Godzilla Hates Technology

http://youtu.be/o7gFlSGXt_k Go-Go Godzilla, by Blue Oyster Cult

Godzilla is a monster that was created by technology (a nuclear explosion). He uses his enormous size and special powers to destroy everything in his path. Sometimes he fights the good fight protecting humanity, but he also likes to fight men and demolish their puny toys.

One day when I was checking my daily Diigo updates in my inbox, I came across the Warning Sign Generator. I cracked up when I saw the Godzilla graphic that I could add to a sign. Seeing him crush an airplane instantly made me think “Godzilla Hates Technology.” Just like any bad idea will do, it stuck with me until I could wrap it up in one complete package.


I think that if Godzilla could be interviewed, it might go something like this…

Piers Morgan: Godzilla, thank you for coming on the show tonight. I know our audience really appreciates you coming by to share your thoughts.

Godzilla: No problem. I don’t mind, but can we hurry up? I really wanted to crush a village or two tonight before I hit the sack.

Piers Morgan: Alright then, why do you hate technology?

Godzilla: Buttons, plugs, lights and buzzing noises… Ugh! Who needs it? I would just like to go back to the good old days when I giant lizard could just get some sleep in peace and quiet.

Piers Morgan: What if you took the time to learn about technology? Then you might see how it can make your life better and easier.

Godzilla: I don’t have time for that mess. Learning about it keeps me from doing my thing; destroying and using my Atomic Breath. That is good stuff. How could life be any better than that? No, technology is bad, so I crush it.

Piers Morgan: Maybe if you had someone help you? You could ask for help from someone you trust.

Godzilla: Are you kidding me? I am an all-powerful being! Asking for help would be admitting weakness and telling the world I am stupid! That is not going to happen.

Piers Morgan: You have worked with others to overcome a common foe in the past, Destroy All Monsters, comes to mind. Could you work with people?

Godzilla: No. The temptation to destroy you and your creations is too great.

Piers Morgan: At times you seem to have shown protective feelings for people. Do you feel any sense of protection for people? Or is that just an odd circumstantial accident?

Godzilla: Whatever makes your day go better, buddy. But truth be told, I like you little guys. You are delicious! Just kidding…

Piers Morgan: You scared me there for a second.

Godzilla: Good! That’s the way I like it. I see it like this, I need you all. If Godzilla squishes a town but no one sees it, it doesn’t much matter. Besides, I do like to snack.

Piers Morgan: Ahem…

Godzilla: Ha! I love making you squirm, Piers.

Piers Morgan: Back to technology for a minute if we can?

Godzilla: Sure. (Roars a little)

Piers Morgan: Don’t you think that if you adopted technology for your own purposes you might be regarded as a leader of men instead of a creature to be feared? Do you want to prevent mankind from being all it can be?

Godzilla: So I should help people with technology? Maybe then they could progress faster… Possibly even leading to my replacement? Or destruction?! Did you see Super-Mechagodzilla? That thing tried to kill me. No way am I going to help to destroy myself!

Piers Morgan: Have you ever considered that with, or without you, technology will continue to change the world, and if you don’t work with it, technology will indeed hasten your final departure?

Godzilla: Roars!

Piers Morgan: Easy big fella…

Godzilla: Well, if it is true that I can’t get rid of technology, then it will just have to wait until I am retired. Until then, I reserve the right to point out its ultimate weakness by stomping on it!

Piers Morgan: So all technology is bad?

Godzilla: Yes!

Piers Morgan: What about your friend Jet Jaguar? Isn’t he a robot? Robots are technological things.

Godzilla: After he gained self-awareness and realized how awesome I am… Well, look, now you are hitting below the belt and starting to upset me!

Piers Morgan: (Loud crash in the background) What was that?

Godzilla: Opps. (looks over shoulder)What kind of a car do you drive?

Piers Morgan: It is a light blue Prius.

Godzilla: I think I may have just crushed it.

Piers Morgan: Ah, man! I can’t believe it. Why would you do that?

Godzilla: It was an accident! You were irritating me and when I become annoyed my tail twitches. Relax, I am sure you have insurance, and this would be covered under act of God….zilla!

