Tinker, Teacher, Techie Talk

In his Ted Talk, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” Daniel Pink discusses the the importance of intrinsic motivation over external rewards (Pink, 2009). Daniel Pink also mentioned a study involving the candle problem, where participants are asked to attach a candle to a wall in such a way that it will not drip wax everywhere. It turned out that intrinsic motivation and external reward played a role in how this problem was solved. One thing that stood out to me during Pink’s talk was that “everyone is dealing with their own version of the candle problem” (Pink, 2009). This is uniquely true in education, where every teacher is trying to create a different learning experience for their students, and every teacher has their own set of rules and restrictions placed on them by their department. My job as a technology leader is to help instructors overcome their functional fixedness and find a solution to their specific problem.  I am lucky that my supervisor allows me the autonomy in my ro...

In Chapter 9 of The Innovator's Mindset, George Couros (2015) says that we "...can make the most of new opportunities by embracing the role of learner. Immersing ourselves in the learning process will give us a much better understanding of the opportunities technologies bring to our students" (p. 141). This is the mentality an Instructional Technologist needs so they can be an effective leader in their school. I have tried to model this behavior in my own daily work as much as possible. One way I have modeled and explored new opportunities for learning at Lone Star College-CyFair is to volunteer to familiarize myself with the campus "One Button" studio and develop training for both faculty and students. Another way I have modeled this is by collaborating with the Program Manager for our professional development department to provide training on Mevo cameras that are available for checkout. I will be explaining how videos created with Mevo cameras can be...

I have been learning about, reflecting and meditating on leadership since the summer of 1997 when I spent a week sailing around the Florida Keys for the Sea Explorer Advanced Leadership Program. That program was created by a former FBI agent, who valued decisiveness and commanding others to act. His style didn't necessarily jibe with mine (sailing joke). I preferred to ask my crew for their input before making big decisions, and I enjoyed sharing ideas and knowledge to ensure that we were all on the same page. It seemed like collaborating with the crew and gaining their buy-in would ensure all of our safety as we sailed a 44 foot ketch around coral reefs.  The fundamentals of my leadership style haven't changed much since 97, but as I learn and grow in my current role, my style has evolved a bit. Although my position isn't considered to be a "leadership" position, I know that I can lead from any role. One way that my leadership style has evolved in the ...

In watching the "Dancing Guy" video this week, I realized that many of the leadership books I've read over the years have been perfectly condensed into this three minute video. I've always believed that the best leaders tend to lead by example, then blend into the crowd. It's not about glory and accolades, but about creating an environment that motivates others and encourages them to do their best and enjoy what they do. The dancing guy video sums that up quite nicely I think: I've been working to try to develop my own identity as a technology facilitator on my campus. When I started, I was replacing a brilliant and well-loved technologist and the bar was set quite high. I think I started developing my identity by making myself present in the adjunct workroom. I would sit in the lab all day and just talk to people as they came in. I would offer them assistance with the LMS and ask questions about how they wanted their online courses to be set up. Over...

What does being a technology facilitator look like? I suppose a technology facilitator looks like me, or one of my colleagues, or even you. Technology facilitators come in all shapes and sizes (I will not admit to my own shape and size), but I do have some thoughts on what a technology facilitator's actions and behaviors might look like. George Couros explains what innovation is in his book, The Innovator's Mindset . From what I can tell, innovation looks like a person taking a concept or idea and building on it to make it new and better. This might involve technology, but the actual technology is not the innovation. The innovation is in how the technology is applied. One example from my own job that stands out to me was an Anatomy instructor that was teaching online that wanted to transform a classroom activity into an interactive online activity. We discussed the different tools available in the LMS, and the technology that students would have access to. After a fe...

My name is Cynthia and I really have very little talent with technology. I learned about my lack of talent my senior year of high school, where I received Cs and Ds in computer science. My brain does not like structure and methodical planning and organization. My brain prefers more creative/artistic pursuits. I left that class with the belief that I would never deal with technology or work in a technological field. I have been working as an Instructional Technologist for a community college for the past nine months. My first day of work in this role was proof of my lack of talent in instructional technology, but talent isn't a requirement for success. I've lost track of the number of times an instructor has asked me a question I could not immediately answer (it happened about 25 times during startup week alone), but I know that if I search for answers, troubleshoot, and ask questions, I will eventually get to an answer. Persistence makes me smarter and more talented in my job...