MA-L2C: The Interview
Assignment Description:
Case Building – Find a Colleague(s) to Interview
Interview one or two colleague(s) in your own country to further explore your issue/question (developed in the previous activities). Select one or two adults in a learning environment (e.g. teaching colleagues in mathematics or science education or administrators) who use (or do not use) technology in their mathematic or science classrooms, or other context (eg. Museums, Zoos, Playgrounds, Learning Centers). Ensure informed consent has been obtained.
Develop guiding questions for the interview. The interview questions should be grounded in assumptions and beliefs about technology unpacked in Lesson 1 and/or your analysis of the Canadian video cases in Lesson 2.
In a double column format, place your interview transcribed excerpts on the left and your analysis on the right. Your interview excerpts and analysis should be no longer than 1000 words in total.
Share an abstract of your interview analysis to the forum using three key words as identifiers and answer the related questions.
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Interview Abstract
| A. Who, Where, When & Why
I interviewed two of my colleagues, Rebecca Schaab and Richard Dunnigan, in my classroom at the high school I teach at in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada. The interviews were recorded separately and took place in person on January 18th, 2012 between 3:45pm and 5pm. I sent out the questions on January 17th so they had time to think about and prepare for the interview. The interviews were divided into the following five parts according to how I organized the types of questions I was going to ask: 1) background; 2) technology and education; 3) impact of technology on students; 4) technology support and professional development and 5) the future of education. Rebecca and Rick are full-time Math teachers at my high school. Rick has been teaching for 17 years all in Sylvan Lake and teaches grades 10-12 including calculus. Rebecca is a recent Education graduate that has been teaching for three years. She teaches grades 9 and 10 Math only and some Phys. Ed. Both Rebecca and Rick are Math majors and use technology in their classrooms daily. I chose to interview them because they have different experiences and perspectives due to the amount of time they’ve been teaching and they are always coming up with interactive ways to engage students in math. B. Summary Points Integration of Technology in the Classroom Rebecca and Rick both frequently use various types of technology in their math classes as they aim to “create authentic tasks” for their students. However, they believe that the technology used in the lesson should not be the sole focus of the lesson, but rather “something that’s part of a lesson’s construction and development”. They both believe that technology should help teachers and students “reach a deeper, more meaningful objective”. For example, Rick used Google Earth for a math lesson where he had students learn about different types of measurements, but the software was not the focus of the lesson. The class discussion following the activity enriched the students’ understanding of the measurement concepts.Along with incorporating technology into their lessons, Rick and Rebecca post assignments, help notes and websites and video tutorials online on the math wiki that I created a few years ago for our math department. Rick consciously chooses to integrate technology into his lessons because “it is a part of the students’ life. They collect, process and interact with information in a digital world. All of my students were born after the World Wide Web was invented. Cell phones, computers, Internet and wireless technologies are their reality.” Since his students are technologically inclined, Rick states that it is important as an educator to “maintain a certain technological awareness to remain relevant”. Effects of Technology on Students’ Learning Rick believes that technology’s effect on students’ learning is a double edged sword. He sees that in math, with the introduction of calculators, emphasis has changed from rote memorization to problem solving and critical thinking. However, “I think it’s (technology) only one part of the way they (students) learn. Books, teachers, films, discussions, field trips, and group collaboration are just as important in a math class for students to explore and discuss their ideas to enhance their understanding of the concepts.” Ironically, Rick and Rebecca both believe that without the use of technology it would be harder to teach and would require more prep time, especially in this Digital Age. I was expecting to hear that they would have different expectations and uses of technology due to their age difference and amount of experience. Can you imagine no printers, fax machines or photocopiers? Communication with parents and colleagues would be less efficient without e-mail and the math help wiki (as it was in the not too distant past). Students would not have access to the Internet for research or review (to practice and refine their skills), or be able to check their understanding by visiting math help sites online or watching video tutorials or be able to type up their work in a neat and organized fashion. This would especially affect the kids that face output challenges. So thanks to technology in our Digital Age, Rebecca reflected that “my students are able to access information and help anytime instead of having to wait to see me the next day in class.” Rick and Rebecca both like the opportunities for formative assessment afforded by the use of technology, especially access to the internet. Much of the assessment of student learning when using technology is formative through direct feedback either from the teacher (as a support and guide) or by the technology tool / program itself and directly related to learning the environments and activities. As teachers, I think we do have to ensure that we’re using technology with a pedagogic purpose and not just to use technology primarily for the flashy gadgets to engage our students. Having specific and meaningful activities and lessons with clearly