Incorporating Technology (Questions)

[Drey]

Hello everyone! I hope you can all give me a hand. I am currently in my fourth year of university and I am taking an education course all about integrating technology into classrooms. We already have all of our assingments so that we can get working on them. I am already looking at the final assingment, mainly because it will take some time.

I am hoping at least some of you can help me out by answering a few questions. I figured writing questions out in survey format would work easier:

1.What grade and subject do you teach?


2.How many years have you been teaching?


3.Where do you teach? (at least the country would be great)


4.Do you teach in a rural/urban/suburban etc area?


5.Would you consider your school to have money available?


6. Do you consider your school technologically advantaged or disadvantaged?


Ok, now time for the bigger questions:

7. In what ways do you incorporate technology into your classroom?



8. Would you like other teachers to do the same?


9. Would you like to use more technology in your classroom? If so, how would you like to do this?


10. What parts of technology integration, if any, do you believe don't work?


11. What works the best?


12. Do you think other teachers in your school, and network incorporate technology well?


Thank you in advance for your replies. If you have skype and would rather contact me there, that would be fine as well. I look forward to reading your responses and getting to know you all.

[sunnylife]

1.What grade and subject do you teach?
Fourth Grade—Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Writing

2.How many years have you been teaching?
Six

3.Where do you teach? (at least the country would be great)
United States (Mid-West Region)

4.Do you teach in a rural/urban/suburban etc area?
Rural

5.Would you consider your school to have money available?
Our funds are fairly limited. Our town has an education foundation that individuals and businesses contribute to and we can apply for grants to use those funds.

6. Do you consider your school technologically advantaged or disadvantaged?
I’d say we’re somewhere in the middle. We just got new desktop computers for every teacher and we are slowly getting an LCD projector and mimio interactive whiteboard in every intermediate grade classroom.


Ok, now time for the bigger questions:

7. In what ways do you incorporate technology into your classroom?
I use a mimio interactive whiteboard during my daily instruction. I also have the students complete projects on the computer—such as creating a brochure to support our study of the US regions or create a power point to share their research. We also have used our school’s video recorder and digital camera to tell our pen pals about our school and community.

8. Would you like other teachers to do the same?
Yes. I see a total difference in my students’ interest levels and understanding when they use technology.

9. Would you like to use more technology in your classroom? If so, how would you like to do this?
Since I have gotten an interactive whiteboard and an LCD projector, I have been satisfied with my technology use.

10. What parts of technology integration, if any, do you believe don't work?
I don’t believe online computer programs that attempt to replace the teacher work well. Any teacher-absent technology doesn’t make sense to me. I feel teachers need to be involved orchestrators of technology use.

11. What works the best?
I like programs like StarrMatica that allow me to integrate visuals, games, manipulatives, and activities into my teaching with my interactive whiteboard and then individualize which activities I would like my students to complete. I also like students to use the computer for project-based activities.


12. Do you think other teachers in your school, and network incorporate technology well?
Some do and some don’t. Incorporating technology takes time and some teachers aren’t willing to put in the effort to learn how to use the technology and to figure out ways to use it in their classrooms. Those who do reap the benefits.

[Drey]

Thank you very much for replying!
Everything you have said will greatly help in my assingment. I agree with you that programs meant to replace the classroom teacher don't work. I believe that there is a reason there are teachers, the fact that there is a human being at the front of a classroom rather than a cold hard piece of machinary means a lot.
I wish there were more teachers around who did incorporate at least a bit of technology into their classrooms. You are very right, it does take time and energy to work with technology, a lot of times more than most people want to put into it.
I am glad to see that the school you work in seems to want to put technology into use.

Thanks for sharing!

[Ima Teacher]

1.What grade and subject do you teach?

I teach 7th grade language arts.

2.How many years have you been teaching?

This is my 16th year.

3.Where do you teach? (at least the country would be great)

Kentucky

4.Do you teach in a rural/urban/suburban etc area?

rural

5.Would you consider your school to have money available?

Well, we have money for most things . . . but nothing really over the top.

6. Do you consider your school technologically advantaged or disadvantaged?

We seem to be pretty advanced compared to some nearby districts.

7. In what ways do you incorporate technology into your classroom?

I use it all the time. I have 30 laptops in a mobile cart that I share with one other teacher. I have two classroom desktop computers. All have internet access and printers. My students use programs such as Accelerated Reading, BrainPop, and United Streaming . . . among others. I have a SmartBoard, an AirLiner wireless slate, a set of student responders, a document camera, and an audio enhancement system. Plus, I have all of the "old" technology like a television, VCR/DVD player, stereo, tape recorder, camera, video camera, etc. I use most of that every day for something.

8. Would you like other teachers to do the same?

That would depend on what they're teaching.

9. Would you like to use more technology in your classroom? If so, how would you like to do this?

I think I'm pretty well set. I have everything I need, but I'm sure I could use some things more effectively.

10. What parts of technology integration, if any, do you believe don't work?

None of it works if the teachers and students never use it.

11. What works the best?

Teachers who are tech-savvy can make anything work.

12. Do you think other teachers in your school, and network incorporate technology well?

Some do. Some don't.

[Drey]

Ima Teacher, thanks for sharing!
It seems like you try to use a lot of different pieces of technology in your classroom. Thank you for sharing the different programs that you use as well. I will have to look at some of those.

[cadreamer]

I found your questions interesting, and so you get my first post to this site.

1.What grade and subject do you teach?

High School Mathematics. Generally I teach Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus. This year, I also am teaching an Intro to Algebra class.

2.How many years have you been teaching?

This is my 5th year.

3.Where do you teach? (at least the country would be great)

US - California, Bay Area


4.Do you teach in a rural/urban/suburban etc area?

Suburban

5.Would you consider your school to have money available?

