Share your learning

For this badge I interviewed Mrs. Silk a second grade teacher from Blanchard Elementary. Being familiar with her classroom due to past semesters of observation, I knew what kinds of technology that she had used in the past but was curious about how she felt about incorporating more into her classroom.

 Tell me about your classroom?
 My classroom is uniquely designed to help my students feel comfortable and welcome. Everything that you see besides the computer and smart board is furnished by me.

 What kinds of technology do you have? Did you get to help choose it?
 I have a small selection of technology. I have a smart board for my daily lessons, a computer for the students to take A.R tests on, and one IPad for the class to share.  

Did you get to order the technology yourself?
The only thing that I ordered myself was the iPad which I paid for.

Are there any rules about what kids can do with technology?
They are only aloud to use the smart board during group activities where I call on them to demonstrate a problem. The use the computer only to take A.R tests, and use the iPad to study spelling words or learning activities. 

What things do you wish you had available in your classroom, but do not?
I wish I had more computers and iPad for the students to share. Only having one of each the students are constantly waiting on each other to finish. If I had another computer or more iPad's students would be able to get their daily tasks done more promptly and have more time for other activities. 

Is there a computer lab in the school?
Yes in the library, but we are only allotted so many hours per week because my class has to share with every other classroom in the elementary. 

Do you like technology?
Yes. I just wish I had more items in the classroom so my students and I could explore different options more. 


Due to Mrs. Silk's class coming back in from recess this was the only questions that I was able to ask her. However, being able to sit down and talk to her about technology gave me more insight of how she feels about technology as a whole. If teachers were able to have more technology in the classroom, they would have different learning options for their students. The only issue is, would be finding the funding needed to supply the technology.

  I interviewed Mrs. Bender at The Bendwood School where she teaches a program for students with disabilities that are non-verbal.  This interview was extremely helpful since I am a special education major. Mrs. Bender’s classroom mostly consists of ipads and augmentative communications with buttons and switches. Mrs. Bender gets to choose her own technology and does her own research for the devices. She also asks the technology coordinator of the school for help. This shows me that it is important to do my own research to find out what technology would be best for my students since it may not be automatically given to me. I was also unaware that schools have a technology coordinator so this is useful information. The rule for using technology at the school was that it had to be beneficial to the students. The rules were also that the students were not allowed to watch movies or TV shows on the ipad and only educational games were allowed. The educational games had to be planned ahead of time and in the lesson plan. By using the “minute for minute technology” rule, the students are only allowed to use the ipad for a reward for one minute. This is a useful rule that I will be using in my classroom as well so the students are still rewarded but with a set time. Mrs. Bender has a smart board in her room but does not use it because the school has not set up training for it. This makes me grateful to be in this class so I know more information on how to use it. Mrs. Bender believes that technology is extremely useful in the classroom especially since a lot of her students use this type of technology at home as well. Mrs. Bender told me that I should start doing my research now and looking out for great apps that would be good in my classroom for all different types of disabilities that my future student might have.  She also warned me that technology is not for everyone and might work better with some students over others.

Rachael Evans Interview a teacher  
For this badge, I interviewed Christine Kokojan, a middle school and high school math teacher at Drummond High School. Since Drummond is a rural school, the resources for technology are low. Most classrooms have smart boards, just like Mrs. Kokojan’s room, but some classrooms may only have a chalkboard. The computers in the computer lab are almost a decade old, and only one classroom has three mac computers. Since Mrs. Kokojan is a math teacher with a smart board, she teaches majority of her math lessons on the smart board. She enjoys having different shapes, graphs, and charts already made for her to use from the smart board. This allows learning too be more efficient rather than hand drawling these functions.  They had a short instructional class over the basics of the smart board. Everything else was learned through trial and error. She also does not allow her students to use a calculator till a certain math point; even then the calculator can not be a graphing calculator. This is a rule for Mrs. Kokojan’s students with technology. This is so that they learn how to do the math problems, rather than allowing a calculator solve the full problem for them. Mrs. Kokojan thinks that even without technology she would be just fine continuing her teaching career. I believe that this interview will help me in my future profession that technology can be very beneficial but it is still manageable without most types of new forms of technology. As a teacher, not everyone is going to get the new form of technology, or computers for everyone, but we have to make what we have work. 

