Week 4: Human Performance Technology

I am a fairly new librarian at an older campus located in the middle of an older, low-income community.  I have inherited many interesting issues that I never really had to even think about in my "former life".  One of the major issues I am currently facing in my campus and community is a resistance to technology.  Teachers do not keep their websites updated.  Technology is not normally used in daily classroom instruction.  Teachers, parents and students do not use the internet for information. My district also has an online, real-time gradebook program in which parents can view their children's grades.  A very small group of parents actually use this program to stay informed about their children's grades.  Though there are so many uses for technology and ways that teachers can incorporate free technology into daily classwork, there is resistance to utilizing technology at my campus. At my campus, technology is not used to it's full potential.

There are a few non-traditional, non-instructional solutions to this resistance to technology.  Initial introductory training can be conducted in order to begin acclimating teachers to new applications and uses of technology.  Teachers can learn quick, easy ways to incorporate technology into daily instruction.  Simple instruction on how to create and update teacher websites may also be helpful.  Instructional videos can be used to show the community how to use varied internet applications.  One example of a brief, instructional video I made for my campus can be viewed at Using the SISD Library Website .  Incentive programs can increase interest in technology.  Classes with the highest amount of technology use or most visits to a course website may win various prizes.  Parents who sign up for the online gradebook program can be given a small school related prize (a school pen, bumper sticker, etc).  Teachers can mentor each other.  Technology savvy teachers can mentor those teachers that are less knowledgeable or comfortable with technology.  Websites can be viewed regularly in order to ensure that updates are made and teachers who update frequently can be rewarded.  

The definition of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) has gone through many changes.  Dictionary.com defines EPSS as "a system that provides task guidance and support to the user at the moment of need". 

Guidance and support can be found in many forms: tutorials, videos, trainings, etc.  Because technology is always evolving, EPSS must also be dynamic.  EPSS is vital to meeting the needs of the user as the needs arise. In the image below, one can see just one representation of the fluidity of EPSS and the many factors that can provide the guidance and support necessary. 

 If an EPSS were in place, teachers would not only get training on utilizing technology properly, they would also have guided practice and close monitoring to fill any knowledge gaps and build skills that are lacking.  In other words, a training would not be the only thing offered to aid teachers in building their knowledge base.  Support would continue even after the training so that teachers could become fluent in some technological uses (perhaps a few technologies would be required and monitored so as not to overwhelm the teachers). 

I have recently been able to provide technology trainings for parents at my campus.  The courses began with just a few parents; however, attendance has steadily grown and many parents are on a waiting list of the next set of courses to begin.  EPSS has been a part of these courses.  Parents are being trained, given homework and mentored through the many different technologies they are using.  These parents are learning skills that will greatly benefit them.  They are being walked through the process of learning technologies and given support and guidance during and after every class.

Some information would help me overcome the rejection of technology in my school community.  Teachers could be evaluated for knowledge and comfort level of technology.  Many adults do not know about free applications that can make life much easier.  Often teachers are insecure about their technology skills and that can deter use.  The ever changing nature of technology can be intimidating to teachers who do not have an abundance of time to learn new applications and keep up with any changes in technology.  It can be very difficult to stay updated on technology and new applications with little-to-no free time and very little training.

Discovering more information about the parents in our school community would also be vital.  My campus is located in an extremely low income area.  How many homes have a computer with internet access?  Do parents and students have access to computers and the internet outside of the campus walls?   It would also be wise to discover education levels of the parents in the community.  The majority of the parents in my school community are recent Spanish-speaking immigrants with less than a high school education.  Learning how much the parents know will help me create the appropriate courses to introduce and build a base of knowledge for the parents.  This information would be easy enough to collect through a simple survey or during a parent night.

I have not participated in too many informal learning experiences during my short time in my current position.  However, the most valuable time I spent in informal learning occurred while waiting for my new position.  Before I was hired in February, I began volunteering in the library at my former campus.  I was working on my LIS degree and wanted some real world knowledge of the library.  The campus librarian allowed me to shadow her, gave me real world, on-the-spot training in the daily workings of the library and gave me jobs to complete under supervision that built my knowledge of the library. This was not formal training.  I did not sit down and hear a lecture or take a course.  I was working side-by-side with my friend, helping her as she helped me.  It was rewarding and fun and truly prepared me for the job I would soon be offered. 

I do believe that this informal training experience I had with a librarian can be duplicated.  When my aide was hired, I walked her through the many skills needed to successfully run a library on a daily basis.  I have tried to conduct these small, informal trainings for all the important skills used in my library. 

My district has created a series of trainings for new librarians and library aides that also replicate these experiences.  Though I was never offered any of these trainings (I'm not really sure why), I have heard that they are valuable experiences.  My district has also created a series of online tutorials that are easily accessible and can quickly train a librarian or aide in any subject needed when the information is necessary.  I have used a few of these tutorials and found them to be very helpful in a short time.  Though I did find the tutorials beneficial, I do believe I learned more by working closely with the librarian at my former campus.  For me, working side-by-side with the librarian was more valuable than the tutorials.  I learned the information quickly and did not have to be retrained later.   I think this informal training I had with the librarian should be recreated for all new librarians entering the library for the first time.