The Moss-Free Stone

Cara Hagen has a great post on this topic on her EdTechConnection blog. In the post, entitled “What Am I Willing to Give Up in Order to Blog?” she expresses eloquently the struggles shared by myself and, undoubtedly, many educators who are seeking to educate themselves on and develop proficiency with the technology that is available to us. The biggest challenge, for me, is that, just as I get a grasp on one tool, my Bloglines account gives me a couple dozen more to explore. It can be daunting, to say the least.

Teachers’ work loads and schedules are formidable, to be certain. So little time exists for practicing and exploring new methods. Cara echoes a sentiment I’ve heard from the teachers I serve:

One of my ongoing struggles is that it isn’t really my job to blog – at either of my schools. When I read other people’s blogs I often note that many of them are posting during the work day, so I assume other bloggers either interpret blogging as part of their job description or actually have permission to do so during work. Believe me, I’m not criticizing. I’m jealous!

So true! As I read the blogs of leaders in my field, I am amazed by the prolific nature of their posting and research. Like Cara, I envy the fact that their days can be devoted to these pursuits.

So, what do I have to sacrifice in order to blog, or to create a new wiki, or to record a new podcast, or to learn about a new tool? For me, personally, it generally involves making better use of my down time. I’m not referring to leisure activities (I won’t give up fishing or golf just yet!), rather time spent watching television or similarly useless pursuits. I’m referring to the numerous hours each week that are simply wasted. The primary time for this, personally, has to be once the kids are fed, bathed, tickled, and tucked into bed. In the past 6 months, I’ve probably learned 90 percent of the new technology information I’ve picked up between 9 and 11 p.m. Granted, I am a night owl, so this is the time of day I probably am most receptive to new information.

For a classroom teacher, it may be necessary to change paradigms first. In other words, a teacher first needs to view their blogging, reading of other blogs, bookmarking, etc. as an essential part of the classroom preparation time. Think of the time already spent gathering materials, perusing teacher’s guides, creating handouts/worksheets, etc. If but a small portion of this time is redirected towards learning/doing something new, a teacher can quickly develop a proficiency level and begin to identify ways to effectively utilize the tools of web 2.o in their instruction. One planning period a week is a great place to start!

It can be daunting, admittedly, but it is also invigorating to learn/do something new. All it takes is a willingness to try and to give up something that probably needs to be allowed to go away, anyway.

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