described curricular outcomes makes it easier (for us teachers) to assess the skills we are expecting our students to learn via these technology enhanced learning environments, tools, tutorials and activities. Professional Development Rick and Rebecca do not believe there is enough support for technology use in the classroom for most teachers and that they are quite fortunate to work with an actual math department of more than one person. There should be more opportunities for staff to learn about the potential use of technologies in school. Rick provides the following example: “…sharing the load with the math department allows us the opportunity to explore one or two types of new technologies or strategies each month or two and share with our colleagues. In doing so we improve our skills together and share the learning curve so we don’t get overwhelmed with all the new gadgets out there and start using technology just to use technology. We have a strong belief in our math department that we tie each lesson to our prescribed learning outcomes from the curriculum and we have a specific purpose for the use of technology to enhance our lessons and not become the focus of our lesson. This does mean though that, initially, we need to spend a class or two with our students so they become familiar with the technologies we plan to use in our lessons.” C. Case Building – the Interviews |
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Case Building – Technology in a High School Math Classroom |
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| I interviewed two of my colleagues, Rebecca Schaab and Richard Dunnigan, at the high school I teach at in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada. Rebecca and Rick are full-time math teachers at my high school. The following are excerpts from the interviews and my analysis of the two interviews. | |
| 1. Background: Teaching assignments, technology training & access | |
| For how long have you been teaching & how and where did you acquire your skills?Rebecca – “I’ve been teaching for three and a half years.”Rick – “I’ve been teaching for 16 and a half years.”What is your current teaching assignment?Rebecca – “I teach grade 9 and 10 math and grade 9 science and Phys. Ed.”Rick – “I teach grade 10 to 12 math (both of the top two levels).What types of technology do you have access to in your school / classroom? | It is interesting to find out how Rebecca and Rick acquired their skills as they both are mainly self-taught with the odd professional development opportunity provided by the school division. As well, they both graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon Saskatchewan.Rebecca & Rick both have an interactive SMART Board in their classrooms. |
| 2. Technology & Education: What do you believe to be a “good” use of technology in math? | |
| Rebecca – “I frequently try to create authentic tasks for my students. The use of technology in math should not inhibit learning or be the sole focus of any lesson.”Rick – “I believe that technology should help teachers and students reach a deeper, more meaningful objective.” | Both teachers believe that the use of technology in the classroom creates “authenticity” which students need in order to connect their learning with the real world. Both teachers create an interactive environment for their students. However, at the same time, they both believe that the technology itself should not inhibit or distract from learning or teaching. Technology is simply a tool to use to achieve / learn a greater goal.Technology’s use is dependent on how meaningful it is to the learner. There is much potential in its use, but it is only an aid to the math lessons being taught. |
| How is technology used in a typical math lesson? How is technology currently used in your classroom and what role does technology play in your classroom? | |
| “I have used geoboards in our math lessons. It is a simple technology but it works quite well at explaining geometric shapes.”“I would like to use more computer technology in my classes but they are generally not powerful enough to run certain websites and programs.” | In the classroom, Rebecca and Rick both feel that technology is not only digital, but that it comes in many forms. Teachers still use traditional technologies to help consolidate learning as well as new, modern digital technology. There is no “superior” technology when it comes to helping students learn.As a school, in their opinions, both teachers believe that there needs to have a technological foundation / infrastructure that is able to support teachers and students allowing all learners alike to tap into technology’s full potential, instead of shying away. There needs to be technology that attracts, not repels. |
| Why do you choose to integrate technology into your lessons? | |
| Rebecca – “…because it is a part of the students’ life.”Rick – “It is important, as an educator, to maintain a certain technological awareness to remain relevant.” | As students born in the time of digital technology, the Internet, it would be impossible to not use computers and other forms of technology. Both teachers are very aware of how to integrate technology and why it should be done indicating that the choice be aligned with curricular outcomes.As educators we are always “updating” our knowledge to better teach our students. It would only be logical for us to also remain technologically relevant as it is becoming an ever increasing part of our classrooms. |
| What challenges do you face when considering the integration of technology into your practice? | |
| Both teachers – “Lack of funding.” | Providing the financial means for educators to stay up to date and “relevant” is crucial to integrating technology into the system as a whole and into individual classes. With the “out of date” technologies given to teachers, it can only lead to frustration and detachment. |
| 3. Impact of Technology on Students: Do you think the use of technology is changing how students learn information in math? | |