Piers Morgan: Very funny.

Godzilla: Like I said, it was an accident. I like Prius’ because they use less gas which decreases the demand for oil. Some of my best friends were dinosaurs and I really resent the fact that people are burning them up as fast as they can. Barbzilla…oh yeah. She was nice!

Piers Morgan: I think science has shown that oil doesn’t come from dinosaurs.

Godzilla: What? Don’t you start telling me any crazy mess, my pinkie toe is bigger than you and I have been laying waste to entire cities since long before you were a gleem in your Daddy's eye, so I know what’s what!

Piers Morgan: I apologize. I lost my head. You just crushed my car and I really, just simply forgot my manners and who I was speaking to…

Godzilla: That’s better.

Piers Morgan: Look, I just want to make things better between us humans and you; to reach out, and agree on some small point about technology so that we can always be on the same side. You have protected us in the past against enemies like King Ghidorah who after destroying an ancient civilization on Venus came to Earth to do the same. Is it possible for us to learn to work together on all things?

Godzilla: I am the most important thing on this planet and that is what I care most about. I don’t like change and I am not playing second fiddle to anyone else, or any gadget. PERIOD! Read My Lips- Roars! You “people” made me like this with your technology. You gave me powers and then shot at me when I was minding my own business just trying them out. That kind of set my attitude for life right there!

Piers Morgan: So, if I am hearing you correctly; you don’t care about the advancement of humankind, you don’t want to work with anyone else, you don’t like “gadgets” as you call them, and you don’t want to learn anything new. You just want to keep doing what you have always done until you retire.

Godzilla: And I didn’t think you were paying attention!

Piers Morgan: Well, that about does it for this interview.

Godzilla: Not yet.

Piers Morgan: What do you mean?

Godzilla: Roars (sprays studio with Atomic Breath)

The Wave Kid

A couple of weeks ago I took the family to Harbor Park for a Tides game. I am not a huge baseball fan but I have always loved going to a ballpark. All the food, the sounds of the game, and the thrill of foul balls flying your way have always made the experience fun for me. Sharing this with my family makes it even better.

We were having a great time eating funnel cake, hot dogs and peanuts, and cheering on the hometown team. Then sometime around the fourth inning a kid ran down the aisle beside our seats and encouraged everyone in the area to do “the wave.” Right away my kids are amped, and start the wave. The wave was weak and fizzled out a couple of sections away.

A minute later the kid makes another appearance. I turned to my wife and said, “Oh, here’s the wave kid again.” Now he had a name. He was about 14 years old, not a child, but not an adult. Tall and skinny, he was easy to see as he ran 5 sections away and gave our area the cue to begin.

I have to say that our seats this particular night were all the way down the 1st base line in the very last section before it becomes the outfield wall. To the wave kid, we had to be the beginning of the wave. The wave had to begin on the right and go left. He was focused on us for the next hour and a half. No kidding.

The wave kid was relentless. He told us to begin on the count of three and then he would run all the way behind home plate. In each section, he would run down the aisle and plead with all the people to join in the wave, and then tell them to wait for our section to begin. When it was time for us to do our job, he would be so far away we could barely see him give us the signal.

The wave would begin with good strength, because our section was spirited and we were eager to please the wave kid, but never did the momentum of the wave carry it all the way around the park. But the wave kid kept coming back.

At one point the wave kid recruited a helper, not as enthusiastic as he was, but she too was inspired. Together they attacked the crowd with renewed energy. Maybe the fans at the ball park could ignore one person, but never two!

I am embarrassed to admit I was getting annoyed because I wanted to watch the game. Adults do this without thinking. We get half way involved with something and then we decide that we are finished. Not the wave kid.

As other adults in the crowd tried to convince the wave kid to stop, he just became more insistent. He actually yelled at a large man who told him to sit down. Maybe this was not the best choice to convince someone to do what he wanted, but he was not letting anyone stop his wave.

This is when I began to see the beauty of what the wave kid was doing. Most people stop when threatened with a beating. Yes, the wave kid was going a bit overboard, but these small setbacks were not going to stop him. He made some poor choices, but his “all in” attitude was something special.

