Educational+Philosophy

Educational Philosophy As an Instructional Computer Resource Teacher, I have often struggled with being out of a classroom where I feel I am affecting the lives of children in meaningful ways. However, over the last few years, I have come to realize that being an iCRT has given me an opportunity to affect a much wider base of students. I have witnessed great growth and changes in our building over the last 4 years. Having the chance to see what these changes are doing in many classrooms throughout TRHS has been extremely rewarding personally and professionally.

Since I am a relative "newcomer" to my educational philosophy with the respect to the iCRT part of my job, reflecting on what philosophically I feel represents me in this arena has been a growing experience for me. It is my belief that in order to be an effective and successful iCRT, it is necessary to be knowledgeable, approachable and model the behaviors that we seek our staff to exhibit.

Keeping up to date with the latest and greatest technology tools is no easy feat. With the rate at which things change, it's almost an impossible task. Perhaps the easiest way to find the most useful tools and information is to collaborate with other professionals. I have learned and will continue to learn a great deal from other teachers and our district experts. Attending conferences and participating in district groups is another way to help keep up with new trends. In order to be an effective iCRT, this involvement is not optional, but is rather a vital component to successfully integrating technology into our schools.

The most important aspect of a good iCRT (perhaps equal or more than being knowledgeable) is to be approachable. Staff cannot feel anxious about approaching you, or worried that they are interrupting your day. Many times "technical support" gets a bad name from those techies who are more comfortable dealing with equipment than with people. If you are going to be an instructional technology teacher, you __must__ radiate patience and approachability, or else staff will be apprehensive about approaching you. As such, the job position will, in fact, be a waste of your schools resources. An iCRT must have a "sure we can" attitude rather than a "no we won't" one if a school is to be successful and forward moving with technology.

Lastly, while training staff we should strive to model best practices. If you want them to truly use the tool that you are teaching, plan a training that has them use it! The "I-show-and-you-sit-and-watch" is not good 21st century teaching nor is it effective in terms of staff retaining the information. While this may mean extra preparation for you in terms of gathering resources for your staff to use during these trainings, the end result is worth it. Model critical and visible thinking during your trainings. Answer questions and be patient when you answer the same question multiple times as staff (in this case) are being placed in the role of their students-which can be uncomfortable for many of them. After the training, staff most also feel comfortable approaching you with questions or to ask for help as they move forward. Supporting them with resources (a web site is a great way to post resources) is a great way for them to be able to help themselves and save you some time.

I assert that if you can do these things, great strides can be made with integrating technology effectively into your buildings. Teachers and students will benefit from having an iCRT in the building and your position will be valued by administration and staff. It keeps people from thinking of your position as a "luxury" (aka expendable in this current climate) because you will, in fact, be affecting a large number of students. Being an iCRT is an amazing job and a position that has the ability to affect a great number of students and teachers. I feel fortunate to be able to be in a building where technology is valued and hope to continue in this job position for years to come.