What to do with these LD teachers?

It was a long week. As my last post indicated, I was hoping it was Friday at about Wednesday. Friday finally did arrive. It's now Saturday. Yesterday evening I read through some blogs and some forum comments over at Classroom2.0 which I've joined and am enjoying meeting new people. As I read through the posts and forums, a strange thing happen. Maybe it was my frame of mind or maybe it was because I was tired but I began to get a bit frustrated with the number of discussions discussing the lack of teachers "getting with it" and using web2.0 tools. Some expressed frustration with administrators not being tech savvy and central office not seeing it as a priority while some expressed a frustration with vast majority of teachers not giving it the time or making it a priority. I've felt this similar frustration while taking a class and having people post about the lack of other teachers interested in technology or wanting to use technology.

Now, I'd be the pot calling the kettle blue if I said I hadn't had these same feelings and I've more than likely expressed them here, especially about administrators and leaders not using these tools. Whatever the reason for my point of view, I began to view it, not from a "I don't want to" point of view but from a "I really can't do it or have huge trouble with it or I can't remembe how to" point of view. Much similar to someone with a Learning Disability.

As early adopters, I'd say that most people that are blogging and using these tools have a digital intelligence that makes most of what they do intuitive. So, they see an application, begin to use it and start to see possiblilities in what they do, how it could be used in their job and how they could adapt it for their teaching or work. Now, in the business world, there is no option, you use the technology or you leave. But, and this is a big thing, how many of those people using the technology are doing so without really knowing what they are doing, without upgrading or looking for new tools and without really understanding how to improve what they do? Could it be that, in education, because we haven't dumped the technology on people, we are seeing a more natural split between those who can and those who struggle? So, like in any area, are the early adopters those with the intelligence and ability and the rest are, well, just the rest?

I guess I look at this as a person who has had to overcome many different obstactles. One huge one was my struggle with math. Now, if we measured how good a person is by how much time they spend working at something, I should have had top math marks in highschool. Instead, I struggled to pass with a mid-60 although I had a tutor and spent hours working on it. On the flipside, give me a computer with a set of programs and away we go. Don't care the OS or what is there, I'll figure them out. I love all the new web2.0 apps. I've often wonder how many people who are using them at the start need to read through the manual? Is there a manual? How many are trying them in a host of unique situations and then trying to fix the bugs? How many just seem to be able to figure it out?
My one daughter is LD. She struggles with reading and writing. But, if she were to be marked on her effort and the amount of time she spends trying to improve her reading and writing, she'd be an A student. However, if you were to ask any person about her, they'd tell you that she is a very content and happy girl who is full of love for other people. She has very few friends in her own grade but she's not unhappy. For some reason, she has an ability to find that one person on the playground who isn't feeling happy and spend time with them. She has a gift that way. She makes people smile, has a hug for everyone and, for the most part, is a very happy person. You can't teach that! She moves to the beat of her own drum and is okay with it. As parents, we really work with her but we've come to accept that she has gifts that may not be academic. We don't stop trying but we accept her for whom she is and what she can do.

Some people have suggested that if those teachers who aren't using technology would just prioritize in a different way, they would be able to use the tools. Try telling that to any parent with a LD student that if they were to just have the student prioritize correctly, they'd do better. Please don't do that while I'm around! I'm beginning to suspect that we are viewing teachers, and education for that matter, from an particular advanced viewpoint, like the student who does well in math without any trouble and doesn't understand how someone like me just couldn't get it and, maybe if I just applied myself, I'd do better. I just wanted to slap...... sorry, I digress.

Over in Classroom2.0 there is a forum discussion similar to this. Maybe, instead of judging or rating or whatever, we need to look at this a bit differently. Just like many of us see that this will be the way education and teaching will travel in the not-to-distant future, so does a person with a reading disablilty see that reading will be a very important part of their future but, try as they might, they still struggle no matter how much they may want to get better or dream of doing particular things. This is the frustration I've heard from many teachers as they do try to use the technology. Even after spending time with them and working through things with them, they struggle to use the technology. Could it be that someone who could use the technology became frustrated with them and, without saying it, made them feel inadequate or worse, stupid.

We are the early adopters. The 2 or 3%. Look at most early adopters in any area . They aren't usually the norm and, usually, they have an intuitive ability to use the tool which most other people do not possess. I could give you many examples but I'm sure you can think of quite a few on your own. With those examples in mind, we will have to realize that the extent of the use of the tools will vary depending on a number of factors. As these tools begin to grow in use and a shift in the overall view of the tools goes through the usual steps of change, we will see a growth of use by teachers. Our role, I believe, is to not become overly frustrated by the lack of adoption but to persist and provide that much needed support so that success is achieved making people want to continue their learning. Turning people off makes them not want to see technology as a priority. Finally, we need to accept that not everyone will use these tools. That is reality, just as there are many people who, for whatever reason, continue to struggle with reading or math or whatever. Heck, it might be an inability to throw a ball or participate in other athletic activities. Just out of curiosity, how many people from warmer locations can skate? Wanna race?