Just Another Thing I Have to Do
Posted by Sean Gardinier on February 16th, 2008
A common reason why teachers do not participate in digital communication or technology development is because, “It is just another thing”. Let me explain their reasoning. Most don’t realize the day-in-the-life of a public school teacher. There are simply not enough hours in the day to plan lessons, teach, and manage your classroom and students. The plate is simply “full”. The structural trend is such that teachers are expected to increasingly do more while being supported less.
Asking teachers to do more is the norm. Teachers are presented and sometimes mandated to do new things all the time. It is not surprising then when innovation steps in front of them, their immediate response sounds like, “Is this just another thing I have to do?”
Encouraging teachers to bring their classrooms to the 21st century will take more than just adding technology to the teaching plate. The approach must be just as innovative as we expect them to be. I really don’t have an answer yet, only the destination in mind.