As I was browsing through my reader, I was looking for a classmate's blog that I may not have commented on or read much of to date. I got to Michael Lipson's blog and read his new commentary post, entitled "Why You Should Dump Tech Support and Become a Fixer." I find myself being very similar to Michael here as he calls himself a "tech hobbyist." He has found solutions to many of his problems by doing them himself. If he can't fix them, he searches for solutions. I have been doing this as well since I can remember. I love to tinker with tools and computers, and I have created some major problems in doing this but I learned from it.
I can't remember where this came from, perhaps I was researching things about being a technology integration specialist or something along the lines, but I came upon an interesting characteristic that these people must possess. They must be patient when working with people. I do agree that if you are helping someone learn about a new technology, they might need that extra help. Perhaps they missed a step that you did, or they need you to repeat something. This is definitely a time when the newbie needs some guidance and it could get frustrating for the more experienced person. However, you don't want to alienate yourself from people and come off as frustrated with the question. You want the person to learn to do it himself.
The tech person didn't get there by asking the previous tech person. That person messed around with stuff, tried new things, and learned from others. When a problem came, he most likely tried to figure it out himself. If he got stuck or it got worse, he most likely searched for a solution or asked for help. Teachers teach students to do this process, but how often do they do it themselves when it comes to technology? It may be that I have been tinkering with computers for a while for me to have this view point, but I think others need to get it, too.
I didn't gain my understanding of technology by being born into the onset of a digital age. I worked at understanding it. A teacher that wants to integrate technology must understand it as well. This means troubleshooting problems so you know what to do next time. This means researching how to use more options with it. This means finding solutions to problems, which might lead you to a new option that you may not have thought about.
I feel bad for our technology administrator as he came into a position that had a lot of Band-Aids on it. Problems were temporarily fixed and eventually brought up new problems. Hardware was out of date. He had a lot on his plate with this, but he was also bombarded by simple solution problems. I did my best to fix things that happened to me as well as other fellow teachers to keep him from losing his sanity. I hope that when problems arise, we will continue to use those problem-solving skills we teach to our students.
Nathan, an interesting way to complete one of your blogging tasks while responding to and expanding the ideas of one of your colleagues. This is actually a common blogging strategy (and I believe one of the activities in either the 30 Days to a Better Blog or 31 Days to Building a Better Blog was entitled "Promote a Comment," which focused on responding to someone who had commenting on your blog by posting a complete entry about or in response to that comment.
ReplyDeleteNathan,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your "can-do" attitude regarding tech problems. I am that person at our school. It is difficult to admit, but I have messed a few things up but I always found a solution, learning from my mistakes. People who sit back and depend on someone else need to step out of the box. Granted, there are a number of issues that need to be dealt with by a professional but if it is something simple, go ahead and try to fix it. The worst that can happen is that your learn from your mistake.
Catherine
Catherine,
DeleteDo you think that some people don't want to learn how to fix these problems because they don't like working with technology? I have a few teachers that have been at my school for a while and seem to be the ones who are always complaining and having problems.
Nathan, I find it sad that educators are often the ones that are so scared to learn through hands-on experience or by making mistakes. It doesn't make for the best role models, does it?
ReplyDeleteYour perspective is very refreshing and it opens up the opportunity for collaboration and deeper understanding for whatever you are learning. Tinkering should be encouraged, no matter what the subject area.
Thanks for sharing!