As a classroom teacher, I was pretty good at this idea. I took the lecturn out of my classroom and provided differentiated, problem-based teaching with the basis that “I don’t have the answers” so students learned to find answers on their own. I implemented the “Ask Three Before Me” concept that had students ask three of their peers before asking me for help. Not only did this help them with collaboration, but it gave me time to consult my Dummies books for answers.:)

A stinging reflection has been that I feel I strayed from this method as a campus technologist and became the “expert” in my old job; thus leading to fast burnout. I became the expert in so many things that I didn’t allow people on the campus to become the experts. People called me for help in everything. They didn’t know how to find answers on their own. This isn’t an exercise in making me out to be something super. Nope. In fact, this is an embarrassment to me. This is a reflection on how poor I have been as a teacher the past 5 years.

As I prepare to start professional development next week, I see that I need to completely renovate how I develop training so that I don’t do this to myself in this new role. In other words, I need to change…..everything…..again. I need to go back to the basics. Each staff development program I offer needs to be about the audience learning to find solutions on their own; and not about me being the one with all the knowledge.

The truth is, I am not the one with all the knowledge! I really think the only thing I am good at is putting in the right terms in a search engine for the answers. This is what I need to show staff to do – show them how I find the answers and how they can find their own answers. Let them become their own search experts.

I know this sounds basic to some of you who are in this role and you probably do this very well. I want to say that I used to be doing this. I was good at letting go and letting the class take learning above the level I could teach. The frustration is that I did not carry this over with the adults I was teaching. As I look back on how I worked at WHS, I (embarrassingly) look back and see that the training was about what I was doing with technology.

Such a shame.

Thus the reason for not posting a reflection on the last day of the Tech Directors Academy. It was a hard lesson to learn and may be harder to put into effect. But I will try! I will adapt. I will let go!

Did you try out any of the websites?
If you checked out a site, what ways could you use it in your classes?

Any fears about using Web 2.0 tools?

Summer training ideas?

Anyone else blogging out there? How about a wiki? Would you be interested in learning more about these tools?

Feel free to join the discussion by adding a comment. I would love to hear from you!

To post a comment, under this post are some words in smaller print. Click on the word Comment to add your voice. You can post the name Anonymous if you don’t want your name to appear. You must enter an email address though (it doesn’t show me who, I promise!). The email is just to verify that you aren’t a spammer.

This past week, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt was offered the chance to be the United States of America’s first Chief Technology Officer and he turned it down. His reason is that he likes it too much at Google.

I find that statement easy to believe. But who wouldn’t want to be on the ground floor of steering the government and all its statewide programs toward the Web 2.0, cloud, and 21st century??

I know there has been talk in our own state associations that they need to pick up the pace! With the push from the federal side, they may have to pick it up much faster!! Could it be that this new position will help? And what impact will this have in our schools and classrooms? To have government learning, unlearning, and relearning along with the people and for the people?

Change, indeed!