Interview Excerpts and Analysis:
| “The main technology I use in the classroom is a Smart Board.”“ other technology used web applications such as glogster and photopeach, kidblog and digital cameras for students to create videos”
“I’m pretty open and willing to use technology in the classroom as long as someone will show me.”
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Smart Boards have been put in classrooms across the district but teachers have not been given training in how to effectively integrate this technology into the curriculum. Technology models of effective use of this tool would help make the link between how the tool can be used to enhance student learning is needed to help teachers harness the full potential of the affordances of this piece of technology.
Teacher JK is open to using technology however needs opportunities to network with colleagues to brainstorm, plan, and collaborate around using technology in the classroom. Time needs to be built into the day to give teachers opportunities to meet with colleagues, technology cohort groups need to be set up to facilitate collaboration around technology use.
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| “….main factor that affects the use of technology in the classroom is if I’m aware of the different tools I can be using. If I have a colleague, or somebody sends me an e-mail or comes and talks to me and says this is a good idea, you should try it….”
“My comfort level affects my use of technology in the classroom.”
“The school district is focusing more on technology as a means to engage students and communicate with parents, to keep up with the technology students are using at home……… it is expected…”
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Factors identified were comfort level, awareness of technology available, access to colleagues for collaboration and district expectations to use technology. Although time was not directly identified as a factor, in order to have access to colleagues to collaborate and share technology ideas time needs to be provided. Professional development that addresses these issues and is teacher driven would facilitate this kind of support for teachers. |
| “students were so engaged , those students who did not respond to traditional paper/pencil activities, when they were set to work on researching…….it was like night and day the work they could produce”
“……..opened my eyes to what technology can do as a teaching and learning tool in my classroom….” |
Teacher JK is using technology to extend student learning, engage students and provide opportunities for students to experience success. These were characteristics that I had identified as “good use” of technology. JK was passionate in her response as to how technology had changed her approach to teaching in the classroom and keen to use technology in other curriculum areas when she experienced positive student response to the use of technology. |
| “I haven’t used technology for Math teaching, used it mainly for Language Arts and cross curricular with Science and Art.”
“..but I think it is important, I’ve gone on the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives occasionally but I can’t say I have done a lot with my students in math instruction or assessment, with technology” “We do have the smart board in the classroom and I could be doing more with it but I’m not sure how……”
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JK’s body language changed when answering this question. She appeared uncomfortable. Although she stated that she was comfortable using technology she is still learning how to use technology herself. JK had already indicated that comfort level was one of the factors which affected her use of technology. The use of technology in Math classrooms has not been a focus at this time due to the fact that she has only started using technology in the classroom this year. JK’s response to this question highlights the importance of Professional development geared to individual needs with the use of technology in this area and time to collaborate with cohorts who are using technology in their Mathematics classroom would help raise her comfort level in this area
JK’s response raised questions in my own mind. This teacher was open to using technology in her classroom but when it came to Mathematics she was very hesitant, unsure. What training was JK given during her education degree in relation to technology use in a Mathematics classroom? What model of Professional Development will best support JK in her quest to integrate technology into her Mathematics classroom? How can the PD offered at her school support her technology use in her Mathematics classroom? What focus do Teacher training programs place on the use of technology in a Mathematics classroom?
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| “Training that I find the most valuable , one on one sessions where I’ve been asked how comfortable I am and then take me from there”“When you can sit with someone and tell them what you would like and they can give you suggestions and then you can say this will work or won’t work and then go from there……..small group or one on one sessions about what interests me and then go from there”
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Specifically, the factors identified as having a positive impact on technology integration include teacher professional development incorporating positive experiences with technology integration, time release from classroom duties, and use of technology mentors. As teachers we differentiate instruction to meet individual needs of students. Professional Development also needs to be differentiated. How do schools find the resources to support teachers in this way? |
| “districts provide PD sessions and opportunities for schools to offer their own Professional Development, in our school that has turned into PD around technology”“ would be nice to have time to collaborate with other teachers, so many things out there, and It sometimes feels overwhelming, so much you could do but are not doing…….”
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Jk expressed a wish for time to collaborate with other teachers in regard to technology use. School based PD addressing individual needs around technology use in the classroom with release time built in to allow for collaboration with cohorts appears to be the direction she would like PD to go. |