Teacher Interview with Mr. E

 

      Teachers today are more than ever assisted or hindered by the introduction of technology in to the classroom. The enrichment of education through the use of technology is, of course, the goal. However, Sometimes the technology or the teacher falls short of the expectations that we place upon them.

 

     I found a teacher who has succeeded in integrating the technologies provided by his school in to his daily classes. Here is the discussion that we had.

 

 

Mr. S that’s me.

Mr. E that is the teacher that I interviewed.

 

Mr. S: Hello Mr. E How are you doing today?

 

Mr. E: I am doing well thank you.

 

Mr. S: How long have you been teaching?

 

Mr. E: I have been teaching for 24 years.

 

Mr. S: When did you know that you wanted to become a teacher?

 

Mr. E: I would say that by the time I was in 7^th grade I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.

 

Mr. S: As you know I have come here today to ask you some questions about

teaching and technology. To start us off with what types of technology do you have available to you in your classroom?

 

Mr. E: I have a wide range of tech available for use in my class. Computer and

internet are among the most useful tools we have and we use them in one way or another nearly every day. Other types of tech we have at the school that can be checked out are smart boards, airliners, and of course overhead projectors. I find that accessing these other items can some times be problematic because of the limited quantity of these that the school has available.

 

Mr. S: I have heard of all of those devices except the airliner. What is an airliner?

 

Mr. E: An airliner is a hand held device that allows you to rite and it will show up on

the smart board or the overhead.

 

Mr. S: What is the worst part of being a teacher?

 

Mr. E: I would say that the worst part of being a teacher for me is the lack of

administrative support. For instance, once I gave a student a detention for an obviously inappropriate action. The student was involved in sports and missing a practice meant that the student would not be allowed to play in the game on Friday. The students parent raised a stink and the student was let out of the detention. Things like that can really undermine a teachers authority. That student had disciplinary problems for the rest of the term when he had none prior to that incident. 

 

Mr. S: I am sorry to hear that. I can see how that would be terribly frustrating. Lets

move on to something more up beat. What is the best thing that you have experienced as a teacher?

 

Mr. E: I find teaching quite rewarding so, most days are good. I do remember

One year I had a student that was really struggling at school. I noticed that they were having some issues and just tried to give then some extra encouragement. Later, I got a letter from the student’s mother saying that her chilled had really turned around and that he had attributed the change in attitude to the help that I had provided. Things like that really make it all worthwhile. Knowing that I had actually made a positive impact on someone’s life.

 

Mr. S: I think that making a positive impact on someone is something that we all

strive for as teachers. That is great that you were able to help that student.

Well this interview is supposed to be about the technology and we have gotten off track. Do you feel that there can ever be too much technology in the classroom?

 

Mr. E: Yes, technology is only useful if it enriches the students learning. If it is

something that really stretches them and gets them to think than it is useful once it becomes a distraction then it is no longer useful.

 

Mr. S: In what ways do you use technology in your classroom?

 

Mr. E: To start with I use the computer to keep grades. I use to keep them in a grade book. You might imagine with the recent rain what one or two trips from the car to the building will do to a grade book when it is raining.  On top of that it makes it much easier to compile grades and find areas that the students are doing well or not so well in.  The overhead projector is also useful. Slide projectors are prone to getting stuck and slides degrade and yellow overtime. Using the projector and PowerPoint makes showing the students slides much easier and the images are of better quality and since they are digital they wont degrade like the old-fashioned slides do.  Another way that I use the computer is for programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. The students love these programs and they can really produce some professional looking graphics. We also use the internet for research when we are doing art history papers.

 

Mr. S: I bet that is helpful. I remember doing some art history papers back in high school with out the aid of the computer. Those art books are big and lugging around fifty plus pounds of books was never fun. What do you think is the best part of having tech in the classroom?

 

Mr. E: It would be the access to information. Now, if a student has a question the information is literally right at their fingertips. I know a lot about art but by no means do I know it all. If a student wants to know about lets say, Rembrandt they can simply type in his name and they can find information that I may or may not know. However, the real advantage is that along with the information they can find images of his paintings, drawings and prints. As a teacher I might have a book or two with his art in them but, there is no way that I could afford to keep a library on art with the breadth of knowledge like that available on the Internet.

 

Mr. S: That is very true. What do you think that educational technology will look like in the next ten years?

 

Mr. E: I can say really it is changing so fast. For all I know in ten years we will be plugging students in to a computer and downloading them with all the knowledge that they will ever need to know. In a way that prospect is kind of alarming. I don’t feel that you can gain wisdom in the same way that you gain knowledge. Knowledge has to be governed with wisdom if it is not then it can be dangerous.

 

Mr. S: You make a good point. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Do you feel that class needs to be face to face?

 

Mr. E: Yes and no, some students would do fine with a computer and some online schooling. However, the development of social skills requires a social environment. Sitting in front of a computer even if it is you are in a video classroom where you can see the other students simply isn’t the same. Other students need that interaction and the live role model provided by a teacher to do their best.

 

Mr. S: What are some challenges that technology presents you with?

 

Mr. E: Keeping track of student activity on the Internet. There are some programs that help with this but, they wont catch every thing. Kids are smart and some times too smart for their own good if you know what I mean. Another problem can be the technology that students bring with them in to the classroom. Mp3 players and phones can be a problem. I personally don’t let the students bring mp3 players in to my class. As for phones I follow the school policy. No phones can be used in or between class and no picture phones are allowed. Students can use phones during lunch or after school.

 

Mr. S: Okay, one last question. What is you personal philosophy with regard to educational technology?

 

Mr. E: If it challenges the student to think and allows then to expand their mind then it is good. If it interferes then it is bad. It is that simple.

 

Mr. S: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions I found the interview very informative.

 

Mr. E: You are welcome.