Teachers are not afraid of technology. Teachers are not afraid of change. Teachers are afraid of the failure that can come along with technology and change . In the age of high-stakes testing and performance-relatedpay, teachers are afraid to take risks in their teaching and create a dynamic classroom that will benefit student learning and progress. In this session, we will explore how we can help teachers overcome their fear of failing and embrace change in instructional practice and use of technology. We will discuss strategies for creating a community of risk takers who are willing to give students control of their learning, get messy, and learn from failures rather than avoid them.
In this session participants will:
● Discuss the role of administrators as leaders in change, facilitators of overcoming fear, and cheerleader in risk taking
● Identify strategies for creating an environment where failure is a temporary side effect of change and taking risks is welcomed when helping students become independent learners
● Understand the significance of modeling risk taking, embracing failures and allowing students to navigate their learning
● Discuss ways to celebrate and share teachers’ students’ success and learning.
● Understand the need for creating a welcoming forum, such as Twitter or Edmodo, where teachers can passively share successes, post questions, share resources and collaborate
