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I don’t know whether I am having a sensitive week or not, but I am starting to take offense to some of the blogs I am reading that imply because I am old, I am not tech savvy or willing to learn to be.
Now I would not describe myself as tech savvy, but technology rich…I am! I hate to admit that I am getting close enough to retirement to start thinking about it seriously. I am not counting down the days or even the years, but I am not in the first 1/2 of my career either. The up side is that I can start to feel that warm sun of Mexico on my face when I look it up on my Blackberry!
We teach students all the time to not stereotype or discriminate, but when I hear myself being lumped into a stereotypical category of “sitting around waiting to retire, and not wanting to try anything new”, I get a little hot and indignant.
I don’t think that technology integration, or lack there of, has anything to do with age. Now, I have never done any formal research and can only go from my personal experience. When I look at my own school, for example, I see “younger” teachers that are not really doing much technology integration at all and “older” teachers that are doing it all the time. When I was looking for a classroom teacher that would be willing to join me in a blogging project, it was one of the “older” generation that jumped right on board.
I have listened to discussions about technology immigrants vs technology natives. I can’t really say that I like the terms myself. I guess you could call me a technology immigrant and it would not insult me. I was raised with black and white TV and party lines for heaven’s sake. I definitely remember life before internet and I-pods. Just because I am new to the world does not mean that I am not enthusiastic, willing to try new things, and trying to stay up to date as anyone else.
I think students would consider most of their teachers technology immigrants…we could never know as much as them, no matter what our age. We are trying to adjust to a world that they have known all of their lives. My daughter thinks it is weird that I have a Facebook account and for some reason refuses to put me on her friends list.
Now what does all of this tell me?
That I should just get over my indignation and not worry about it?
That I should stand up to the “younger” generation of teachers and show them what I know?
Well, I guess it should tell me…
- that I need to keep encouraging all teachers to become technology comfortable, no matter what their age.
- That I need to offer support to others in my profession.
- That I need to keep trying to explore new tools and integrate those tools into my student’s lessons in a meaningful way.
- Probably most of all…I need to share my ideas with others.
Don’t write me off because I am old. I will be twittering and keeping up with Facebook even when I am living in my condo in Mexico! Maybe my daughter will even agree be my friend…
This post made me laugh because it sounds like I could have written it. We may have to get together in Mexico or at least chat on Facebook, Twitter or enjoy a Skype call once in awhile. I’m thinking about those sunny retirement days and I know at my school I’m the person who uses technology the most. I’ve also had many pre-service teachers and by far I use technology more than any of them do. My last intern was wonderful and was so interested in integrating technology in everything that she made me think that there’s hope. The unfortunate part is that pre-service teachers aren’t required to take EdTech classes (at least that is my understanding) and I’m not sure how much content area instructors are promoting the idea of technology integration. Considering that this is my last grad class and I’ve been in the faculty for the last three years, I’ve seen been questioning how technology use is pushed. I’ve had instructors who use overheads, a lot!; won’t use the U of R web based courses to post assignments, notices or resources and don’t use technology to instruct their classes. It does make me wonder who keeps thinking that our young teachers are the ones making a difference in our schools regarding technology integration.
Thanks for reassuring me that I am not the lone old teacher out there. I agree that the problem does not lie with “young” or “old”, there are too many other factors. I am trying to do whatever I can to share and support and communicate with the powers that be and hopefully we will move along. I am trying to write a grant application right now that will drag a few more teachers into trying things, with support of course and who knows? Maybe bit by bit we will see more technology integrations from teachers of all ages. Keep positive!
The fact that you are finishing up a Master’s program tells me that you are not done teaching. I find it interesting that the issues that plague you around technology and its implementation into schools and the classroom, plague me too. I am in my 6th year teaching and you are near the end of your “official” teaching career but yet you actively strive to make sense of everything around you. If I continue to motivate myself and continue to reflect on teaching practices and procedures as you have then I will consider myself fortunate to have found the richness of education and what it should mean in today’s society. I find myself getting frustrated a few times a week with how everything is conducted in our schools but I do know that I want to continue to strive for personal excellency in education as I do in being a father and family man. Your frustrations are heard and the reassurance that you require comes from sitting down at the end of the day and reflecting on the positives that you bring to your staff and students on a daily basis…never lose the power of positive thought, especially when you have so much to offer.
Thanks for the encouragement. I meant it tongue in cheek of course, but my frustrations don’t have anything to do with age, more to do with a lot of other factors. I had a wonderful father that taught me the importance of life long learning and for that fact, I am forever grateful. Take care and instill that in your own children. Thanks for the support.
Michelle