Don't Be Imprisoned by Technology's What If's

Every concern teachers have about implementing technology in the classroom will inevitably come to fruition. Some of the common concerns I have heard and personally encountered are:

• "What if the internet fails when my entire lesson plan hinges upon it?"

• "What if the updated web filter blocks the site I am depending on for my presentation, even though I  just accessed it this morning?"

• "What if my students post something inappropriate during an online class discussion?"

• "What if a student encounters a technology issue that I do not know how to solve?"

The list could continue with countless, similar, justifiable fears, but that is unnecessary, because if someone can think of it, then it will most likely happen, and probably at the most inopportune time imaginable.

Uncertainty centered on technology's shortcomings is one of, if not the most common reason I hear from teachers that are slow to embrace technology as a significant part of their day-to-day teaching. While understandable, it is important to understand that this attitude is hindering teachers and the students of those teachers from experiencing some of the most important lessons that need to be learned as we collectively blaze the edtech trail.

Understanding that technology is laden with glitches, failures, and untimely shortcomings is a given. With that in mind, it is essential that educators learn to adapt to these difficulties. If teachers can do so, in real time, in front of students, then the teachers are essentially modeling, for their students, productive strategies and attitudes regarding technology.

As our students move on to higher grade levels, higher education, and careers, they will most certainly encounter the technological hurdles that many educators are unwilling to face. By shielding students from technology's challenges due to personal fears, instructors are preventing students from learning coping skills that will be essential for success.

How to deal with these situations when they occur is an issue unto itself and boils down to the inherent strengths of each individual teacher. Just as their are innumerable problems that will complicate the day, there are just as many creative solutions.

Most teachers have years, if not decades of teaching without technology. That fact alone indicates that most educators are equipped with a vast arsenal of curriculum ideas, and classroom management strategies that can right the ship when a technology tornado wreaks havoc on their respective classroom. Stepping outside one's comfort zone is rarely an easy task. Doing so in front of an audience of students can certainly compound the discomfort. But until teachers can confront their apprehensions, they will only be prolonging the inevitable.

In a simple statement, Milo from The Phantom Tollbooth sums it up perfectly when he states, "Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens."

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