Tell me about your classroom? 

"My classroom is small and relatively old fashioned, but I bought an Apple TV which I use to project my iPad onto the wall, the student's love it".

What kind of technology do you have? Did you get to help choose it? 
"Like I said earlier, my classroom is quite old fashioned, meaning that we do not yet have access to much technology, however we are going to be getting iPads for all of the students in September. I guess you could say I helped to choose it in that I brought in my own Apple TV, so I am forging my own technology". 

Do you get to order technology yourself? 
"We can order whatever we want as long as we can fund it". 

What technology is available to you? 
"From the school, we are given a laptop and last year each teacher was given an iPad in preparation for all of the students getting iPads in September. We have a television, a projector and Wifi". 

Who do you ask for help? 
"*laughs*, Roy" (her husband, Roy, is a computer programmer). 

Are there any rules about what you can do with technology? 
"There are no rules that have been set in place for the teachers currently, I suppose there won't be until someone steps out of line". 

Are there any rules about what kids can do with technology? 
"The computers in the computer lab are all locked with the parental controls, the iPads will have the same precautions". 

How often do you get to use technology in the classroom? 
"We use it every day in my classroom". 

What keeps you from using technology in the classroom? 
"Before I purchased my Apple TV, it was just lack of availability.. But now we use it often". 

What things do you wish you had available to you in the classroom but do not? 
"I am very excited to get the smart board in our classroom". 

Is there anything that you have that you never use? 
"We have an old chalk board in the back of the room that we don't use anymore". 

What makes using technology difficult in the classroom? 
"For us, it was lack of availability.. I suppose for many of the teachers it will be a lack of knowledge about how to use the smart boards when they come, thankfully I'll have Roy to give me a crash course". 

is there a computer  lab in the school? 
"There is a computer lab with about 25 Mac Desktops in it". 

Is there a tech cart that you can use? 
"There is no tech cart, but every student will have their own IPad in September". 

Do you like technology? 
"Yes, though I have grown quite comfortable with it after having been around Roy for such a long time".

Does your school train you in how to use technology? 
"Not as of yet, although they have said that they will have a few lessons for the teachers on how to use the smartboards". 

What technology do you use most often? 
"I'd have to say my iPad". 

Do you or your kids use your technology creativity? 
"We do virtual dissections on the iPad, but when the students all have their own iPads I want to implement some creative ideas. I think I'd like to have them all create a video about a biological phenomenon that they film themselves". 

As a future teacher, what should I try to learn while I am still in School to be a great tech using teachers? 
"I think by the sounds of it, you'll have a bit of an advantage over me, going to an American Uni. I think that you should try to make yourself understand that you need to change with the technology and learn how to use it as it is ever evolving, and you need to be Profficient on it before you can use it to teach your students". 


The reason I wanted to speak with Karen, besides the fact that my parents are Scotish and I was born in England, is because I have often thought about going abroad to teach, for a few years when I am older, before I have children. I was interested to know the differences, if any, that there are between US schools and Scottish Schools. Karen teaches at a prestigious preparatory school in Glasgow, I would imagine that they have all top of the line technologies compared to other schools in Scotland, however, the fact that they do not have smartboards in their classrooms yet, causes me to think that there is a stark difference between the UK and the US and the ways in which they choose to implement tecbnology in the classroom. My talk with Karen is relevant to me as a future teacher, because I liked to hear from her that she uses her iPAD frequently, as I feel that I will do the same, and I would love to be able to utilize some virtual dissections on my iPad with my students, as I too, want to teach Biology. 

