I found the #edchat on Twitter tonight to be interesting from the standpoint that it presented (at least to me) an interesting dichotomy. On one side, using technology in the classroom and in our work, and on the other side simply staying abreast of the exponential growth in technology. I believe both of these are important and in fact I believe they are somewhat interdependent. Yet it seems to me that we are at times confusing the two.
One does not need to know every website, tool, or resource in existence in order to be an effective teacher. Whatever tools you use...use them well. There is no prize for the latest and greatest, particularly if learning is not measurably enhanced. At the same time we should not avoid tech altogether, with excuses such as "I don't have the time or support." To that I say "your students deserve better." All teachers are obligated to continually improve, and that includes pursuing new ideas, trends, and tools that will empower us to become more effective. That's the job you signed up for, whether you admit it or not. You know this deep down or you wouldn't be reading this right now. The problem is one of approach. I believe that many teachers are wasting enormous amounts of time in "techland" simply because they don't know how to go about it.
Navigating the exponential growth in tech is daunting. And this is why following the movement in an organized way is so essential. Set aside at least one hour per week for reading up on what is happening. You will be surprised at the patterns you begin to see emerging. You will start to get a feel for which tools will be around a year from now, and which ones will likely be cast aside. Your reading will inform your decisions about which tools to adopt in your workflow and your classroom. In fact blindly latching on to tools based on Googling or someone's random tweet is hopelessly inefficient because you have no context. You're just rolling the tech dice, so to speak. This leads to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Take a step back and do what we tell students to do: Read up on the subject matter. Twitter is OK in some ways but it is insufficient for the type of well-rounded view I am talking about, and I think even the most ardent Twitter users would agree.
If you are new to the idea of following the tech trend, I would strongly suggest using Google Reader. Or, if you just want to dip a toe in the water, head over to www.regator.com and click on the Technology category. Yes, it is an investment of time, but I can promise you that in time your investment will pay dividends. You will make better tech decisions in the long run. Decisions that will save you time and improve your teaching.