EdTech Challenges

The top challenges I get discouraged by are the lack of teacher training and the "system". Educators can't even begin to look at a flipped classroom approach or personalized learning using technology without some training and without the District's support.

Everything I use in my classroom I learned by other educators at conferences, not my District. My principal has been a huge support and will say, "Why don't you try this?" He puts out suggestions and then I play with them and realize the potential. If I see a technology fair or conference coming up I hit him up for it and he sends me. Conferences led by other educators have been essential to my professional development.

I have had many conversations with my principal on why our IT or even our Research and Technology Department do not go to these conferences. Isn't it their job to know the latest and be able to train their teachers? This drives me crazy. The "system" is our biggest set back. If we don't have the support from the top, then it is very difficult to see the potential.

This past year, I started training other teachers. First, it was training specific to Google Apps and then it branched out into other programs like Prezi, Poll Everywhere, Quizlet, and a multitude of other online programs we can incorporate into our learning environment. I also became involved with our District's Research and Technology Department and have been training other teachers from my District in using Google Apps for Education. I hope I can inspire and motivate this department to want to know more. I know the more I feed the teachers at my own school the more their excitement grows.

My hopes for this upcoming year are to create a team of several other like-minded educators.  I have already spoken with 3 others: an elementary teacher, my principal, and a member of the Research and Technology Department. All of us are on the same page and have the same goal in mind.  We hope to present to the School Board, the endless learning possibilities and financial savings that technology can bring to our schools.