For this badge, I interviewed Aaron Gentry. He teaches Bible classes at Covenant Christian Academy for junior high and high school students.  Covenant is a relatively small private school, about 40 children per grade level (K-12).  I asked Mr. Gentry to describe his classroom, and I asked him what technology he has in his classroom. He said, “my classroom is relatively low tech, but much of that is at my request”. Gentry prefers old school, traditional teaching.  He even said he had a smartboard at one point, but asked them to replace it with a regular whiteboard. He feels that his subject (Bible) can be taught better without technology. I found this interesting because most teachers push for technology in their classroom. However, I can understand where he is coming from because I personally do not like technology. I can also see why he would want his students to focus on learning the Bible, rather than being distracted by technology. However, I think incorporating fun projects with technology would help students be more engaged in his classroom. He could have them reenact a story from the bible, or use visual arts to talk about a Bible verse. I also asked him what technology is available to him and if the school trained him. He said that he can check out tablets for the classroom to use if necessary, and the school has trained him how to use them. So if he wanted he could do the projects I suggested earlier. Another question I asked Gentry if there is any technology he wishes he had but did not. Then I asked how the technology in the school is provided. Gentry said that he wishes the school provided him with a faster working laptop. It would make some classes run smoother. As far as how technology is provided, Covenant provides most technology for him. They gave him an iPad. However, he bought an Apple TV for his classroom and installed it himself. This stood out to me because it shows how teachers have to provide for their classrooms outside of what the school gives them. I wonder if he could have got a grant or funding for his Apple TV. I also wish I asked how he uses the Apple TV in his classroom and how often he uses it since he told me he is not a fan of technology. As a future teacher, I found this interview helpful. It showed me how much control teachers can have over technology (or no technology) in their classroom. I can understand where Gentry is coming from, but I think his students would enjoy technology in his classroom. I like that we are getting an entire course on how to implement technology in our classroom. I feel like if more teachers had this kind of training, we would see more and better uses of technology in the classroom.

I chose to poll my home high school in California. My mom is a teacher there that is one of their top tech users, she ends up teaching all her coworkers about class tech and has even been sent to conferences by the admin. She also let me ask questions to her coworkers. I thought this was better than just asking one teacher because as a future teacher i will draw on things I have learned from others before me for the most part. So the more people I can learn from the better teacher I will be. I added Commentary that I discussed with them into each question where I had it. 

1  Tell me about your classroom? 

I have a podium near the front on which I place my laptop and document camera. A teaching wall with a pull-down screen. I love my classroom.

2  What kind of technology do you have?

I have a document camera, pc laptop, projector, apple tv (that I bought), apple laptop (that I bought), iPad, graphing calculators, graphics tablet.
Me: This is stuff you and other teachers use the most correct? And you were the one that bought it. 
Her: Yeah that is pretty standard. 

3  Did you get to help choose it? 

Some of it. For example, they questioned ALL the teachers in the district, K-12, and found compromise laptops for all of it. It isn’t great at handling all of the statistical software but most teachers like it.
Me: So like the previous question, sometimes because they get grant money to buy one thing, it isn't as useful or used becasue each teacher has different technology needs. As a future teacher I hope we can discourse with our funders through things like donors choose to be able to get stuff we actually need in our classrooms. 

4  Do you get to order technology yourself? 

Not really. Although we were able to request that the school order specific technology for us, within a budget, when we had technology funds from a fundraiser.
Me: I feel like this method of having allocated funds and petitioning for specific technology might be better. 

5  What technology is available to you? 

Basically just the items in question 2. There are some tech carts and such but their availability is not consistent. We now use a program called Illuminate for testing. Illuminate replaced data director. They didn’t warn us ahead of time though and we lost some of our benchmark answer keys.
Technology is important to communicate and have multiple copies to not lose them. Like losing papers in a fire it is much easier to lose digiital copies so i should be sure to store them somewhere safe. 

6  Who do you ask for help? 

We use a program called techdesk when we have problems. We have to submit a ticket. If it doesn’t get answered in a reasonable amount of time, I email my dean.

