Teacher Interview

     The person I chose to interview for this project is a teacher in the USD 437 district, who I will refer to as Mrs. W.   She has been teaching for nineteen years, most of which have been in special education.  She currently teaches the fifth grade.  Her philosophy of educational technology is that it should be used as a tool incorporated into the curriculum; it shouldn’t be the curriculum.  She believes that technology should be used in the classroom to enhance lessons being taught and provide a hands-on component that some kids really need. 

                Mrs. W’s classroom contains a variety of technologies including a teacher’s laptop (which may be used by the students for research purposes), a projector, an overhead, and a wireless mouse for use by the students or teacher.  She also has a DVD player and VCR that are connected to the projector with sophisticated speakers that enhance the quality of the sound.   Additionally, she has access to a set of twelve inter-write boards and two classes worth of lap tops that may be checked out for use.  The school also has a computer lab which her class uses two to three times per week. 

                According to Mrs. W, USD 437 is very supportive of the use of technology in the classroom.  It is important to this district that they continue to increase the amount of technology being used each year.  They are constantly upgrading the technology that they use and over the next few years even more funding is being allocated to support this growth.  In addition to providing the funding for these items the district also provides ongoing training for all new technology that they receive.  Workshops are held frequently and teachers are allowed to go to technology seminars whenever they wish.  They also have a technology facilitator with an assistant in each building in the district to provide prompt assistance when it is needed.

                Mrs. W believes that utilizing technology in the classroom is an excellent way to elevate her students’ learning.  She particularly enjoys incorporating CD-ROMs into her lessons to add a visual and hands-on component.  She has found that providing this option to her students can help them to enjoy activities they might otherwise find cumbersome.  In fact, Mrs. W mentioned that her students even enjoy taking standardized tests because they are done on computers.  In the years before computers were used her students complained of having to fill out bubble sheets and had very bad attitudes about taking these tests.   She feels that technology absolutely helps to add variety and novelty to her lessons and added that it makes activities more fun for teachers as well. 

                Mrs. W finds that technology can be particularly important when she is working with special education students.  In addition to simply helping them to remain focused and engaged, technology can help these students to function in ways that might otherwise be impossible. Communication devices benefit non-verbal students and can allow them to better participate in activities, and programs such as AlphaSmart can allow students with handwriting difficulties to complete assignments that may have previously been very difficult or impossible for them.

                Speaking with Mrs. W about these topics was very helpful to me as a person entering the teaching profession.  It helped me to understand the types of technology available to teachers today as well as practical ways to integrate it into the classroom every day.  I have gained some insight into the ways that these technologies can assist me as a teacher as well as some understanding of how students can grow and learn with the use of technology.  I am looking forward to experiencing the continued growth of this field and am excited to continue learning as new technology develops.  I feel that this interview helped to provide me with some understanding of the importance of keeping up with new technologies as I continue to develop as a professional entering the world of education.