As far as I know, the wave kid never did see his dream come true that night. We left before the game was over because my wife and I did not want to get stuck in the parking lot. Getting home before the kids fall asleep in the car is important when you have to carry all three of them to bed.

I just couldn't forget the wave kid.

As part of our annual school system technology conference, I volunteered to present video awards to my peers in the Computer Resource program in Virginia Beach Schools. I wanted to do something different since I was allowed some creative control over the ceremony. Various sources such as Twitter, Good Morning America, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon had been talking about a new web site, the Universal Record Database. This site is devoted to allowing anyone to hold a world record with only 3 rules as a guideline; all records must be, a) quantifiable, b) breakable and c) legal.

Combining the inclusive idea of creating a world record with all of my peers, and the inspiration of one kid with a dream, the idea was born. A video recording of a portion of the video awards ceremony for a world record-

Most Computer Resource Specialists Doing The Wave For 30 Seconds

Right now the crew, of only four people, at URDB is completely overwhelmed with submissions and is having some problems. I think this indicates that they have a great idea! Unfortunately, this means that you probably can’t see the video on the URDB website- so I have embedded the video submission here-

I am sad that I could not include the wave kid in this event. I don’t know who he is, or how to track him down, but I would like to thank him. Not because he gave me an idea for a record, or time filler for a presentation, but because he gave me a reminder about life. When you find something good to believe in, never let it go.

Bad Student

I am a miracle of the modern educational system. There really has been little progress in the way that students are taught since I began school in 1970, so that is why I classify my experiences as modern (my kids insist my experiences are ancient). The miracle is that I graduated. From anything.

I should have been left behind. I am one of those students who don't belong in that atmosphere where a teacher stands behind a podium and dispenses knowledge. I am a loner. I think my own thoughts and I am easily distracted. I believe it is called ADD or ADHD now. When I was a kid it was called stupid, rebellious, and sometimes class clown.

I still wake up from nightmares where I must return to high school to take some class that mysteriously slipped under the radar. Other nightmares revolve around a missed semester of college that I must do over as a humiliated adult. College is not for everybody. I am just lucky they had the best parties there.

Oddly enough, I became a teacher. I prefer to think that my career choice was a response to not liking the way the I was taught and thinking that I could do better. I did not become a teacher so that I could return to an educational system that allows me to punish today's students as some sort of payback to society. I don't understand teachers that teach angry. Shouldn't learning be fun and not some sort of experiment in torture?

When I was a young student, I would doodle while pretending to take notes, and think my own amusing thoughts. Sometimes I would play the game where I try to figure out what famous person the speaker looks like. Other times I would plan out my response if a rogue band of ninjas attacked. Of course, in my fantasies I always won, but they would have needed to be really bad ninjas.

As an adult learner I have the same issues that I did when I was a child, except now they are worse. I still must be trained and have "professional development." I am still the guy who sits in the back and can not focus on the person lecturing for very long. It is only the exceptional speaker that can hold my attention. Information is still presented in the same way to me. Lecture style- sage on the stage. It makes me want to scream! I simply can't learn that way. I need hands on, interactive environments that encourage play. This is when I am at my best. Or, if that is not possible, give me a goal, the tools I will need, and let me find my own path to knowledge. Be the cheerleader -encourage me along the way.

When I find myself in a lecture and I have a computer in front of me, I will back channel- using Instant Messenger and Email to talk with others about what is going on. I will Google things being discussed, or just post to Twitter. I have tried to force myself to focus and collect the information that is flung at me from the podium, like poo from the monkey cage, but my instincts force me to duck. If the speaker can not entertain and inform, they have probably lost me. I have always thought that there was something wrong with me, but lately I have stopped fighting my natural inclinations and accepted that this is the way I am.

I try very hard to do the things that are expected of me as an adult, but I can't escape from my lack of focus. I know I am not the only person who feels this way. I can spot the rest of you. It is easy from the back of the room. So my question is- how long do we put up with a teaching style that doesn't meet our needs?