7  Are there any rules about what you can do with technology? 

It has to be for instructional purposes. And it has to be locked up when we are not in the room.

8  Are there any rules about what kids can do with technology? 

The district has google accounts assigned to each student. The students have access to the wireless and computers with these logins. There are controls on the wireless by user status. It keeps them off of nefarious sites, and also some useful sites too.
AS a future teacher I wonder how we could let them onto good sites. Maybe each teacher could have admin privileges to quickly unblock them at least for their class period? I know my teachers couldn't do that but that would be useful.

9  How often do you get to use technology in the classroom? 

Constantly. I teach using my projector. I also have students using graphing calculators and sometimes iPads or chromebooks. My math analysis honors usually has an online option for homework through webassign. I allow them to do paper homework instead if they would like.
Me: Thats nice because it allows diversity for disadvantaged students, but its more work for you. I know you sent me an app for my phone to be a graphing calculator which was much cheaper than the calculator and I have better access, though it cant be used on tests. Diveristy of options is important because sometimes a student can't afford materials. 

10  What keeps you from using technology in the classroom? 

Some technologies I would like to use, I don’t. It is just too time intensive to plan the lesson. Also, if I can’t get the appropriate laptop carts it is more difficult. Also, it can be frustrating to try to use the tech carts when not all of the devices work properly. I sometimes feel like I spend my time as tech support rather than teaching. But, I don’t use my iPad as often as I used to because of connection issues. I need to update my Apple TV.
Me: If the district had better support in keeping devices working, and better internet that would make your life easier. It is important for me in the future to advocate for these things for myself and others. How would i show this to admin to encourage them? Ill need to ask.

11  What things do you wish you had available to you in the classroom but do not? 

A classroom set of graphing calculators.
Me: I have noticed that they are pretty much necessary to have, but are incredibly expensive and cost prohibitive for individuals. Also not everyone has the same one so it can be harder to troubleshoot. 

12  Is there anything that you have that you never use? 

An old overhead projector that I don’t need anymore and a connection from my calculator to the tv. (I can now hook up my calculator to my laptop and demonstrate calulator commands that way.)

13  What makes using technology difficult in the classroom?

In addition to what I mentioned in question 10, there are issues with changes being pushed to our laptops without warning. Sometimes it causes glitches.
Me: Another instance where communication needs to be addressed from the top down not notifying. 

14  Is there a computer  lab in the school? 

Only in the classes that teach computer skills.

15  Is there a tech cart that you can use? 

Several, they are usually available except during testing season.

16  Do you like technology? 

Despite the tone of my answers above, absolutely. I have even had my students coding in the classroom.

17  Does your school train you in how to use technology? 

Yes. Most of the training is done by our peers. For example, we have Mini-University coming up on Friday. It is a professional development day. I will be teaching LaTex typsetting to math and science teachers.
Me: Peer resources are invaluable, I hope to use technology for furthering my peer base to learn from with things like ed chats. 

18  What technology do you use most often? 

Statistical software, graphing calculators, document camera, and iPad. I also use PearDeck a lot. (That is a website that lets you create interactive lectures.)

19  Do you or your kids use your technology creativity? 

Sometimes. PearDeck. Pictures from Conic Sections on Desmos. Coding.

20  As a future teacher, what should I try to learn while I am still in School to be a great tech using teachers?

I would suggest you learn about open source tools that make lesson creation easier. Within your subject I would research best practices with technology and look for commonly used tools specific to your domain. Also, make sure you can troubleshoot IT connections because you might not have help within a reasonable timeframe in that arena.

