Poorly rolled out tech purchases have really struck a nerve within our class. Most of us have a story about a "new thing" which was supposed to solve a big problem but didn't. Some educators are so jaded by this whole process that they have given up on any kind of change or growth, tech based or otherwise. They feel so overwhelmed and undervalued that they can not find good in any Pro-D opportunity or new idea for teaching. It is a shame that improper implementation has so negatively impacted some of us that we have not found a way to recover. In the end misspent money and over hyped products negatively impact teachers and students. School leaders need to do better, be more, and have a stronger focus on helping students by supporting and challenging (in healthy ways) teachers.

A few years ago I had a very small English 9 class and our school had just purchased a class set of laptops available for sign out. My department head wanted to see students more mindfully engaged in vocabulary development. Just as he was presenting his vision to me, I discovered Vocaulary.com. My students loved it. A couple of my boys got into the competition aspect of the website and worked on vocabulary outside of class even when it was not assigned for homework. I was very pleased with how engaged they were, but after reading these guiding questions I am wondering if the site was as effective as I thought. I am including my answers in relation to the site below.

1. The competition aspect and the slowness or other loading glitches were possible distractions.
2. It did motivate students to work on vocabulary but I am not sure it placed the words in context or helped them be more useful/used in everyday speech.
3. I think the site did help them become more active.
4. I think it was a lot about playing the game and not very creative.
5. It was designed to scaffold but it was too easy for students to bypass the scaffold on the way to completion or competition points.
6. Other than quizzing with the computer it was a lot of the traditional methods transferred to the screen.
7. It did draw students into optional participation outside of class. There was no bridge fro the activities to non-class usage. Somewhat if they choose to transfer the words to daily use but otherwise no. I hope these answers show ho theses questions are very helpful when evaluating a certain tech option for class.

There are all kinds of divides in society and school. One thing that fascinates me is the divide between teacher attitudes. Some teachers see tech as not helpful and do not want to learn and some teachers are the ones who embrace everything. I wonder how to get these two groups talking to each other? I wonder about the people caught in the middle who are neither doubters or enthusiasts, who wish they could do it all but just feel overwhelmed and inadequate. How do school leaders support their growth.

This is what terrifies me about teaching but in a good way. I think it is a good concern because it is so easy to miss the important "stuff" as we focus on content. When I have a student who is not producing academically my first question is: what are the stressors? Is there something going on which is preventing or blocking or inhibiting learning? I work very hard to avoid assuming they are lazy or rebellious. Even if these are the presenting challenges, I still have to ask why. Living cross -culturally can be very challenging especially if the whole family is not on the same page about why they are there. I think remember the "hidden" possibilities seems to be an important part of the teacher's duty to care.

What is the common first question by staff in your school when a student appears to be struggling with completing tasks or following directions?

I am so thankful for these suggestions. Being able to help and having tools to do so helps lower my anxiety levels. It is so easy to feel like I am hurting in my attempts to help. It is so important to know we are not alone and that sharing with a safe person can help.

How does one know someone is a safe person?

This is a really important section. I wish it was a bit more explicit about what exactly to look for. I am sure the information is in this website somewhere but I think it would be helpful to have fuller explanation embedded in this section. I am so thankful these tools exist.

This is one of the most useful lists I have seen to help describe when to be anxious about being anxious. I find the comparison of smoke detector going off for making toast a beautiful analogy. I believe the tone of this article would make it easy for young people to access it.

CBT is an awesome beginning point for support in addressing unhelpful thoughts. At one point in my healing process I was directed to https://moodgym.com.au/ for help. I found it an effective starting place. If the issues are broader or deeper than difficult thoughts, there does need to be follow up. One of my issues was having to get everything right and mood gym never tells the user that. I found it helpful to process that with a counselor. As I Christian, I see CBT as a way to "take every thought captive" (II Cor 10:5). I am thankful for the help moodgym and CBT provided at a critical point in my life.