This I believe...

This I believe, that every child, every person, should be respected. Human beings have a need to be valued, and this should never be overlooked. Teachers involved in the struggle to instruct a class of children can not forget that they are working with people.

The state standards of learning are the focus of every classroom in Virginia as schools finalize preparations for the annual end of year test. Before we begin, can we please all agree that the facts and test taking strategies are not nearly as important as the student's sense of worth?

Teachers use every trick in the book to get students to memorize important facts from previously released tests. Bribery is a favorite technique. Friday as I walked the halls at the end of the day, I saw a small number of students lining up. This group consisted of LD students coming from their 5th grade inclusion class. One little guy, an ESL member of the group, was very upset. While his face scrunched up in muted rage, his classmate joyfully recalled the fact that he got 3 pieces of candy and angry boy did not. Seems he didn't get any candy since he didn't get any SOL questions right.

I don't know all of the details of the SOL quiz game, but I felt this boy had been treated poorly. Classroom rewards have been a teaching weapon since long before I was a student. For this one miserable little boy, it failed. He did not leave school feeling successful. Is this wrong? Perhaps he didn't know answers that he should have known. Forgetting the fact that there is a language barrier for him, and that he is learning disabled, is this ok to do to a child, any child? I don't think so.

Every child should feel respected. This I believe.

I must thank Cathy Nelson for tagging me for this meme. I hope that I have participated correctly, but I am afraid that since I have not developed many relationships with other bloggers, or the relationships are in the beginning stages, I am not sure who to tag in return. So, I would like to send out an enormous group tag to education bloggers in Virginia, especially Virginia Beach, and ask that they continue this meme.

Work in Progress

I have not been making blog entries as frequently as I have in the past because I have been re-examining how I approach my life and my job. Once again, it seems as though I have been doing everything all wrong. It is human to make mistakes, but dwelling on the mistakes does not help you to move forward in a more productive direction. There have been a few blog entries (kwhobbes, 123elearning, Coolcatteacher, GenYes ) that I have read that have helped me to discover my errors. I have also been reading actual books (no way!) which have also helped me to shed light on changes that I have to make. Here is a quick list of how I am doing things differently;

Taking the "I" out of the equation.
I am not important. I mean this not in a self deprecating way, but in a philosophical way. Whenever I throw "I" into the mix of my thoughts and actions in performing my job, it becomes very personal. How could it not be personal? "I" am in there. So I have begun to think of things as happening rather than happening to me. I am apart of the environment, but not the target. It has really helped to put some emotional distance between my job and who I am. You might think this would have my job suffering as a result, but the opposite is true because I am not upset by every little thing. I no longer dwell on the negatives and can focus on the job at hand.
If life is a battle, you are going to lose.
I am no longer going to approach my job as if it is combat. It is not. This is not a way to approach other people. Being aggressive and confrontational is not helpful because you get what you give. I am not going to fight for what I think is right. I will not be unreasonable. If you fight, or argue, or try to force someone to do something, you only create greater resistance. I can not fight 90% of my school in hand to hand combat and win, and I can not live in permanent conflict over every anti-technology statement or act that I find out about either.
I don't want to be a winner or loser, and I don't want someone else to feel the need to take on those labels for themselves. It is not a productive mentality, and only causes future conflict.
Live in the now.
It is important to wring every last drop of goodness from this moment. There really is only now. There was the past now, that is now no longer, and the now that is to be, the future now. Time is merely man's perception of nowness. There is no time, only now. In order to be a happy person and successful in anything, now must be the focus. How can I make things better? Be completely engaged in this instant. Find satisfaction where you are, or happiness will always elude you.
Continuing to examine the problem.
Far from letting myself off the hook, I have to keep looking at what I am doing. How I react to the world and why do I react that way. It is important to understand that I determine what I do and how I feel. I am now looking at myself as the biggest problem that I must solve.