Bria Sanders
February 20, 2017
EIPT 3043
Technology in the ClassroomTechnology is a very important asset in today’s classrooms. Also, with such an advance in technology, students and teachers are able to utilize this in a way to extend education and knowledge among students. I recently had to interview a teacher and discuss the importance of technology in her classroom. The teacher I interviewed was a lady named Mrs. Amos who is a 4th grade teacher at Cesar Chaves Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She enjoyed giving me insight on how she uses technology specifically for her classroom. When asking Mrs. Amos questions I first took a look around her room to notice all of the different technology she uses, then I began the interview. Mrs. Amos explained that she has a smart board and 6 desktop computers in her classroom. She explained that she came from teaching 5th and 6th grade levels so when she was asked to teach 4th grade this school year the computers and smart board were already included in the 4th grade classroom. When asked if she gets to order technology herself, Mrs. Amos explained that the smart board and computers were funded by the school. Furthermore, she is not sure if she is able to order more technology unless it is absolutely necessary for the students, but that she has never asked to do so. The technology that is available to her outside of the classroom is a laptop that the school also provided for her so that she is able to take her work home with her if necessary. One day while I was observing her class, I noticed that she was having trouble getting the smart board to work. She went across the hall to another teacher who she considers “tech savvy” to help her. After he left she explained to me that she bothers that specific teacher almost every day with questions about the smart board and/or computers in the classroom because she has such a hard time with technology. She went on to tell me that there were no specific rules when it comes to her and the students with the technology in the classroom so long as it is educational and beneficial to the students’ learning. As we discussed some of the daily activities the students partake in, Mrs. Amos said that the students get to use the computers for at least two hours out of the day and that she used the smart board throughout the day as well. She went on to say that there is not a day where she isn’t using some form of technology and that she takes advantage of the fact that she has the computers in her classroom. One thing that she finds challenging about using technology is that sometimes it can be a distraction for the students. Sometimes she will catch some of her students on websites that she did not authorize them to be on. She also said that some students may fight over the computers from time to time, but for the most part they handle the technology very well. When I asked her if there was a computer lab in the school she said that there was not a specific classroom just for computers. However, there are computers in different rooms throughout the school that are free to the students at any given time during school hours such as in the classrooms as well as in the library. To her knowledge, Mrs. Amos was not sure if there was a tech cart that was used throughout the school because she has never seen one nor has she ever asked to use one since teaching at Cesar Chaves. Mrs. Amos expressed that although technology is very hard for her to understand that she really does love using it for educational purposes. She said that when the smart boards were being installed in the classrooms, the teachers were required to attend a class where they learned how to use the smart boards properly. As previously stated, Mrs. Amos and the students mostly use the smart board and the computers that were provided in the classroom. On some occasions she does use her phone for when they do certain in-class projects that require a photograph. When this occurs, Mrs. Amos will use her phone to take and upload photos for the students. They mostly use technology for mathematics, reading, and educational games, but every now and again she will allow the student to use the computer and smart board programs for drawing activities. However, this is rare because the students do creative activities in their elective classes more than they do in the actual classroom. I expressed to Mrs. Amos that I am currently taking a technology class to help better prepare me for my future classroom. She felt that this was a good idea for incoming teachers to take tech classes because when she was in college getting her degree in education she was not given the same opportunity. With the growth of technology use today, she feels that future teachers will greatly benefit from learning how to use technology the proper way so that they can use the different gadgets in an effective way in the classrooms. I really enjoyed interviewing Mrs. Amos on her perspective of technology. Before this interview I felt that it was not as important to learn about technology. I now know that technology is actually very important and beneficial for students’ education today. I feel more comfortable going into my future classroom knowing that I will have the proper knowledge on how to use technology in an effective way so that my students can learn and have fun while doing so. 

Doing this assignment was important to me because it gave me some insight about what technology may or may not be available in my future classroom. I know that we live in a world of technology and the kids I will soon be teaching will grow more and more accustomed to having technology in their lives, it is important to know what technology will be available for me to utilize in my classroom. I want to make sure that I have the opportunity to teach with technology that is relevant and accessible to my students. By doing this project I learned a lot about how some administrations prioritize technology and how teachers have to make the most of the tools they have. 

