Teacher Technical Interview

Teacher Technical Interview By: Donna McLain, Sandy Moore, Barbara Tucker ISLT 7377: Introduction to Technology in Schools What are the different types of technology you use in your room and why do you use those items? Sandy - In my classroom I have 21 computers that run Windows 98. That is not a typo, we are still running Windows 98. Also, I have a SMART Board. I use the computers to teach Keyboarding I to 7th grade students. I use the computers to teach Keyboarding II to 8th grade students. The 5th and 6th grade students just receive credit/non-credit. I use the computers to teach the basics of Microsoft Word. There are 2 classes of 5th grade students and 2 classes of 6th grade students. I only see each class once a week. I usually do some type of small project each week that can be completed in 50 minutes. For example, my 5th grade students did a project called CRT people. They use the drawing tools (circles, rectangles, triangles) to create people. They can use any of the drawing tools for this project. An example of a 6th grade project is called bookmarks. Students use Microsoft Word drawing tools, clipart, etc. to create their own unique bookmark. The students really enjoy this project. Donna – Jennifer, the first teacher I interviewed, has only a SMART Board and a DVD player. She uses the SMART Board for whole group instruction. Vicki, the second teacher I interviewed, has computers, microphones, webcams, digital cameras, GPS, flight yoke and calculators. She uses this equipment as part of the Synergy Lab in our building. What are other pieces of technology you would like to use? Sandy - First of all, I would like new computers that will run Windows XP or Windows Vista because with our current Windows 98, there are many software programs that will not run properly because our computers are so out-dated. I would like computers with a CD-ROM because I would like to teach our students how to save to a CD. Also, I could teach students how to burn CDs and make CDs. I would like to also do some Podcasting with my students. Secondly, I would like to have some I-Pods for my students to use. I attended the Successlink Technology Conference this summer at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. The Missouri Teacher of the Year was our lunch speaker and presented several great ideas of how he uses I-Pods in his Jr. High HISTORY classroom. It was remarkable how using this piece of technology kept his students so interested in learning about History.

Lastly, I would like to have clickers for teaching Careers to my eighth grade students. Also, teachers who teach core subjects could check-out the clickers to use in their classrooms. Donna – Jennifer would like to have a classroom set of computers with internet access to do researching. She would like for the kids to be able to use PowerPoint as well as Word for creating research project. Vicki would like to have more digital cameras and video recorders to offer after school intramurals for students who are not able to take her class. What type of training did you receive on using these technologies? Sandy - I have attended several Technology Conferences that have had break-out sessions for hand-helds, Podcasting, Moodle, HAIKU, creating Websites, among others. We have had Professional Development days where we have had training on using different technologies in the classroom. I am constantly searching the Internet for new technologies and how to use them. I learn a lot by trial and error. Also, Hewlett Packard offers webinars where you can sign up for classes on-line. The classes cover many different subjects. The classes are “at your own pace”. I have taken a few of these, as well. The best thing about these classes they are FREE! Donna – Jennifer took Technology for Teachers classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also participated in a week long summer Intel course offered by our school district. The Intel course was a requirement to get a SMART Board in her classroom. Vicki learned to use computers on her own. She had a 5-day training to teach her how to use her Synergy Lab. How do you feel these impact your students learning? Sandy - Technologies can affect student’s learning in many ways. The 21st century students of today have grown up with these technologies. They have not known life without them. Students who use computers can access the Internet which opens up another world of learning. They can blog with students of the same age in another city, state, or country to learn about different cultures. The computers in my classroom have allowed the students in my classroom proper keyboarding procedures. Clickers impact student’s learning by allowing students to learn from other students. Clickers also help students who may be less sociable and selfconscious to enter answers whether correct or incorrect without other students knowing their entries. This can help build students’ self-confidence. Podcasting can also have a positive impact on student’s learning. Students learn to use software programs on the computer, learn how to use proper voice techniques for recording, and use a software program such as Audacity to record, and use software programs to publish the Podcast on the Internet. All of these technologies have positive influence on students’ learning because they are using

tools they are comfortable with, keep their interest, build their self-confidence and social skills, and develop keyboarding skills. Donna – Jennifer feels her use of technology gives her students an opportunity to explore writing in multiple formats. Vicki’s goal in her Synergy Lab is to open up students to new career/life choices. She feels many would never even consider architecture or digital video related occupations otherwise. Compare When comparing these teachers with each other it appears that the only similarity is the training available to them. All three teachers appear to have training that is easily accessible to them in order to implement the variety of technology they have available to them. SMART Board’s do appear to be the one similarity between these teachers. Sandy and Jennifer have SMART Board’s in their room to use with their students. Contrast Our ways of using technology seem to be very different. Sandy is in an outdated computer lab to work with her students. It does not appear that she has internet access in her lab and her computers are not up to par, so to speak, to run newer, more current software that kids may be exposed to in the very near future. At Donna’s school, even though there is not a great deal of technology building wide, they do have a Synergy Lab to try to help expose students to different career paths that involve the use of technology. This lab was installed over the summer months, so this is the first opportunity kids have had to use the lab. It is intended to make kids stop and think about the vast majority of careers that are in the world that do use a variety of technology.