Comments on: Fear Factor http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fear-factor Educator Consultant Author Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:10:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Love of Educational Technology – Gap, Fear Factor, and Paralysis | In The Cloud http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2049 Love of Educational Technology – Gap, Fear Factor, and Paralysis | In The Cloud Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:21:42 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2049 [...] Utecht who maintains a blog called The Thinking Stick blogged a few years about Fear Factor.  In his blog he states “At what age do we loose that sense of exploration, that adventure [...] [...] Utecht who maintains a blog called The Thinking Stick blogged a few years about Fear Factor.  In his blog he states “At what age do we loose that sense of exploration, that adventure [...]

]]> By: What is a composer? - Page 4 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2048 What is a composer? - Page 4 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 13:14:10 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2048 [...] ourselves and how our own systems work. People have always been afraid of new technologies.. Fear Factor at The Thinking Stick (I will try and find a better example but this is the best I could come up with at the moment.) [...] [...] ourselves and how our own systems work. People have always been afraid of new technologies.. Fear Factor at The Thinking Stick (I will try and find a better example but this is the best I could come up with at the moment.) [...]

]]> By: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Follow the bouncy conversation http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2047 Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » Blog Archive » Follow the bouncy conversation Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:30:59 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2047 [...] Utecht writes about fear on the Tech Learning [...] [...] Utecht writes about fear on the Tech Learning [...]

]]> By: Theresa G http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2046 Theresa G Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:37:20 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2046 Wow Jeff! What a great post! As I have learned and experimented with technology tools this past year, I have found that it isn't only the technology that strikes fear into the heart of educators. In many ways, it is also the fact that these tools make our "private practice" very public. I have had great success this summer introducing tools like del.icio.us and Diigo to teachers, but much more limited success with wikis, blogs and Google Docs. Is it the technology or the public nature of the tool? It is a question I am still wrestling with and something I keep "clicking" to see what happens!! Wow Jeff! What a great post! As I have learned and experimented with technology tools this past year, I have found that it isn’t only the technology that strikes fear into the heart of educators. In many ways, it is also the fact that these tools make our “private practice” very public. I have had great success this summer introducing tools like del.icio.us and Diigo to teachers, but much more limited success with wikis, blogs and Google Docs. Is it the technology or the public nature of the tool? It is a question I am still wrestling with and something I keep “clicking” to see what happens!!

]]> By: Sarah Stewart http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2045 Sarah Stewart Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:22:50 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2045 Hi there, I am a midwife and midwifery lecturer and very interested in how I can get colleagues to use Internet resources in their clinical practice. If you think teachers are fearful (people who you would think should know better), imagine how much worse it is with people who do not use computers in their every day life. Just getting midwives to use email is a challenge. We are also a profession that relies very heavily on face-to-face interaction both with the women and families we serve, and colleagues we work with. However, geographical, time and financial constraints often restrict our interactions with each other so online communication resources should be really useful, theoretically. So I am exploring what strategies will work to get midwives (and health professionals) to lose their fear and interact more online. Cheers Sarah Hi there, I am a midwife and midwifery lecturer and very interested in how I can get colleagues to use Internet resources in their clinical practice. If you think teachers are fearful (people who you would think should know better), imagine how much worse it is with people who do not use computers in their every day life. Just getting midwives to use email is a challenge. We are also a profession that relies very heavily on face-to-face interaction both with the women and families we serve, and colleagues we work with. However, geographical, time and financial constraints often restrict our interactions with each other so online communication resources should be really useful, theoretically. So I am exploring what strategies will work to get midwives (and health professionals) to lose their fear and interact more online. Cheers Sarah

]]> By: Andrew Robitaille http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2044 Andrew Robitaille Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:04:30 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2044 Great reflection Jeff! You hit some universal points here. The fear that many teachers have with technology is usually based on some negative experiences they have had in the past. And these negative experiences have usually occurred in a situation that they could not ask for and receive help. I like your idea of asking teachers (in a controlled environment) to click away at things they have always been reluctant to try. Basically, to explore. When they know they have assistance there and nothing can go wrong, my guess is that most teachers would take off and really enjoy some confidence-building exploration. Great tip! Great reflection Jeff! You hit some universal points here. The fear that many teachers have with technology is usually based on some negative experiences they have had in the past. And these negative experiences have usually occurred in a situation that they could not ask for and receive help. I like your idea of asking teachers (in a controlled environment) to click away at things they have always been reluctant to try. Basically, to explore. When they know they have assistance there and nothing can go wrong, my guess is that most teachers would take off and really enjoy some confidence-building exploration. Great tip!