         For this badge I interviewed Sarah Duvall, a special education teacher at Bear Creek Elementary in Euless, Texas. She teaches grade 3-5 math and reading resource as well as inclusion in the classroom. The elementary school is considered a Title I school with a diverse group of students. The school gives each student from grades K through 4 an iPad and grade 5 a mini laptop. Each day, the students have to check in and out the electronic device. The parents may pay a small yearly fee if they want their child to be able to take the iPad or laptop home with them.          In her classroom, Mrs. Duvall incorporates the iPads with different math and reading apps. For math she has her students do daily warm-ups as well as independent math practice. She uses iStation in her classroom with monthly assessments and weekly practice on the iPads. Through this, she is able to see each student’s progress and can understand what to work on with each child. For reading she uses Raz Kids in order to have her student practice independent reading.
Each teacher receives an iPad and the choice of a Macbook or Dell laptop from the district. They are able to take these to and from school and use them as needed throughout their teaching contract. Each semester, the teachers are required to attend a PLC (Professional Learning Community). During this, the staff is able to collaborate and share ideas as well as train to enhance their knowledge of the technology in the school. Each general education classroom has a Promethean board as well as a projector. The special education classrooms, however, only have an overhead projector. Mrs. Duvall said that she wishes she had a Promethean board because the projector is very difficult to set up and use. Because of this, she rarely uses it. She instead focuses on incorporating the use of the iPads in her curriculum. As a special education teacher, some of her students have ADD/ADHD. As a result of this, her students sometimes get distracted by the iPads and she has to take them away. Each electronic device given to both the students and teachers are subject to monitoring. The students are not allowed on YouTube and interestingly, the teachers are not allowed on Pinterest while on the school Wi-Fi. She uses the iPads on a daily basis and the projector to occasionally show videos.        
Mrs. Duvall really enjoys the use of technology in the classroom. She says that it can help enhance learning and make the lessons more relevant. She likes to use it creatively through different projects and daily assignments. The advice she has for me is to take advantage of different technology related classes and resources offered throughout my time in college because technology is constantly changing. “When used properly”, she says, “technology can be a great way to make everyday lessons and assignments fun and engaging for each student.”

 For this badge I interviewed Shannon Dimick, a high school Intro to Technology teacher. She taught this class at Noble High School. In her classroom she has approximately 26 computers which is enough for each student to have an individual workspace and computer. However, these computers are extremely old HP desktop computers and they are not equipped to maximize learning in the classroom. Most of the computers had Microsoft Office 2007 products installed, which being almost 10 years old that software is lacking many essential elements are features that are needed for learning. The main problem with having such old software is that the students are having to learn to use certain Microsoft tools that may be no longer available or improved on newer versions of the software. Shannon Dimick told me that it sometimes feels like a waste of time trying to teach them to use these products when both the teachers and the students are aware that the programs are outdated. Other than the computers, the only other technology she had available in her classroom was a black and white printer and a projector. She told me that it was difficult trying to teach students about the different ways they can use technology for school when she was very limited on the amount of things she could show them and let them play with. For every class she would have the students sign in using their student ID and they made use of several different apps. Google Classroom and Google Drive were two very big components of the classroom. Since the students were unable to get school emails this was the best way to communicate with students individually, the whole class, and assign different projects. They learned basic Microsoft skills on Word, Publisher, Excel, and PowerPoint. When I asked her what things she really needed in her classroom (technology related) that would help improve her teaching and help improve the learning experience for her students she said that the most important things she needed were updated technology. Since the technology is changing all the time she really wanted updated computers, laptops (a mixture of HP and Apple products), and some type of hand held device such as an iPad or a tablet. Improving the technology available in an Intro to Technology classroom was the only way to improve the students' overall learning experience as well as motivate and facilitate interest in the course. In terms of support, Shannon Dimick stated that she really needed support from the IT staff in her school and the support of the administration. Bottom line was that other classrooms and teachers had a higher priority of needs in the eyes of the administration; an elective technology class was not at the top of the list.