Gretchen Rubin talks about four kinds of self-motivation. Might this. provide a way of thinking about how to encourage colleagues to use. education technology in their lessons?
A daunting prospect, so what’s your motivation? Photo by Terry Freedman
When I was being interviewed for the post of Head of ICT and Computing and ICT Co-ordinator at a school some years ago, we eventually came to the part where the chair of Governors says:
“So, do you have any questions for us?”
In response, I asked the headteacher what he would count as an indicator of my success in the job should it be offered to me and should I accept.
“I want teachers banging on the doors of the computer labs demanding to be let in.”, he replied.
A bit of a tall order, considering that the corridors of the computer labs part of the school resembled the set of High Noon. (I momentarily considered achieving that happy outcome by keeping the doors of the computer labs well and truly locked, but decided that it could be a career-limiting move.)
Motivating people to do things is pretty difficult, or can be. Even motivating yourself to do something can be an uphill task. So how do you go about it?
One approach might be to borrow from Gretchen Rubin’s 4 tendencies framework. Now, I have to say I am always a trifle cautious about apparently ‘popular science’-type solutions to complex questions, and I also have to admit that my expertise in this particular approach is confined to a six minute video I watched (see below). I also suppose that you may run into difficulties if you try to persuade your colleagues/co-workers to take the motivation questionnaire (although once they have taken it you will know exactly what to do to motivate them to take it!). Nevertheless, the outline given in the video below may suggest ways you might try to motivate some of the other people you work with to try using ed tech in their lessons. At the very least, the approach underlines the fact that when it comes to encouraging others there is not usually a one-size-fits-all answer.
There’s more about the four tendencies or four types of self-motivation framework and book here:
It’s often difficult to get time out of school to attend a conference, but I think you should try and get to at least one a year. Some people dismiss conferences as glorified trade shows, talking shops or junkets, the main reason for whose existence is to sell you stuff. Whilst the hard sell may be in evidence at some events, or by some exhibitors, I don’t see that as a reason not to go. After all, you may see something you didn’t know existed, or find out more about something you thought you already knew about. And in any case, you are not obliged to actually buy anything, or even to listen to someone trying to sell you something (just smile and walk away).
But there are other aspects of education conferences too of course.
There are at least 21 good reasons to attend, these being to:
Check out the hype
You know how every so often a big new thing comes along that's going to transform education? Before you spend a lot of time, effort or money on it, if a conference includes talks about it or demonstrations, you could check it out there.
Hear some big name speakers for free
A conference may provide the opportunity to see and hear an authority in your field speak or take part in a panel discussion. This benefit is especially valuable if the person resides in another country, because the chances of getting to see them would be even slimmer otherwise.
See what’s new or coming soon
Conferences, especially education technology ones, often feature prototypes of new products, or proofs of concept. It gives you an advantage because it may be several years before they become mainstream.
Not all of the things on display find themselves being produced, so you have to be careful of the hardware equivalent of “vapourware”, but it can still give a pretty good indication of where things are heading.
Inform your financial planning
Had you seen 3D printers some years ago you would have been able to see at firsthand what they could do, attended a talk or two about how they were starting to be used by some teachers, and obtained the details of some companies in that field. That knowledge would have enabled you to draw up a capital spending plan/proposal that included the use of 3D printing, to present to your senior leadership team.
Inform your strategic planning
This is slightly different to the preceding point. I am referring here to outlining trends in technology and pedagogy. Had you seen 3D printers a few years ago, you may not have been in a position to argue the case for spending money on them, but you would have been able to describe the potential benefits of this sort of technology. Now, a few years later, when the prices have come down to the extent that a 3D printer is an affordable item rather than a luxury one, you would be in a good position to ask for money to buy one, having already sown the seeds from an educational benefits point of view.
Inform your senior leadership team of coming trends
Taking the example of 3D printing once again, had you seen the first few prototypes a few years ago – bulky and expensive, but with enormous potential – you would have been able to say to your line manager that 3D is coming.
(By the way, I'm using 3D printing as an example, but the principle applies much more generally.)
They may not have been able to do anything on a practical level, but it will help you to...
Establish yourself as the go-to person
Having a grasp of current and future trends, being able to advise your senior leadership team of what they ought to be planning for and what they ought not to invest in over the long term, being up to speed with current thinking and research in your field – all this helps to establish you as the go-to person in your area.
Even if you're not the team leader, and even if – especially if – you are a teacher with no additional responsibilities, establishing yourself as the go-to person is a wise thing to do, because it makes people rely on you for particular kinds of information.
This works even if you become an expert in one particular area (3D printing, for example) rather than the whole field.
Show, don't tell
Seeing a product in action, even if only for a few minutes, is often more useful than only reading about it in the product catalogue – especially if it’s a brand new item.
