Today I felt strongly enough to comment on Dan’s post and to write about it again here. Dan is referring to a post by Scott McLeod who bemoans the right of refusal that teachers seem to think they have when it comes to using technology in the classroom.

Dan thinks that we technology coordinators should be “selling” the gadgets (tools) to the teachers so compellingly that they simply can’t resist. Hmmm……… I don’t know of any coordinator/integrator who doesn’t go out of their way to actively showcase the pedagogical benefits of a variety of tools, programs and software. They “sell” it, they create stuff, they publish examples and they talk about it very, very passionately. And are then treated as though they have some sort of communicable disease.

Hey, we are teachers too! Why is it that so many, many teachers stand on their “professionalism” and turn up their noses.

“I don’t see the point”! “What I’m doing already is working fine thanks”! “I don’t need it”! “Takes too long. I lose 10 minutes of my lesson whenever I try to use that stuff”! “I’m not comfortable, teaching that way”! Prove to me that it works first, then I’ll consider it”!

Notice that all these well-worn come-backs are about themselves. It’s their classroom and they’ll do it their way, thanks. Well I’m sorry, it’s not about them is it? It is about the kids who need to be exposed to the 21st century tool sets that they will be working with once they get “released” into the real world.

Sorry Dan, but every year that goes by while a teacher refuses to get involved, or “buy” the concept that things have changed, another group of kids gets left behind.

Do we really need to turn tricks and give away free T-shirts?

What we need is a big stick for when they spit the carrots out.

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