As an educator working to promote more effective, engaging and creative use of technology in teaching and learning I meet many people who are reluctant to modify their practices. This includes those who are fearful, those who are interested, those who have no interest and those who haven’t a clue.
One of the common responses I hear when I start talking about, or demonstrating technology solutions, is “but you’re…” and people proceed to tell me that somehow I am different, more capable, technically-minded, geeky, nerdy, techy, clever, bright… or whatever other excuse they can find to suggest that there is some innate difference that makes technology easier for me to cope with.
Well, folks, it’s bullshit… without any false modesty – most of the people I’m working with are more intelligent, knowledgeable and experienced than me… I don’t have any special affinity for technology, I don’t have any special experience, or training… when I was a boy, computers were largely things of fiction…
The only significant difference I can discern is that I have been willing to look at the possibilities and willing to learn… and to take responsibility for my own learning, for seeking out communities of practice and communities of interest, and for sharing whatever I learn with others.
Like other people, I have significant commitments and responsibilities with family, pets, homes, study and, until recently, 8 concurrent positions in part-time employment… on top of the 50+ working hours I was driving 20+ hours a week between all these contexts… I don’t have enormous amounts of time I can magically give over to learning about technology – I simply build the learning into whatever it is that I’m doing each day… some days I make only a little headway and some days I make none at all.
I tire of being told that somehow my circumstances (or their circumstances) are special and that I’m more able to deal with technology… the simple fact is I’m not… the simple fact is that like anyone else I need to keep learning… so I do.. and through doing, I learn.