]]> By: What we do when we put them in a bubble at The Thinking Stick http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2043 What we do when we put them in a bubble at The Thinking Stick Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:56:01 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2043 [...] Jeff Utecht - Shanghai, China « Fear Factor [...] [...] Jeff Utecht – Shanghai, China « Fear Factor [...]

]]> By: Tina http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2042 Tina Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:26:18 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2042 Jeff. I think there is a lot of fear of failure. At my school we ordered all of our new 135 computers with Office 2007. I had one teacher completely unload on me, two different times, because her co-teacher now has a newer version of Office, and she is not up to speed to help her. She is a business teacher, usually fully supportive of jumping into anything new. It quite surprised me. I was told that now was not the time to have to be learning something new. Only until the Dental Assisting teacher showed excitement about the new Office 2007, did the Business teacher decide maybe it was worth exploring. I've learned that the best way for someone to learn a new software product or explore something new is if they have a personal reason to use it. Jeff. I think there is a lot of fear of failure. At my school we ordered all of our new 135 computers with Office 2007. I had one teacher completely unload on me, two different times, because her co-teacher now has a newer version of Office, and she is not up to speed to help her. She is a business teacher, usually fully supportive of jumping into anything new. It quite surprised me. I was told that now was not the time to have to be learning something new. Only until the Dental Assisting teacher showed excitement about the new Office 2007, did the Business teacher decide maybe it was worth exploring. I’ve learned that the best way for someone to learn a new software product or explore something new is if they have a personal reason to use it.

]]> By: Diane Quirk http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2041 Diane Quirk Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:05:06 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2041 The comfort zone is there no matter what the age I think. The skills we develop when working at a computer are largely procedural knowledge and it takes a while to practice and learn those skills in order to feel comfortable with them and to be able to build upon them. Training with follow up is essential to keep teachers working on building their skills. I introduced some grade 3 - 5 teachers to Pageflakes, Google Docs and Diigo this summer. I presented the tools within the framework of how they apply to instruction and curriculum goals and how brain research applies as well. I referenced a lot of connections back to professional literature so that they knew that I'm not just the tech geek but I also read and keep up with what's being written about literacy from the non-techie writers. With all these connections brought together as the tools were introduced teachers were easily able to begin making connections for themselves. In fact, they were generating discussions among themselves before I could finish what I had planned to discuss. So, let us know which explodes first..the computer or your teacher's new ideas for using those new tools! The comfort zone is there no matter what the age I think. The skills we develop when working at a computer are largely procedural knowledge and it takes a while to practice and learn those skills in order to feel comfortable with them and to be able to build upon them. Training with follow up is essential to keep teachers working on building their skills.

I introduced some grade 3 – 5 teachers to Pageflakes, Google Docs and Diigo this summer. I presented the tools within the framework of how they apply to instruction and curriculum goals and how brain research applies as well. I referenced a lot of connections back to professional literature so that they knew that I’m not just the tech geek but I also read and keep up with what’s being written about literacy from the non-techie writers. With all these connections brought together as the tools were introduced teachers were easily able to begin making connections for themselves. In fact, they were generating discussions among themselves before I could finish what I had planned to discuss.

So, let us know which explodes first..the computer or your teacher’s new ideas for using those new tools!

]]> By: Vincent Jansen http://www.thethinkingstick.com/fear-factor/#comment-2040 Vincent Jansen Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:42:09 +0000 http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=562#comment-2040 You certianly have a point Jeff, and it appears that the fear factor is what prevents real educational change. Schools often place more and more controls for students and educators alike thus preventing all users from pressing the next icon or button to see where it leads them. Most students, outside of school tend to overcome these controls (and early learning barriers) and are freely exchanging and exploring the use of these tools to develop meaning for them. Most educators have not ventured yet and tend to stay in their own comfortable zone even outside of school. I do agree that each one of us need to challenge each other to press any key, even if it is just the Print screen button! I have not seen a computer explode but does smoke count? You certianly have a point Jeff, and it appears that the fear factor is what prevents real educational change. Schools often place more and more controls for students and educators alike thus preventing all users from pressing the next icon or button to see where it leads them. Most students, outside of school tend to overcome these controls (and early learning barriers) and are freely exchanging and exploring the use of these tools to develop meaning for them. Most educators have not ventured yet and tend to stay in their own comfortable zone even outside of school. I do agree that each one of us need to challenge each other to press any key, even if it is just the Print screen button! I have not seen a computer explode but does smoke count?

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