Comments on: Training “just in time” http://technosavvy.org/2005/07/11/training-just-in-time/ Great teaching and learning with technology Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:22:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Tim Wilson http://technosavvy.org/2005/07/11/training-just-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-454 Tim Wilson Tue, 12 Jul 2005 04:58:05 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/?p=260#comment-454 Thanks for the comment, Frank. Cultivating a perceived need is certainly important when introducing new technology. I've learned (too slowly sometimes) that most teachers don't share my interest in the geekier side of technology. I shouldn't be surprised when they don't connect the dots between the technology and their curriculum automatically. I always have the best luck with teachers when the need they feel is a curricular one and not just about technology. Then they're ready to hear what I'm saying and may end up trying something new. Thanks for the comment, Frank. Cultivating a perceived need is certainly important when introducing new technology. I’ve learned (too slowly sometimes) that most teachers don’t share my interest in the geekier side of technology. I shouldn’t be surprised when they don’t connect the dots between the technology and their curriculum automatically. I always have the best luck with teachers when the need they feel is a curricular one and not just about technology. Then they’re ready to hear what I’m saying and may end up trying something new.

]]> By: Frank Sobierajski http://technosavvy.org/2005/07/11/training-just-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-453 Frank Sobierajski Tue, 12 Jul 2005 02:57:09 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/?p=260#comment-453 “Just in time learning” is very definitely the best way to deliver technology professional development. While I agree in principal with the line of thinking presented here, I believe that there is a missing piece to its success. In order to be delivering instruction on any aspect of technology use there needs to be a “need” and unfortunately this need doesn’t come in a vacuum. One of the things that that we as technology coordinators must do is to help create the need, or get someone from more than 100 miles away (you can’t be a prophet in your own hometown) to show effective uses of the technology/software/Internet that will get teacher to the point of “wanting” to learn this, that or something else. And even then we must know where to start with each of the professionals in question. We must engage them to get them to “want” this instruction and then we must deliver it in ways understandable to each individual. This is a tall, but not impossible, order. “Just in time learning” is very definitely the best way to deliver technology professional development. While I agree in principal with the line of thinking presented here, I believe that there is a missing piece to its success.

In order to be delivering instruction on any aspect of technology use there needs to be a “need” and unfortunately this need doesn’t come in a vacuum. One of the things that that we as technology coordinators must do is to help create the need, or get someone from more than 100 miles away (you can’t be a prophet in your own hometown) to show effective uses of the technology/software/Internet that will get teacher to the point of “wanting” to learn this, that or something else. And even then we must know where to start with each of the professionals in question.

We must engage them to get them to “want” this instruction and then we must deliver it in ways understandable to each individual. This is a tall, but not impossible, order.

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