A Technology Focus Group

It has been an amazing start to the school year.  I've been incredibly impressed with the caliber of both the students and staff.  There has been a lot of deliberate work over the last few years in the areas of curriculum planning and development and it shows.  Now, one of the areas I'd like to focus on is how to take this strong foundation and begin to look at it through a lense of innovation.  George Curous, in his book, The Innovator's Mindset, states that innovation comes to fruition when we begin to ask ourselves "what is best for this learner" and begin to question why we do what we do.  Coupled with this idea, I know that the use of technology to enhance instruction can be really powerful, only when we have a strong curriculum in place.  I believe we are there, now it is time to look at next steps.

Currently the school has a BYOD program at the middle and high school level, and has a 1:2 model for the use of iPads at the elementary level.  However, in the first full month of school I'm seeing less technology use than expected.  I've learned that a number of staff members have come to the school after having successfully taught in a 1:1 environment and with such a strong base, I began to wonder why I wasn't seeing more.  So, in order to truly understand the perspective of teachers, I offered a free lunch to teachers in return for their participation in a technology focus group.  Over half of the staff attended, with a good balance of both new and veteran teachers.  Questions I asked included:

• What is getting in your way of using technology to its fullest?
• Are there any improvements that need to be made to the technology infrastructure that would make your experience more positive?
• What kinds of PD have you found helpful in the past and how would you like PD to be structured in the future?
• What are some ways you've used technology in your lessons that you've been really proud of?

Throughout the discussion, I was impressed with the thought that the teachers gave to the questions and it was clear that there was consensus among those in the room that they want to do more.  In summary, I learned the following:

• Teachers needed the technology to function properly.  It is frustrating to take a risk with technology during a lesson, only to find out that the device won't turn on or has error messages.  When this happens over and over again, teachers simply give up, knowing that time is of the essence.  
• Teachers who are skeptical of the use of technology in education need concrete examples of ways it can enhance learning.  They are weary of technology being something flashy and not contributing to the overall quality of a lesson.
• There are pockets of innovation and technology use in the building.  We need to learn from these teachers and showcase what it being done.
• Those who moved from a 1:1 program to our current 1:2 program found it difficult to wrap their minds around how to use technology when only half of their class had access to it.
• Teachers value "real time" professional development and like the support of instructional coaches when using a new app or program.  Having a partner there to support the launch is helpful.
• Teachers would appreciate help with navigating apps and programs that can be used cross-curricular, as well as accompanying professional development.   They recognize that it can become overwhelming to learn how to use so many apps that only have a specific purpose.  

All in all, none of these responses surprised me and I'm willing to bet that they are pretty typical of teachers anywhere.  I think the lesson learned is that an institution has to be prepared with a lot of background work and support before launching a technology initiative.  Teachers are ready to take the risks, but ask for thoughtful implementation.