Design Constraints

“I can’t use technology, and this is why.”

This concept is the refrain that is starting to become more and more common as I go into classrooms. I’m very blessed to work with folks who truly do want to use technology to help their students learn, but based on their constraints, they don’t feel like there is any way to make it happen. Specifically in my setting, I have a group of teachers who teach in our Structured English Immersion program (which means a strict number of minutes have to be applied to language instruction during the day--i.e., most of them) in addition to being required to teach our adopted Engage New York curriculum, to the letter of the script. These two things together take essentially all of the time in the day, and they feel like there is no way to incorporate technology in addition to their other requirements.

Teachers as Engineers

As I’ve pondered this conundrum, and witnessed teachers in other rooms doing amazing things with technology DESPITE these challenges, it has occurred to me that it’s all about working within the constraints you’ve been given. Being steeped in the world of STEM, it reminds me that this is what engineers do all the time. They have a task, as well as a set of constraints to work within (build a bridge, but it can’t use these materials, the temperature affects materials this way, must be done in x amount of time, be under this much money, etc.) Saying, “No, I can’t do it,” isn’t an option. Their job is to work within their design constraints. At this point in education, that is basically how we need to think about technology. It is part of our job to help students become fluent in the use of technology as a learning tool.

Do What You’re Already Doing

I consulted with some expert edtech coaches in my district on this concern and they pointed out that it’s really about including tech in the things we already are having kids do as good teachers as part of the curriculum, at least as a starting point (Seesaw for exit tickets, Google Classroom for sending and annotating pdfs, Padlet for brainstorming, etc.)

They also pointed out something I had just run across with a teacher as well. There is nothing wrong with starting at the Substitution level of SAMR. In fact, particularly with younger kids, they have to get familiar with the technology itself, and doing the same activity you were going to do on paper, but on iPads instead, is totally fine at the beginning. Start there, and the more comfortable they get with it, the more they can dive in. I had a teacher tell me that he used the iPad as a whiteboard with Doodle Buddy, because the kids liked it so much more than using a regular whiteboard, for some reason. That’s ok! They’re learning basic digital skills (including patience!) through that as well.

Promote it!

Moving forward, I am on a mission to seek out great examples of people using technology within the constraints that they have and promoting the heck out of them! Candy may be involved. Badges may be involved. Golden spatulas may be involved. Whatever it takes to help people know that it isn’t impossible, and that great teachers do amazing things WITHIN the constraints that they’ve been given.

What do you think? Have you run into this problem? What answers do you give people who say, “I want to, but I can’t!”