Helping Teachers with Web 2.0 and beyond

I hadn't realized when I returned to librarianship that the most difficult part of my job would be helping  teachers use Web 2.0 tools and teach research skills.  I have spent the last 12 years in the classroom so I have a good understanding of what is involved in being a classroom teacher.  I know how busy teachers are, I was one!   I know that sometimes it is easier to continue the way you always have, even though it might not be the most effective way to do something.   There never seems to be enough time to look to see if there is a more effective tool, or to learn something new, and  introduce it to your classroom.  I see part of that as my job.  I have the time (well usually!) to look for new tools and experiment with them.  I had hoped that I would then be able to pass them on to my colleagues and thus, make their teaching more effective and their lives a little easier.

How naive!  But I am learning!  I have discovered that I am unlikely to get the information to them through my useful emails.  Why wouldn't I have realized that?  I was very good at deleting emails when I was in the classroom too.  I have tried offering brief workshops after school.  15 minutes, no longer, I promise them.  I even dangle cake as an inducement.  I now recognize that unless I can find a way to coral a teacher (more then one if possible) they won't come of their own accord.  Not that they don't want to find out about what I have to share with them, but that I am on the bottom of their priority list.  And I do understand this.

I thought that I would try all school meetings.  This doesn't work either.  The room is too large and there are too many distractions.  I would like to present at divisional meetings but in the past they have put me at the end of a packed agenda and time usually runs out.  Now I am going to approach department heads and see if they will put me on the agenda.  I think I can sell it to them if I ask for 10 minutes only and choose only one thing to present.  One very useful thing that will have them begging me to come back.

Sometime last year I put together a wallwisher page with some of the Web 2.0 applications I had found to be useful.  You may find them useful as well:

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/webtoolsforteachers