CETPA Weblogs
The Trouble with Technology Training
Author: Tim Goree
Published: 02/09/2010
Topic Areas: Staff Training
I've been trying to write a piece for quite some time on the struggle I
am having lately with training. Many staff members expect to receive
traditional classroom training on every software application that we
roll out for them to use or have access to. The problem is that, even
in our relatively small district, there isn't enough time in the year
to actually do that, 30 staff members at a time, with all of our
existing applications, let alone the ones that we implement each year
going forward.
If traditional classroom training is required for
staff to effectively use new applications moving forward, we are going
to have a serious problem moving forward at all. What really worries me
is that our current students, by the time they get out of school, will
be expected have an attitude toward learning new technology tools in
the workplace that represents the polar opposite of the attitude that
many school teachers and administrators have right now.
Lucky
for me, I just read a post on the Education for Well-being blog that
does a good job of speaking to this issue, so I can be really lazy now
and just point you all to it.
Check it out...
- The Trouble with Technology Training
2010-02-10 12:09:17 Dick Wright [Reply]
Thanks Tim for your article. As a technologist, not an educator, I see this played out with staff members and teaching staff constantly. So many adults, and as you point out, students, are unwilling to take responsibility for learning. Indeed, it appears that we are programming kids with a defeatist attitude that lets them feel ok about failing to learn.
In a somewhat related issue, my wife is a teacher in a private Montessori school and is in touch with fellow teachers all over the country. There is a disturbing trend that they are seeing. Young kids coming into the program across the country are not engaged in learning, they are totally distracted, they have no attention span, and some cannot even hold a conversation with an adult. This year is absolutely the worst in her career. If we can't engage the young ones and make them "life long learners" we're going to have an even greater problem. - Diversity
2010-02-10 11:25:45 Al Foytek [Reply]
The person 'Cam' described in the article wants to be caudled. Most adults grow out of this kind of behavior even if it was the way they grew up. Some may still be this way outside work, but would not want to show it at work due to the competition in work places. So, I do not see or foresee this as a systemic problem.
School should help us learn what is known, various ways to learn, how we learn best, that there is much to be discovered yet, and that to be informed we will need to learn our entire lives.
The article's author thumbs his nose at differences in learning abilities, sensory processing, etc. between individuals. Certainly attitude is an ingredient for learning, but there are many obvious and not so obvious differences between people's ability to learn.
There are people who need more attention than others. All people do not fit any particular mold, in fact, they are each unique. Some will be self starters (liking it that way) while, on the other end of the spectrum, you will have 'Cam' types who want to be nursed along.
Anyone who has ever been close to a person who has a low IQ, has an impaired sensory ability, has ADD, has ADHD, is emotionally unstable, is clinically depressed, has any degree of autism, is developmentally handicapped, or has any of the many mental illnesses there are, knows that some people need extra help for good reasons.
Many times the good reasons people have for their difficulty learning are NOT obvious by looking at them or even knowing them in a non-learning environment. There are a host personal abilities and traits which can aide or interfere with learning. Attitude regarding learning is just one of these. Psyche formulations of self, like self esteem (can I, am I good enough) as well as intrinsic abilities such as memory capabilities, communication capability, etc. all play into this. Trying to attribute performance at learning to attitude is 'way overly simplistic' and ignores the intelligence we have about people and learning.
I make time to hold classes on new software I introduce which is important to the district. I try to make time to go to sites when someone goes to training, gets answers via email/phone, and still tells you it doesn't work!
I also try to keep our tech.'s updated on new software with at least a cursory idea of how to use it. They are fast learners and even when they do not know an application 'inside out' can still help others do what they want to do. I write up 'trouble-shooting' papers for the technicians so that they can help others with common issues, including operator errors (user error).
If I know an 'expert' user is at a site where someone struggles, I refer them to that person when we can not help them remotely. They will either ask their co-worker for help or burn a little extra after hours effort to figure out what they want to do.
By and large, our people want to learn and do not want to be 'spoon fed' new software. They do not want to spend any more time than is absolutely required. The younger ones want to show off to older staff members their superior techno skills, which helps get an expert developed in some areas. Once you 'seed' an office with an expert, they are generally happy to 'clone' they new skills in others they work with.
I think attitudes are better today than ever about learning new software. Older workers do have more difficulty at times because they do not have the background of the younger staff members. I try to be sensitive to that and not embarrass them over it. I want them to be successful because if they are successful, the District will be successful! And, the District's goal is for every child to be successful.
BTW, I am naturally better with kinetic and visual learning - so I also like instructor led classroom training, but one on one is better yet, 8-) - The Trouble with Technology Training
2010-02-10 09:02:54 Robert Stout [Reply]
I would contend we bread this kind of "learning" in our schools. We identify each child and their learning style, whether we tell them or not as noted in the link. We then adapt to their learning style to justify achieving higher test scores to maintain or raise API scores. We seam to chase what ever is the latest fad that is catching the child's attention. ie:Facebook, Twitter, xBox, PS3, etc. These are fads or some call "tools" and sometimes pass quickly. Yes some are social and is how the world is relating to each other now. I do think it is partly attitude as the link suggests but we have catered to this in school so why do we think it will change when they become adults. We can use these "tools" to communicate what we have learned but are we giving structured learning so they can adapt in any environment?