Attend product launches
Conferences tend to be the occasions on which companies launch new products, and it’s always nice to see them unveiled, perhaps with a drink and a snack.
See the small players
Sometimes at conference exhibitions smaller companies launch products that you may otherwise not hear about. In my experience, such products are highly focused and usually do what they are supposed to do very well.
Attend specialised talks
Some companies run sessions on their stands, outside the official programme of seminars. It’s worth looking up the exhibitors you wish to visit (if you know in advance), to see if they are doing something like that.
Attend training sessions, eg on how use a particular aspect of a program
Check to see if companies are running training sessions on how to use their products. You may need to visit their stand because sometimes at conferences exhibitors run training sessions, perhaps on their stands, that are not listed as part of the mainstream conference. They are usually demonstrations rather than hands-on learning opportunities, but can nevertheless be very valuable.
Attend a seminar, eg on personalised learning, given by experts in their fields
If there is a paid-for conference and a free exhibition, there's a chance that there may be a separate, and free, seminar programme, or training sessions (see preceding point).
Attend a parallel conference
At some conferences there are "Summits" or "Strands" – specialised conferences or themes. If you can dip in and out of sessions without booking for each "conference" separately, then you can "mix and match" rather than committing yourself to one particular theme.
Arrange one-on-one meetings with (potential) suppliers
Some of the larger suppliers have rooms available where you can arrange to meet to discuss your requirements. If not, there is probably a café area where people can meet.
Have opportunities for networking
It never does any harm to make contact with like-minded people.
Pick up the latest Government or other official publications
It’s useful to be able to see what’s available, in case you missed it, but you may want to make a note of where you can download it from rather than carrying loads of stuff home. Some exhibitors may have publications containing details of particular aspects of government policy. Maybe the department for education (or the equivalent in your country) has a stand itself.
Pick up new ideas
I find that you have to really scrutinise conference programmes. Don’t just look at the list of sessions, but the exhibitor list as well. It's important to look through the whole exhibitor list because you might spot an interesting-looking company you haven’t come across before.
Get the gossip
This is similar to the preceding point, but not quite the same. If you get chatting to people, there's a good chance that you will learn about some new trend, development or product that you haven't come across yet – because it hasn't been picked up by the standard media outlets.
Attend events
If there are any special events, ie outside the conference programme itself, consider going along. For example, there may be a reception the evening before the conference, or a post-conference meal. These can provide great networking opportunities.
Become (re-)energised and stimulated from the “buzz”
Although conferences tend to be very physically tiring they can be good for giving one’s enthusiasm a big boost.
Click the image to see this book on Amazon (affiliate link)
To the uninitiated, ‘renaturing’ is essentially rewilding, just on a smaller scale. Indeed, Canton goes so far as to state that even an act as humble as planting flowers in a window box counts. This book could therefore prove useful to schools keen to cultivate their own dedicated ‘back to nature’ area. Readers will learn about the kind of changes to look out for, and the methods that can be deployed to lend nature a helping hand. The mini-essays at the start of each chapter are informative, but the book as a whole is more descriptive than explanatory. We’re told, for example, that there are a huge number of ladybirds around, but not given any reasons as to why. Renaturing is, however, beautifully written and presented in the manner of a diary recorded in the present tense, making for a gentle, yet compelling read.
This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. To compare the version I submitted with the one actually published, please go here:
Click the image to see this book on Amazon (affiliate link)
As told in this history of the wireless, in 1922 just 150,000 people regularly listened to the radio. Fewer than 20 years later, that number had expanded to 34 million. Radio was once the cutting edge in home entertainment. A couple of generations before the first internet cafés were opened, someone attempted pretty much the same thing by opening a ‘radio café’ in an electrical shop. Enthusiasts of the medium built radio sets of their own. The advent of the radio had a huge impact - particularly on the speed of broadcast news - and even prompted the adoption of ‘standard time’ across the country. Listen In contains contemporary photographs, adverts and even cartoons, all presented in the sumptuous manner you’d expect from the Bodleian. It’s a fascinating and detailed document of the game-changing impact of an historically consequential technology.
This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. To compare the version I submitted with the one actually published, please go here:
Click the image to see this book on Amazon (affiliate link)
This book is awash with ideas that are frequently presented in the form of bullet points, making it easy to skim through, select a couple of ideas that you like and put them into practice. The commentary surrounding the suggestions presents some sound advice and is refreshingly light on academic jargon. While on balance I would recommend Level Up... as a useful resource to have on hand, it should be noted that it’s written for an American audience, so don’t expect the schemes of work for maths and literacy to fully align with our own. It also seems to have more of a primary focus, though that’s not to say that many of its featured ideas can’t be adapted. A few of the suggestions may take some time for busy teachers to prepare and implement - but it’s nevertheless a great book to dip into and draw creative inspiration from.
This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. To compare the version I submitted with the one actually published, please go here:
