Teacher Interview

Teacher Interview–2nd Grade Teacher

I chose to interview a close friend of mine that is a new teacher this school year.  Below are a list of questions and answers about educational technology.

1. What types of technology do you have available?
   1. “In my classroom, I have two teacher computers—a desktop and a laptop, which is great for me to take home with me, I am very fortunate to have this extra computer!  We also have an overhead which gets used a lot, 5 computers in the room for student use, computer lab located inside the school, and a projector in the classroom.
2. What technologies do you integrate into your lessons?
   1. I like to use the overhead a lot, along with having students work on math or spelling programs on the computer when they finish something quickly or have down time—these computers are also a part of a center. 
3. What do students learn using technology?
   1. Students learn how to operate a computer and do school work on them. They are learning how to explore the internet and find information that way. Students are also able to do their work at their own pace when they are working in the lab—on their math, keyboard, or spelling programs.
4. What is your philosophy of educational technology?
   1. Educational technology is growing and I am learning about new equipment all the time.  It is so rapidly growing that it essential for it to be integrated into the classroom to further expand our student’s knowledge in every subject matter.
5. How does your principal view technology in the class room?
   1. My principal is very new to me, however seems willing to support technology in the classroom.  All of the staff at school supports the use of technology in education because it gives students another way to learn and grasp information.

Reflection

                The interview that I did was not as elaborate of an interview as I wanted to get, but this teacher is a brand new teacher as of this fall, therefore I was expecting a fairly brief interview.  This new teacher seems very eager about technology and she wants to learn more about technology and how she can incorporate it into her everyday teaching.

 However, I sensed from her that she is pretty overwhelmed with everything that she has going on currently, however she seems very eager to learn about more devices that could be beneficial to her and her classroom.  She has been able to use the smart board a few times in the computer lab which she finds amazing!  The teacher was a little hesitant at first when conducting the interview, but soon started to realize what she has available every day.  She is extremely happy that the school has given her two computers.  This has allowed her to take home her lap top every night to finish up any necessary work that needs to be completed.  She has told me that it gives her a sense of organization by having this take home computer.

I gave this interview to this particular teacher because she is so new in the field, and she is a close friend of mine.  Until now, I have not been able to talk her about her new classroom.  I thought it would be interesting what she thinks about technology and what types of technology she has available at her school and in her classroom.  Interviewing an older veteran teacher would have been interesting to gather their thoughts about educational technology. 

I was pleased that this teacher is eager to learn and integrate more technology in her classroom because she understands the importance and usefulness of technology in education.