I am really interested in this subject of technology in education. Because of this I was compelled to ask more than one teacher their insight on technology in the classroom. I personally know the teachers I interviewed and chose to do a virtual interview. I value a teacher's time and I understand that meeting up with a teacher may be difficult and interrupt their planning for their students. I did not want to interfere with their time or planning. I made a google doc and typed a letter to the teachers I know. In the letter I explained that I am curious as to how technology is incorporated in their classroom. I listed a set of questions that I was particularly interested in. my letter was sent as follows;
Dear Mrs. (Boyer, Kouba and Lord)
I am writing today to see if you would be willing to participate in a virtual interview with me about technology in your classroom. I would love to talk to you about what kind of classroom you have!
I would love to know what age/grade you teach, how many students you have, all the different types of technology in your classroom, what needs you may have concerning technology in your classroom and what support you have available to you for using technology in your classroom.
If you would please take a moment to answer these questions for me I would greatly appreciate it. I am studying to be a teacher myself and I am curious as to what types of technology are in different districts and things of that nature. I am passionate about the use of technology in the modern classroom because I believe it is a tool to help reach those students in a way that they are comfortable learning!
Thank you for your time!
Christina Wilde Preservice Teacher Major focus: Spanish Certification area: Secondary University of Oklahoma Jeanine Rainbolt College of Education
They responded within a day or two and I learned so much from them. Mrs. Boyer is a first grade teacher in Texas. She has 21 students in her class. She told me about how they have clever touch screens and iPads available for students to check out. She stated she would love to have 2-4 student computers in her classroom. This surprised me but I learned that she wanted these because her school does not have a computer lab. Recently her district combined two schools together and they are trying their best to make it work. Currently the library is not even operational due to this massive change. She told me that the district is very slow at offering technolgy in the classroom but she is working with what she has.
Mrs. Kouba has quite a different story with technology. She teaches 5th grade in Putnam City schools. She has 27 students in her class. Mrs. Kouba wrote a grant proposal about three years ago. She was awarded that grant and received a classroom set of iPads! She was also accepted into a AIT training class that gave her a Mac laptop. She has a project and desktop computer as well. She really likes the iPads. She uses them for classroom management, activities and assignments. She has concerns with the students rushing through some of their work just to get on their iPads. She has informed me of ways to write grants like she did and is sharing information on professional development courses on technology.
Mrs. Lord teaches first grade in Mustang, Oklahoma. She has 22 students in her class. In her class she has 2 desktop computers, a smartboard, an Apple TV, and a front row speaker system. Her school has iPads for checkout however it is at a first come first serve basis. She says she would love to have her own iPad to use with her Apple TV so she didn't have to check out an iPad all the time as well as a class set for her students. She has a media director she can contact if she needs help as well as the district has a tech support she can call anytime. Mrs. Lord is passionate about technology and serves on the school technology committee that's meets once a month to discuss needs and help other teachers if needed. She states technology is crucial to her classroom and she has yet to go a day without it.
I feel interviewing these teachers as well as two others has helped me as I learn to be a teacher in this state and country. I know now that there are such things as technology committees in certain districts and I plan to be in a district with one or implement the committee myself if there is not one in place. I learned so much about writing grants from Mrs. Kouba and I hope to keep her as a valued friend and fellow teacher so she may mentor me in areas where I need support such as grant proposals. I learned from Mrs. Boyer that there are many serious concerns with education in this country such as funding cuts that makes the classroom even more intricate and may hinder the availability to resources. I plan to interview more teachers and gain more insight so I am well equipped when I enter my own classroom.
Dear Mrs. (Boyer, Kouba and Lord)
I am writing today to see if you would be willing to participate in a virtual interview with me about technology in your classroom. I would love to talk to you about what kind of classroom you have!
I would love to know what age/grade you teach, how many students you have, all the different types of technology in your classroom, what needs you may have concerning technology in your classroom and what support you have available to you for using technology in your classroom.
If you would please take a moment to answer these questions for me I would greatly appreciate it. I am studying to be a teacher myself and I am curious as to what types of technology are in different districts and things of that nature. I am passionate about the use of technology in the modern classroom because I believe it is a tool to help reach those students in a way that they are comfortable learning!
Thank you for your time!
Christina Wilde Preservice Teacher Major focus: Spanish Certification area: Secondary University of Oklahoma Jeanine Rainbolt College of Education
They responded within a day or two and I learned so much from them. Mrs. Boyer is a first grade teacher in Texas. She has 21 students in her class. She told me about how they have clever touch screens and iPads available for students to check out. She stated she would love to have 2-4 student computers in her classroom. This surprised me but I learned that she wanted these because her school does not have a computer lab. Recently her district combined two schools together and they are trying their best to make it work. Currently the library is not even operational due to this massive change. She told me that the district is very slow at offering technolgy in the classroom but she is working with what she has.
Mrs. Kouba has quite a different story with technology. She teaches 5th grade in Putnam City schools. She has 27 students in her class. Mrs. Kouba wrote a grant proposal about three years ago. She was awarded that grant and received a classroom set of iPads! She was also accepted into a AIT training class that gave her a Mac laptop. She has a project and desktop computer as well. She really likes the iPads. She uses them for classroom management, activities and assignments. She has concerns with the students rushing through some of their work just to get on their iPads. She has informed me of ways to write grants like she did and is sharing information on professional development courses on technology.
Mrs. Lord teaches first grade in Mustang, Oklahoma. She has 22 students in her class. In her class she has 2 desktop computers, a smartboard, an Apple TV, and a front row speaker system. Her school has iPads for checkout however it is at a first come first serve basis. She says she would love to have her own iPad to use with her Apple TV so she didn't have to check out an iPad all the time as well as a class set for her students. She has a media director she can contact if she needs help as well as the district has a tech support she can call anytime. Mrs. Lord is passionate about technology and serves on the school technology committee that's meets once a month to discuss needs and help other teachers if needed. She states technology is crucial to her classroom and she has yet to go a day without it.
I feel interviewing these teachers as well as two others has helped me as I learn to be a teacher in this state and country. I know now that there are such things as technology committees in certain districts and I plan to be in a district with one or implement the committee myself if there is not one in place. I learned so much about writing grants from Mrs. Kouba and I hope to keep her as a valued friend and fellow teacher so she may mentor me in areas where I need support such as grant proposals. I learned from Mrs. Boyer that there are many serious concerns with education in this country such as funding cuts that makes the classroom even more intricate and may hinder the availability to resources. I plan to interview more teachers and gain more insight so I am well equipped when I enter my own classroom.