Do not think that this is easy. I have to fight the urges to fall back in my own ways of reacting to the world. Some days are harder than others. The important thing is that I am making progress. I can tell that I am making progress because of little things;
-The other day, my wife told me that she noticed that I have been different lately. Happier, nicer and more pleasant to be around. I had to resist the urge to feel badly because I immediately resented my previous unpleasant behavior. I just need to be happy that I am doing better. The past is gone and I can't change what I did before.
-Last week I was devastated to find that lab lessons were basically being wiped out for half of my classes in order to prepare for SOL tests which are 2 months away. Then my coordinator suggested that perhaps this was a way for me to do something different and focus my attention on classroom instruction which has been unavailable to me until now. Every obstacle has an opportunity in there somewhere, you just have to find it. When I heard her suggestion, I immediately said, "Yes!" In my old way of thinking, I would have brooded over this set back for a very long time. While this is still not my favorite subject, I don't take it personally and I am trying to find the good in this new arrangement.

I have no idea how this "new" thing will turn out. Will I revert back to the way I was? I hope not. Will I be able to improve the instructional technology program at my school? I don't know, but this is my ultimate goal. I love my job and I think that teaching others to use technology tools is important. I am no longer worried about things and will not complain. I will be keeping the motto that I borrowed from IBM, "Stop talking. Start doing."

Why did I write all of this down? Because the writing makes it real for me. It is a form of commitment. And sharing. Maybe there is someone else who has had similar feelings and is looking for a change. Isn't this the benefit of Web 2.0 tools?

A School That's Too High on Gizmos?

I recently read an article from the Washington Post that really hit home with me. I am certainly not the only person to comment on it (Will Richardson, Conservative Teacher, GenYes, Joanne Jacobs, and a Zillion Others) but the article is important to me because it illustrates the opposition that I face every day in my position as Computer Resource Specialist.

To sum the article up- a teacher is complaining because the staff of his brand new school are being forced into using technology for instructional purposes. They want to do what they have always done. In their eyes, the world has not changed. They feel that they are doing the best possible job using the traditional tools and don't want to be forced into changing.

Change is the important element here and how teachers, as well as school systems, handle change.

I think it is human nature that makes people avoid change, it is easier that way. Inside, I believe that we all say this- I can do what I did before, it was ok then, it will be ok now. Teachers have always been the vehicle of instruction. Stand in front of the class and pour out knowledge to the students. "Write down what I say, because it is important." Teaching with technology requires that teachers teach differently. This different way of teaching is a direct challenge to how teachers see themselves in the classroom. They are no longer the expert, but a learner and the technology is now seen as the vehicle for instruction. The teacher's role is diminished. Of course teachers will resist this educational technology change- right up until they retire, or they see the light.

I think as a rule, school systems handle change very badly. If the change can't be managed over a 10 year time frame, schools will not be able to adjust. Technology is changing much too rapidly for any school system to keep up, so school divisions tend to make leaps and jumps with the technology they put in schools. Funding does not supply a steady stream of techno-goodies into the classroom, and normally as soon as technology gets there, it is obsolete. Administrators somehow believe that technology purchases are finite. That this big purchase this year will solve all of our problems for the next few years. They are not eager to "dump" money into the bottomless pit of technology, year after year, so the spending ends. You can not approach a long term problem with short term answers.

Teachers have seen all of this influx of stuff before in some previous technology incarnation, or educational trend, and refer to this as just another part of a cycle. Next year it will be something else. Teachers, deep down, believe that if they can just get by this year, they will be able to wait out this latest technology push.

It is not all the teacher's fault; they are not adequately prepared by their employers for the change of using new instructional tools. When the techno-goodies arrive, in most cases, the teachers are just thrown in the deep end of the pool without any training. Most of the time any training that is offered, is up the teacher to acquire on their own time, and does not translate into the much needed core area professional development that teachers must have to stay certified. Optional training allows teachers to opt out.

So, now we all know there is a problem, how do we address it? Elementary my dear Watson, everyone involved in education must accept that technology is changing education and that each of us has a role to actively perform in this continuing process. The world is changing, do something to make these changes positive for the classroom. I thought this was going to be hard!

School divisions must implement long term plans for acquiring technology and demand that all staff members learn the skills needed to use the tools provided by giving mandatory training. All teachers should be evaluated on the technology training that is provided, during the yearly teacher evaluation process.

