Today’s tip: 5 Cures for Technophobia
- Just Use it--Be that teacher in your school who always tries whatever new gimmick the Tech Geeks come up with. Do it in private before kids enter or faculty drops by. Boot up the computer, test drive the Google Apps trick someone emailed you. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a half hour or half minute to figure out what all those terms mean, or if it doesn’t work the first five times. It doesn’t even matter if it never works–because next time it will. Or the next time. You get better at tech by doing, not by watching others. I promise you, it works.
- Train Yourself–Spend ten minutes exploring the tool before using it with students. If you don’t have time, try it with the students. Model Common Core and 21st Century learning skills for them, like critical thinking, close reading, and problem solving. Let them see that adults use the same skills students learn.
- Don’t worry if you make a mistake--Lots of experts do. They are searching for answers, being risk-takers, ignoring the fear of failure. Be that person, too. Try to find answers with the knowledge you have. You’ll either succeed or find what doesn’t work, and in that way inform yourself about the answer. Exactly as we teach kids.
- Use Keyboard shortcuts–Put a list by the computer. It won’t take students long to remember them because kids love a faster way to an end. They’re quicker and less stressful than finding the button that does… [fill in the blank]. To push Ctrl+Z and have lost typing reappear (after accidentally deleting it) is a WOW. From that point, you’ve got them. Just keep sprinkling around the keyboard shortcuts.
- Revel in your geekiness--Use your tech. Teach it to others. Listen to conversations about techie topics. Wear a flash drive as jewelry. Straighten your shoulders and punch your chin up when someone calls you a geek. You are proud of it. Don’t be surprised people treat you with awe, like your brain grew two sizes, like Sheldon should be your best friend or a Tardis your home. Just nod and say nothing. You are a geek. You’re enigmatic. You’re confident and sure of yourself. You answer questions that bamboozle everyone else (at least, you know where to look).
For more detail, visit “5 Ways to Cure Technophobia in the Classroom”.
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“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
