As You See "IT:" Educators, Attitudes, and Learning Styles

Kimberly Ketterer's "Coach, Nurture or Nudge: How do you do technology best?" proposes three styles of learning that educators prefer when they are instructed about how to best integrate technological tools into pedagogical practice. The three styles that Ketterrer proposes are coaching, nurturing and nudging. (As if the title didn't give that away!) The learning category that I neatly placed myself into was the coaching style because I self-identify as someone who is generally computer literate, and I am willing and able to learn new programs when they are given to me. Like those who wish to be coached, I need to be challenged to try new and innovative ideas and need a trusted individual to encourage and push me into improving my technological abilities rather than becoming complacent in my skills. The next category was the educator who required a nurturing mentor who could help them build confidence in his or her "fuzzy" and underdeveloped skills. Finally, the educator who needs a nudge is the probably that teacher that refuses to learn how to operate WebCT, can't respond to e-mail, and generally don't see a need for technology in the classroom. These educators lack the initiative and drive of the first two types described and have to be pushed, pulled, and possibly coerced into using even a computer and other types of tech tools in the classroom (and probably at home too). Ketterer argues that educators who are unwilling to integrate technology into the classroom are creating a "hole" in students education.

With all of the emphasis on learning styles today, I think that this article makes the point that people learning technology also have varying methods and attitudes towards the process. I remember having some very primitive computers in the classroom when I was growing up. However, they weren't really integrated into our learning well. In fact, I only recall using my classroom computer to play Oregon Trail during days when I finished my work early. The lack of technology wasn't a problem, but the teachers' attitudes towards learning and integrating computers into our classroom certainly was. To this day, I have an association between teachers and poor computer skills. My teachers could not and did not want to use technology in their curriculum or instruction and had no desire or real incentive to do so. However, this article reminded me that we are in a new age of teaching and technology, and not all teachers fall into the "nudge" category that Ketterer described. In order to better equip students for the technological world we live in, educators must integrate these tools into the learning process. As a future speech pathologist who will be working alongside educators, I have to be aware of their level of technological abilities and encourage and educate those who need help by identifying their learning style and guiding appropriately. I also have to keep an open mind and constantly be searching for new technological tools while looking to colleagues and experts for new ideas and input on which tools are effective so that they can personally "coach" me. Using the learning styles described in this article, I can identify students and colleague's learning styles and help them according to how they prefer to learn.

This article can be found in ISTE Learning & Learning with Technology Vol. 34, No. 8, May 2007.