Acceptance of educational change must begin at the top. This is the most difficult task to achieve because the people in charge are the ones with the most experience and are the least accepting of any changes. Administrators must embrace technology changes because they set the tone in each building. If they don't believe in the value of technology, neither will their staff. It will not matter what gizmos the school gets, the overall educational technology program will suffer.

Teachers who resist this technology change need to understand is that this change will not undo itself and go back to 20 years ago. While it may be easier to do what we have always done, evolution dictates that only those who can adapt to changes in their environment will survive. If teachers are given the chance to change through appropriate instructional technology training and are still incapable of using these new skills, they should be removed from the classroom. The new teachers may not have the experience that older teachers have, but because they want the job, they are much more adaptable.

Mr. Welsh, the writer of the Washington Post article, is an experienced teacher with 30 years of service. He resents the technology changes that he is forced into using for instruction. I have a simple solution for him and all of the other teachers who resist the educational technology changes. Retire. Supplement your income with a job at Wal-Mart as a greeter. Wave hello to people and slap stickers on little kids who visit the store. You are a dinosaur and your resistance to change hurts the population that you are paid to serve. This unappreciative teacher has an administration that supports technology change in education, a brand new building, and it seems, a lot of useful technology. Mr. Welsh (and all those teachers like him), while I am sure that you are a good teacher, your inability to adapt does not make you a superior teacher. Do your students a favor, and get out of teaching.

Something New and Fun

I am always excited about trying new things with my students. The introduction of something new expands the possibilities of what can be done. My principal has become interested in using blogging with students. I am all over this idea!

Obviously, I have been playing with this blog since August, and it has become very important to me. This blog is more of a personal experience kind of thing, like a journal. I treat it this way because I was afraid to limit myself to a single topic. I didn't want to lose interest. While I get very excited if someone comments, I am not sure if I am motivated by what others think. Do I do this for selfish reasons, or is it an attempt to share with others? Can it be both? That is not important now, this entry is about the school project.

The new school blog must be more focused. It needs to have an educational point to its existence and it must have participation to be meaningful. Having played with this blog, I have a better idea of how to set a school blog up and gear it to meet a specific goal. I created a test blog site for my school. I did it as an exploration of the available tools, and to show some of my staff the possiblities of a how a blog could be used to start a conversation. This idea can then be used to help student's reading comprehension and writing abilities.

Edublogs has some great features but it is super slow. Learnerblogs is from Edublogs with the same features, but it is faster. So, this site will be the future home of my school's blog. Unless something better presents itself. I really am not sure exactly which direction the blog will take. Right now I have the idea if it being a writing prompt activity. Pictures, science stories and perhaps some literature will be weaved together to give students the change to put their thoughts in writing and interact in a new way.

I hope that this is just the beginning. There is still so much more out there that kids can jump right into. Podcasting and vodcasting are two that I want to explore asap. Not for myself, but for my students. They need to find their voice and where they can fit into the conversation. Everyone has something to share, they just may not know how to share it.

Not a good day...

I am not sure what I expected when I decided to change the way I do everything in my job. Maybe I thought that simply because I was doing the right thing for the students that it would be easier to take the negative backlash from the teachers. I was wrong.

I have mentally prepared for every discussion that I could have with any person regarding my new philosophy, but the difference is preparing for battle, and being engaged in battle. You practice on the football field, but when it is game time, it hurts when you get tackled -even though you know it is coming.

Could be that it is just a bad day for me. I'll get over it. This year is still better than last year, or the year before... because I really feel like I am making a difference. That maybe I am helping students and even a few teachers with technology. Last year and before, by this time the routine of the year set in and I felt left behind. Everyday felt at least a little like this; slogging through an endless muddy field with no direction.

Now, most days are exciting and I feel like I am accomplishing something. It is hard for me to let things go, even small things can really get under my skin. But I am going to try to rise above it, and continue on the path that I have set for myself. Hopefully, this is just one little thing that will amount to nothing.