It's varied. We didn't have much, but we just got a huge QEIA Grant.

6. Do you consider your school technologically advantaged or disadvantaged?

Disadvantaged - but working towards better technology. We just went to an online attendance system, and so for the first time, every teacher got a new computer in their classroom. However, due to the district policies - those computers are pretty much unusable to create actual computer integrated lesson plans. (you can't download Flash Player for example.)

I invested in a laptop last year - just wish I'd bought one 3 years ago.

Ok, now time for the bigger questions:

7. In what ways do you incorporate technology into your classroom?

As a math teacher - using a scientific calculator is huge. Also, I got an LCD projector last year, which I've started using quite a bit. We (as a math department) also have a dedicated computer lab (although VERY old systems) which I've used quite a bit. I built some online lessons (activities and answers) last year for use in the lab and I want to use that much more heavily this year. (if you are interested you can view them at sharris.pbwiki.com) I went to a technology seminar last year and it was just inspiring. I found out about a lot of free resources for teachers (pbwiki.com for example) and instantly usable stuff that really helped me to be able to do some of the things I wanted to do. I'd like to do a lot more and I'm working towards setting up the infrastructure.
There is a LOT of very good material out on the web if you're willing to search for it.

8. Would you like other teachers to do the same?

Yes. However, I am a tech geek (as a refugee from IT in the dot com crash) So I know what I am willing and able to do - and in fact, find lots of satisfaction in doing - not many other teachers in my department(school) are willing or possibly even able to do. (example: using LaTex online to build math equations)

9. Would you like to use more technology in your classroom? If so, how would you like to do this?

yes. I wish I had a dedicated computer with internet access for each student. I could do so much more than I can do now.

10. What parts of technology integration, if any, do you believe don't work?

It really doesn't work if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Also, just because some program says they are great - doesn't really mean anything. If all you have is an online worksheet - then the kids will be bored and they will actually learn less - because it's not truly interactive. We have a subscription to a program (myskillstutor) and, I don't use it at all because I don't think it's engaging or interesting in any way.

The other thing - our district policies as far as tech goes actually makes it harder to use. Yes, we have a math computer lab - but only because I said I would support it and because I butt heads with our IT guy on staff about what those computers need to have in order to be functional. (generic login for example.) So - it's frustrating but it is getting better.

I know if I went to a better funded school/district some of these issues would disappear but it feels very worthwhile when you can show a student online resources that they wouldn't have been able to get to on their own.

I only have a classroom set of calculators and the LCD projector because I wrote a grant for them.

11. What works the best?

I like getting students to the point where they can use the technology (online graphing calculator for example) and then pose open-ended questions and get them thinking.

You have to be willing to spend the time to make sure it's going to work the right way - if you do, you can have great learning experiences.

12. Do you think other teachers in your school, and network incorporate technology well?

No. Not for the most part. (Except calculators.)

We do have a Digital Academy and they do multi-media - so that group uses technology heavily. For the most part though, our staff is very resistant.

[Clearly Canadian]

1. What grade and subject do you teach?
Grade 7 and 8 Language Arts and Social Studies, yearbook and web page design

2.How many years have you been teaching?
10 years

3.Where do you teach? (at least the country would be great)
Alberta, Canada

4.Do you teach in a rural/urban/suburban etc area?
urban with about 80% of students bussed in from rural area

5.Would you consider your school to have money available?
Mostly

6. Do you consider your school technologically advantaged or disadvantaged?
Advantaged - we have just this year gone wireless with 30 macbooks available to students, plus desktop computers in the library

Ok, now time for the bigger questions:

7. In what ways do you incorporate technology into your classroom?

I use technology just about everyday. We create our yearbook online, and use digital cameras for our yearbook pics, and web page design uses Publisher and internet. I use Powerpoint for presentations, and online games to introduce lessons (ie the Renaissance) or to further cement ideas/concepts.

8. Would you like other teachers to do the same?
Depends on their comfort level...and it depends on the resources available. The technology has to be available for use on demand if it is to be successful.

9. Would you like to use more technology in your classroom? If so, how would you like to do this?
There are some parts of technology I would like to use more of, like blogs.

10. What parts of technology integration, if any, do you believe don't work?
Technology for technology sake. Sometimes a piece of paper and a pen are just as, if not more effective. Give me a hard copy of a book anyday!

11. What works the best?
Understanding how the technology fits with student lives and building their understanding from there. The ability to provide consistent and continuous use of technology, so they can explore deeper with it.

12. Do you think other teachers in your school, and network incorporate technology well?
I think given the chance to find a place in their teaching for using tech. teachers are likely to embrace it as another tool in the tool box.

[Drey]

cadreamer, thank you very much for sharing. And of course, thank you for finding an interest in my questions. I am glad to see that you are trying to get more technology in your school, even though it is difficult to do so. I find it great that you are willing to stay in the school you are in even though you know that the difficulties would 'fix themselves' if you were to move to a different district.

I also find it amazing that you were willing to write a grant in order to get your classroom calculators and a projector, which are basic nesseciities in most other schools.


Clearly Canadian, it's great to finally hear from another Canadian (and from my province nonetheless :) . I am happy to hear that technology is a great part of your school and the school is willing to work towards a greater use of technology (by purchasing macbooks and the like).

Blogs are great, especially for classes. My one University class this term is almost completely online, ever student has a blog and we do assingments on our blogs every week, and then of course we have our classes online (through a program called Elluminate).

All that being said I completely agree with your answer to my question number ten. Even with technology integration happening more and more, and becoming necessary, it is still important for the 'old fashioned' pen and paper.

Thank you both again, very much for your information. I hope to get to know you.

[mrbarold]

Hi does anyone know how to get in contact with Drey? Im interested in the project but cannot seem to contact them. thanks