Interning Learners Reflection

Well, I was informed that the learners that I am working with are truly just starting out and that they will be appreciative for whatever I produce for them. In all likelihood, they are intimidated by technology. Therefore, what I want to try to do is concentrate on providing them with easy to accomplish goals, challenging/high quality examples, rationales and success stories, and list the benefits to encourage them when they struggle.

I want to approach this using those pathways as a result of my experience. Since I am an over-achiever and a fighter by nature, then when I am confronted by a massive task, I look forward to challenging myself and validating my intelligence, fortitude, strength, creativity, etc, by overcoming the obstacle. However, as many young and inexperienced teachers, I am teaching the students the way I wish I could be taught instead of what they need. The challenges that I end up placing in front of my students often time intimidate them and cause them to give up, because they lack the perseverance, critical thinking, analytical, and organizational skills needed to tackle complex problems. That said, it is important that I realize that a sizable portion of the students are starting from square one with all the apprehension of a paranoid and hobbled gazelle alone on the Serengeti.

I must ease their reluctance by giving them small goals that have clear benefits, like auto saving Google docs for exporting lesson plans directly to admins and department heads as pdf's, Word doc, Rich Text, etc. Web 2.0 applications which enhance Powerpoints with animation and multimedia, for ensuring greater interest from kids with short attention spans. Teacher wikis for collaboration not just among students but best practice examples from other teachers, and much more.

Also, I need to be prepared to offer my novice tech students a simple guide to follow with some of the more challenging work done for them. In other words, if I were teaching trail blazers, then this class would be called Discovery, but this is an INTRODUCTION class, which helps me to understand that I have to assist them with assimilating something that already exists into their life. Just as when we introduce a person to another, we give them a name, context, common interests, explanation of importance, etc. I have to do this for technology and therefore need to help these elementary teachers overcome their fear of “stranger-danger” and realize that this new trend is their new 'BFF' (Best friend forever.

I will accomplish this by providing small incomplete, but thoughtful examples of starter ideas for modules. Completing projects or assignments myself first, and ensure that all aspects of what it took to complete are explained. And just in general being thorough, taking my time and never assuming. By doing so, I know that I will be able to take these tech-know nots into tech-know-buffs. (I know that is probably the worst pun of the 21^st century. My apologies.)