Technology in Education- Part2

Part2
My Mistakes

I have been a computer resource specialist at my elementary school for almost 10 years. I have always believed that throwing a happy face on everything makes people want to embrace technology. Being helpful and nice encourages teachers to try new technology experiences. Show them how technology makes life better, or how technology makes teaching subject matter easier, and their own desire for improvement will take over. Then there will be no stopping them. I pictured myself like some sort of cheerleader shouting out the window of a train, “Come on everybody! Jump on the technology train to Happyland!” Then the train pulls out of the station and I am the only passenger.

I have had it all wrong. Non-native technology users don't want technology. They use it because they have to, and there is little pleasure associated with the experience. These uncomfortable users want things to return to where they have been for years, books, paper, pencil, or if you are real careful, a pen. They like chalkboards, and dry erase markers are acceptable, if they have to use it, but they don't like them because they smell funny like a new car. There is nothing wrong with these tools. They serve a purpose and should be used to teach SOLs and beyond, but now there are many more tools that must be used. The difference is that our children must know how to the new tools. The future depends on it.

I have always believed the truth in the proverb, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.” It is basically what every teacher works for everyday; to provide for the student’s future and make them prepared for the world.

In effect, my past philosophy of putting a happy face on technology and doing things for people, has only served as negative re-enforcer for both me and my staff. I tried to always be helpful and upbeat about things, and they would always ask me for even the simplest of tasks. I would do what needed to be done, and they would never learn what they should have been doing on their own. So the codependent relationship would continually cycle, year after year. I would fish, and they would eat the fish.

Learning is difficult, but when the light bulb finally goes off, the eureka moment is spectacular. Our students know this, they may never say so, but they like to learn. They experience this sensation all the time because everything is new, exciting and worth discovering. Adults don't often see learning this way, because we get paid to work, not learn. Doing a job faster doesn't mean slowing down to learn a different, or possibly a better way of doing something. You must take a minute to learn to fish before you can feed yourself.

I can easily see both sides to this problem. From the teacher's perspective- Why do what someone else can do better and faster than yourself? From my old point of view- Keep people happy and they might adopt some of this new technology. But I had it all wrong, because this is a never ending cycle. The teachers don’t learn, the students don’t get better instruction, and I become more upset.

The problem is that my job is to help the students and the teachers to use technology. I concentrated on the teachers thinking the "trickle down effect," would work. My school is large and it is not possible to be with every class, every week. I concentrated on lesson plans for teachers and keeping everything running smoothly. I assisted with minor technical problems and supported the teacher’s needs. All of these are legitimate things, but behind the scenes activities. Ultimately, I found that the trickle down effect doesn’t work if people use umbrellas.

I tried to concentrate on training the teachers, but no one came to training. I tried to plan, but only a couple of grade levels would really make an effort to attend. I worked hard to come up with a program to promote and recognize the use of technology. I called it the "Technology Star Program." After a month or so I realized that it was joke to everyone, except me. I could not understand what was going on. I was working hard but nothing I did had any impact. I was on a road to nowhere, traveling at top speed. I could not grasp that you can not teach people to fish if you keep supplying them with fish.

Then it all became painfully clear to me. One day, I was in a meeting with teachers planning for technology instruction. There was some general chattering about this and that, when one teacher says something to the effect, "I am going to go back to school so I can be a CRS and sit around and do nothing all day." Of course, she was "joking," in that way when you say the truth with such emphasis that everyone has to know you couldn't possibly be serious. I think it is called sarcasm. Anyway, I knew at that moment that everything I had done to that point was for nothing. I had not helped anyone. I could have been digging ditches for all the real impact it had on instructional technology at my school using the trickle down theory. They only wanted my fish.

While I was not rocking the boat and trying to please everyone, I wasn't really making anyone happy, and whatever I did had no value to them. They only really cared if they got their ink or their password changed, and then they just wanted me to be out of the way. They would smile and agree with whatever technology talk spewed from my mouth, and then go right back to doing what they wanted. The worst part of all was that I knew I had failed the students. I was hurt and angry, but these emotions are wonderful motivators.

I had to create a new approach…