| Rebecca – “…much more is expected from students in terms of critical thinking.”“Books, teachers, films, discussions, field-trips and research are important in a balanced science or math course.” | Through time, what is expected of students has changed. If student expectations have progressed, the technological knowledge of educators should also be held to a higher standard.There are many avenues in which technology can be presented inside the classroom. No educator should stick to one “way”, but should take the opportunity to explore various options to enrich their students’ learning. |
| Do you think you could teach the same class / lesson as effectively without technology? Explain. | |
| Rebecca – “It would require a lot more prep time.” | The teacher is stating that he would still be able to teach effectively, but with technology it saves time. Especially when teaching already consumes a lot of our time, technology is used to make the process more efficient.Although the teachers use technology, its primary use is in the beginning stages where email and typing are a computer’s primary use. It is difficult when the digital technology being used is “out of date”, which severely limits its potential. |
| 4. Technology Support & Professional Development: Do you think the school provides enough support for technology use in a classroom? | |
| Both – “We are fortunate that there are many opportunities for staff to learn about the potential use of technologies in our school. We have a few technology leaders who guide us through. ” | If a school is to progress and be relevant to its students, there needs to be opportunities for its staff to grow and learn. With the technological age upon us, there should be no denial to the “potential use of technologies”. |
| 5. The Future of Education: | |
| “In the future computer technology and mobile devices will be far more advanced…Schools will have wireless internet connections and computer labs will be a thing of the past thanks to students bringing their own personal laptop computer.” | With an education system that is envied by other nations around the world, it’s a shame that technology in schools cannot keep up with our students’ lives and their learning environments. Alongside education, our technology should also be at the forefront. Students should be given every opportunity in and out of school to access such technology. |
D. Interview Case Summary & Reflection
Unfortunately I had family issues which required my attention so I was unable to participate in the class discussion for this lesson. However, I did read the various interviews from my classmates and re-examined my own. I noticed that the following issues are reoccurring:
How does your “home” context differ from what you observed in the video cases? I am familiar with many Web 2.0 tools and many different other programs, etc. thanks to the MET program (since fall of 2009) and some professional development opportunities that I have accessed since 2006. As such, I am able to trouble-shoot and help my colleagues improve their own skills and build their own capacities so they in turn can do the same once they are comfortable with the technology. I am very lucky to have a math department at my school of more than one person (which is the case typically in smaller schools) who use technology in their daily lessons. Many of my MET peers are in exactly that situation where they are the math department of one. However, in my context, I’m very fortunate to be able to collaborate with eager, passionate teachers who embrace technology and its affordances to enhance their lessons and engage their students. How is your understanding of this issue changing? My understanding of the issue(s) have been consolidated and challenged by what others have observed as well. It is clear that technology positively affects students’ learning when presented correctly – distinguishing between a tool versus the object of the lesson; however, there are also negative impacts. As well, it is vital for schools and school divisions to provide opportunities for professional development in which educators are able to practice what they’ve learned. It is important to have teachers comfortable with the technology being presented or used in the classroom so they can support their students and guide them correctly. In what ways was your interview unique or similar to others? My interviews were similar to others because of what the teachers I interviewed think about using technology in a high school math class. There were similar points of view compared with other interviews in terms of how technology affects their teaching, their students’ learning and the lack of profession development and prep time to learn and practice their skills. The part of my interview which I found unique compared to others was where that because I interviewed two teachers with very different teaching styles, age and experiences. What I found interesting is that both teachers no matter their age, teaching style or experience embraced the technologies I introduced them to and have continued to come up with new ideas, websites, etc. to share at our biweekly math department meetings. What does this say about the context/ place or the issue? This tells me that there are issues in educational technology which need to be addressed immediately if it is reoccurring in many interviews. It shows that specifically in schools, there are issues across the board that are affecting the foundation of the education system. For example, up-to-date hardware and software are reoccurring issues found in many schools across the country and around the world. Also, the availability of such technologies is a major concern. If these issues are present in various contexts and places, I really wonder…why are they not resolved yet? Which issue(s) or question(s) would you like to explore further in your own context and why? I would like to explore the issue of why educators are shying away from the professional development being offered about technology. I would also like to look at why teachers who are attending the workshops are not practicing what they are taught or do not find them helpful. What is the gap between professional development and implementation of technology in the classroom? I did focus my paper on this topic but I feel I still need to dig deeper. |