we become too safe where we are? Are we subconsciously afraid of changed?

We all have our own creative power but we are not using it. How many of us say we are not creative?

A close friend of mine said as much for years despite me seeing the potential she had. This year though, something changed. She started to believe that she was capable of being creative and the transformation has been incredible. Somehow all her creativity and passion for education that lay dormant, began to surface. She saw a need for an innovation and creativity co-ordinator at her school! So instead of waiting for the role to be created, she decided to take action. She wrote an astonishingly brilliant letter for why this role was necessary for our school to ‘move forward’ along with an extremely detailed job description and presented it to management. They were inspired. I am in awe of her creative initiative and it is shifting perspective at our school. Are there other such niches? Could I do something like that? Staff are now actively looking to make changes. All they needed was one innovator to lead the way.

Somehow we have lost the ability to trust ourselves, especially in our creative (innovative) abilities. Maybe it’s less about trust and more about comfort. So, how can we begin to change by moving forwards in education. By trusting ourselves and not being content to continue with our current circumstances when we see there is a need. To do this, we really need to look to each other for support.

The Innovator’s Mindset and the online #IMMOOC group is helping many to shift their focus and to nurture passions. They are a small group fighting to help each other to bring together ideas of how we can transform education. I acknowledge, we cannot hope to start changing the bigger issues immediately, but we can start with something small: within our classroom, our school, ourselves.

Perhaps before we can move forward we first need to talk about change and creativity and define what they actually mean.

Change is about making something different but it is a difficult term to put into practice and a frightening one for many. “Maybe the fear is that we are less than we think we are, when the actuality of it is that we are much much more,” (Kabat-Zinn, 2013). Yes, indeed. We ARE so much more. This is why I also feel we need to define creativity. I do not believe it solely means to pick up a brush and paint like Van Gogh. Rather, I see creativity as innovative thoughts. Creative doesn’t have to belong only within The Arts. Instead it is in everything we do in education. It is the generation of ideas. It is the construction of new paradigms. It is the conceiving of ideas. For are these not also associated with creativity?

There have been continuous and rapid changes in the world around us that have been highly creative in different fields. Why then, has education basically remained the same for more than a century? We cannot change the direction of the river; we need to let it flow its course. Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote: “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn the surf,” (Hodges, 2012). In education, we have not allowed the river to flow, nor have we tried to surf the waves. Instead, have tried to build a dam in order to keep things the same.

We need to fracture the dam wall we have constructed. Let’s begin to surf the tide and allow the current to flow. It all starts with a few courageous educators, like the #IMMOOC group, to start a conversation around active change, curiosity and innovation. It is our responsibility to keep the dialogue open. For it is only when we support each other that transformational change is truly possible and once again we begin to believe in our creative (innovative) capabilities.

 

References:

Hodges, D. (2012). The Little Red Book of Teacher’s Wisdon. USA: Skyhorse.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Arriving at Your Own Door:108 Lessons in Mindfulness. UK: Hachette.