How do you get people (educators) to adopt changes when they resist?

[Natalie LK]

Sometimes sharing or proposing changes to new technology is like moving large prehistoric animals. I'm dealing with some change resistance that's providing a challenge for me right now. Also, I'm just wondering if anyone here has ever had to deal with individuals, co-workers, bosses, boards who seem to be resistant to change namely change in technology. Before I start going of on a tangent about change management, I want to ask how can you effectively convince those who block or resist the shift to use of more tech in the classroom.

I am curious about how you made the new technologies, changes, etc. palatable to those who resisted or challenged the proposed change. Do you have any stories or suggestions.

I've often used the boring but effective topic of showing how much time I'm saving or how much doing things the 'old way' is costing. However, I'm sure that convincing people within an educational environment is different. Perhaps you do what me an a small band of corporate rebels did, by building our own tools, wikis, blogs or knowledge management systems, podcasting. Use them and the show how they are being successful later..

[Darlene Marquardt]

Well, I think unless your colleagues are in a position where they are told they HAVE to learn how to do something, it is a slow process. Best taught by example and bragging (nicely - not with undue pride) about the results from using a certain technology. Send them emails about the technology. Show them examples. Flood their minds with the value of it over time. Move slowly so they don't feel 'put upon' but move quickly enough that they don't forget about the new technology. A good example that comes to mind is using the videos on United Streaming. Our teachers were told about it last year.. it might have even been the year before (I loose track of time)... but it wasn't until this year that I noticed a few teachers were actually beginning to make use of the videos in their classrooms.

Use of student made video productions for learning certain lessons is another example. I notice each year more teachers in my building are having students create video. This year a few teachers got into using Audacity and teaching students to make narrations or podcasts... There are always those who resisit learning new things.. there will always be those who resist.. but just be patient with them. Eventually even they will implement 'some' of the technology.

~Darlene

[Natalie LK]

Darlene, thank you so much for the reply. I like your suggestions about student made videos. Planning and filming video requires planning and writing. If other teachers perhaps saw some of these residual products and saw that students were learning organization, writing (and I'm assuming some math and science), then they might see the value of applying some of the more accessible technologies.

[Mary Hricko]

I take them out back....

Actually, change occurs in baby steps. We ask faculty want they dislike most about aspects of course prep, class management, etc and then find tools or strategies to introduce that will improve the situation. If I can show you a way to make your life easier, then you might be more inclined to give it a try...

We start out small...first I'll show you how to put your notes into ppt---then I'll show you how to integrate these notes in an online format...then I'll show you how to make assessments...and so forth--until the content for a course is all online....and THEN...I'll show the faculty member that they have an online course and didn't know it---then we'll see if they want to become an online instructor--some people never cross over to the tech side...but that's okay, I guess.

I also schedule training around a lunch type affair--lots of food and chocolate--training should be something that people want to do--not have to do--or have to go to....

[David Bowman]

Like Darlene and Mary, I also very much like your suggestions about student-made videos, Natalie. Along with Mary, my own first impression was to: " take them out back..." as she so eloquently describes the perfect use of an otherwise useless brick wall, to help us all manage change!

Then I wondered what her principal might inevitably ask when she realizes she is short a few dozen highly skilled luddite teachers next semester! Other than sounding a little harsh knocking some sense into them against a wall does seem to have some merit. In my experience though the YouTube generation we are responsible for actually demands the introduction of a whole new wave of online audio-visual collaboration tools unlike any other that have been available in any previous millennium.

Recently I have been most interested in collaboration as a sure fire way towards building that consensus we all seek. To change the perception of the entire teaching profession is clearly difficult in it's own right. Yet, this is equally complicated for me as a serial entrepreneur as I try to instill an entrepreneurial spirit into various startup ventures where the average age of the founders is under 20.

First though, let me preface my comments by saying that I do not claim to be a teacher. After merely a couple of years as "parent / teacher volunteer co-ordinator" at a local High School here in Calgary, Alberta, I quickly learned the value of collaboration as a way to change the opinions of colleagues, parents, teachers and students alike. We all worked as an ego-less team to create our own networks and/or spaces for change based collaboration and success was easily measurable by the increase in positive email traffic!

The entire team constantly sought out various opportunities to take advantage of working with other teachers and parents around specific student issues on school DVD making projects and about school-wide social problems. As my interest quickly developed well beyond the technical side, I found myself wanting to work in collaboration with other school staff in the district for a wider range of extra-curricular program improvement. Ultimately, my team and I sought out a closer collaboration with the principal in large part because we felt that leadership would allow us to focus on empowering the young, their parents and teachers alike. We began to work collaboratively for the benefit of all the high school students and we also wanted to try to provide that kind of leadership among the primary influencer of all children, the parents, too.

I truly believe that learning to work together toward “shared goals” is far more critical for our children and adults now than it has ever been. There is to me a special sense of “belongingness” required (if such a word is ever to be allowed into the 21st century dictionary) that is well and truly unique. That only comes when a group of like minded people collectively accomplish a stated goal or task. It may even one day mean that "belongingness may be redefined as “belonging for a true purpose.”

Children and adults alike experience a significant growth in self-worth as they work with others to make such changes. It is as if something positive will only ultimately happen in their world if we, their mentors embrace change. I have learned this in three successful consecutive entrepreneurial ventures.

Working together toward shared goals always involves pain and struggle. People must be willing to stick with the conflict, live with any disagreement and work through their inevitable differences if true collaboration in a time of rapid changes is to occur.

Sometimes this happens and sometimes it doesn’t. And just when a group of individuals has gone through this struggle and begins to successfully “pull together” toward a common end....guess what? Things change. People change. Goals change. Growing children and evolving parents in due time morph and adopt an ever-changing set of societal goals and needs. Those are the raw materials of education. Lifelong learning is, after all, a goal unto itself is it not?

It follows naturally then, that the need for change in schools is constant. The pace of change in schools is viewed by some as “moving at the speed of light” and yet others around us seem to be “creeping along at barely a snail’s pace.”

It is this relationship between collaboration and change that continually intrigues me. I have come to think that collaboration can indeed be a powerful ingredient for successful change.

I always wonder why that is and what teachers, parents and students think about change. Not change for change's sake but meaningful advances. Knowing how to implement such Internet based collaboration is a small price to pay for harmony in society, in the workplace and in the classroom. My reasoning follows on that as this approach actually works as well as it does in businesses outside academia it may well allow it to work even better within the Hallowed Halls of High School too!

~ David

[Natalie LK]

I thought that this teacher provides many great examples of using tech/web 2.0 (blogs, podcasting) in the classroom both as an tech experience for her kids and as a supplement to learning writing skills. If I was in this classroom I'd be excited to come to school. She just dove in and became comfortable with technology. Kudos to her!
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=93fe8abcfe3ce2003e5c

[Lisa Stevens]

Hi! I have the problem that I've got lots of ideas and want to try all kinds of things, but I'm not the ICT coordinator, and the person who is shows no interest in anything other than buying software (that we don't really need) and changing the printer cartridge when necessary. It's very frustrating as I don't want to undermine her but I feel as if I am, and it would be so much easier with her support! However,I will not be put off and will have to bite the bullet and put up with the flak, should it come!

[Natalie LK]

Ah, that's sad to hear. I guess like people don't get to pick their relatives they don't get to pick their IT staff. Why can't people get off their territorial gourd and just work with people. I've heard a number of stories of schools that have tech support or staff that aren't really into working with the needs of both students and teachers. There's too much crap (excuse the euphemism) educational software out there... all being sold and bought.