Five+Tips+for+Surviving

**Lesson 1 - Network, Network, Network**
We are starting out with this because we cannot stress enough the importance of networking. Networking is perhaps the single best way of keeping on top of your job as an instructional technologist.

As you think about professional development, technology support and the other jobs we do, it can help to think of it as a process of relationship building. Many of us are prone to using the term "user" even when the people we are referring to are our good friends and close colleagues. Moving past this and focusing our work on building relationships with those in our community through networking is easier and results in better outcomes.

So, we know there is a lot of experience in this room, and we want to acknowledge that. Turn to people around you and talk about what you do, where you are from, etc. Get up out of your seat and walk around the room.

**Lesson 2 - Don't be Afraid to Let Your Colleagues Excel at Learning New Technologies**
Q: I'm afraid that I'll be out of a job someday if all of my colleagues learn to use technology well!

There's a common fear (whether recognized or not) among those of us helping teachers learn new technologies: If they learn too much I won't have a job! This fear is irrational on so many levels, but it's one I'm sure many of us have (Brandon and I have it!). What we really need to do is to realize that by letting our colleagues excel we'll generate more demand.

One way that we can make sure to assist with this is to have others click the mouse -- DO NOT take it from them. Keep in mind that your main goal in this line of work is to get them to be able to do the task they need help with by themselves.



**Lesson 3 - Leading by Walking About**
Q: How many of you have time to get out of your classroom/office and wander the building during the week?

Good technology leaders, just like good administrators, are always out in the classrooms learning about what others are doing, helping integrate technology and getting new ideas. You may not be able to do this all day every day, but do it as often as you can.

On a sheet of paper or text document take a minute to write out 3 descriptions of your future state of work -- where you'd like to see the people you are working with, What do they look like when they are successful with using technology to teach? What will you see them doing? Where will you see your "office" in time? **(10 mins to write)**

Suggestions for Managing by Walking About

**Lesson 4 - Know how to Hook Your Colleagues, Especially those that are stuck**
So often we focus on our colleagues who are interested in technology integration and who what we consider to be "fun projects." It's natural, who wouldn't want to work with the teacher in their building that's interested in taking their class on a live feed video field trip to Rome? The problem that we run into is that we are responsible for helping all of our colleagues integrate technology, not just those who want to do it. We already know how to "hook" our early adopters, but do you know how to hook the late adopters in your group? Why does innovation often fail in schools?- short answer: Because we often do not address teacher's seemingly minor but often very valid concerns...

Using the paper we've provided (or your own paper), take 5 minutes to categorize where your colleagues sit on Roger's scale. Remember to think about those people who you work with regularly as well as the people you've done your best to avoid!

Who is someone in your school that is stuck? How might you help them? Take a few minutes to formulate a plan for how you are going to work with that person in the next 2 weeks.

**Lesson 5 - Make Good Use of What's Available to You**
//Raid the closets of your colleagues, Become a pack rat, Envision multiple uses for tools//

You'd be surprised what you'll find if you start to go around your school asking about what people have hidden away in their closets. You are likely to find all sorts of equipment and tools that people have either given up on, never known what to do with, or forgotten they have. A couple years ago a friend of ours was starting to teach in a new school. When she was talking with some of her colleagues she mentioned that it would be great to have access to a SMARTBoard since she had used one at MSU. It turned out that they had a SMARTBoard hidden away in a closet that nobody knew how to use, so they rolled out, into her classroom and she ended up teaching several teachers how to use the tool.

**Use Blogs and other Websites**
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 * We like the [|Rapid eLearning blog], what's your favorite?

**Use Twitter to Follow Your Favorites or Attend a Conference**

 * [|The Archivist] - store all tweets with a certain hashtag
 * Find the materials online using the conference site
 * Use a tool like TweetDeck to monitor the conference

**Use Zotero to Keep Up on Current Literature, Websites, etc.**

 * 1. If you've not yet used Zotero watch this introduction**
 * Video: Tour of Zotero
 * Video: Zotero Introduction


 * 2. Now install Zotero on your computer and try adding a few resources**
 * Go to @http://www.zotero.org/ and follow the download links
 * Try going to Amazon.com and searching for a book or two. Click the icon in your address bar to add it to Zotero


 * 3. Once you've mastered the basics, learn to add a website**
 * [|Video: Learn to add a Website with Snapshot]


 * 4. Now go to the Zotero tutorial site and learn more about using the program**
 * [|Zotero screencast tutorials]


 * PD Specific Use Example --** Use Zotero to Create a Searchable Library of References

**Use Social Bookmarking Sites Such as Delicious or Diigo (or use good old ListServ's!)**
Social bookmarking sites allow you to capitalize on the reosurces all of your firends and colleagues are finding. Delicious is problably the most ubiquitous of them, but Diigo is one that more of the research crowd prefers. If you take a little time to work with both you'll find that you can link your accounts so one feeds into the other. If you aren't too into using social bookmarking or if you feel you need more information it's always good to join ListServ's. We usually sign up for the "digest" version so we can quickly pour over titles of all the posts from a given day.

A few good listservs:
 * Professional and Organizational Developer's List (geared towards higher ed)
 * H-NET Ed Tech List
 * Others?

Create a Google Reader page or update your current RSS reader, search Twitter for a recent conference or event, find others on Twitter who you might follow (some suggestions below), Create a Diigo or Delicious Account.


 * Andrea Zellner - @http://twitter.com/AndreaZellner
 * David Warlick - @http://twitter.com/Dwarlick
 * Will Richardson - @http://twitter.com/Willrich45
 * Steve Dembo - @http://twitter.com/teach42/
 * Bryan Alexander - @http://twitter.com/BryanAlexander

List of Tools for Screencasting

Other tools for doing screencasts are listed below. We've indicated whether they are free or not and whether they are mac or pc software. There may be other options out there that will work as well, these are just the major ones that we know are in use.
 * Cam Studio (Free, PC)
 * Camtasia ($, Mac/PC)
 * Captivate ($, PC)
 * Screenr (Free, Mac/PC)
 * SnapzPro ($, Mac)
 * Screenflow ($, Mac)
 * Screencast-O-Matic (Free, Mac/PC)