No such thing as a small technology problem

As readers may know, I love spending time in my district's 14 K-12 buildings. I carry a little notebook and watch classes and ask my standard question "How's your technology working today?" to teachers who are not engaged in direction instruction.

And I usually come back to my office with a page or so of notes, listing tech problems that teachers may be having - especially at the beginning of the year as we recover from room cleanings, moving, new equipment set-up, and software and OS updates. Funny thing is that nobody's problem in the big scheme of things is huge. Common problems:

• The printers aren't set up on my new computer.
• No one has yet intalled _______________ software.
• My student computers in the back of the room aren't hooked back up.
• Can you show me how to get this app on my iPad?
• My IWB needs alignment. Can you remind me how to do this?
• I moved my desk and need a longer cable.

You get the idea. The issues are not like "we don't have enough money for ___________," or "the network bandwidth is insufficient for ______________," or "the kids need more skills in using _____________. 

Given the time, nearly every problem I encounter can be solved. But that does not mean they are not important problems, just because they may be small in the grand scheme of technology integration. If they keep an individual teacher from getting her work done, trying a new teaching method, or developing a negative attitude toward technology, they are very, very important.

We big-picture types need to remember this.

On a related note, this post is worth a few minutes time: Norbury, "What Faculty Want From IT" Campus Technology, 9/18/13

1. Better Communication 
2. Tech Reliability
3. Simplicity
4. Standardization
5. Constancy
6. Flexibility
7. Rapid Response
8. Relevance
9. Pedagogical Support 
10. Ubiquitous Wireless

I would add Respect to this list, but over all, looks like Norbury and I work with the same kinds of teachers.

Comments

[Biscayne Beach]

please keep sharing of knowledges with us.Thanks a lot for your great posting.

[Biscayne Beach]

please keep sharing of knowledges with us.Thanks a lot for your great posting.