ILP #1
For my Independent Learning Project, I decided to interview a teacher about the technology she uses in the classroom. Last year, my best friend graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Education, and right after graduating, she became a teacher in her hometown, Bradenton, Florida. Through FSU's education program, she taught many classes and utilized the resources that the school had to offer, and I was interested to see how the resources that she used while interning were different than the resources she had now. Following is the interview that I conducted with Ms. Jaclyn Dombroski.
Me: So what technologies do you use for teaching in the classroom? Do you have a SMART board?
Jaclyn: Actually no; I did with my internships and I wish I had one but they don't give them to Pre-Kindergarten classes in my district.
Me: How did the SMART board help you with teaching?
Jaclyn: It was so helpful to better lessons and get students involved, like for example using Go Noodle for song and dance.
Me: How did this help the students?
Jaclyn: There were many interactive games and letter or number games that helped them get up and get involved with which made them much more interested in the lessons because they were actively participating. It can sometimes be difficult with younger students to keep them interested and engaged and the SMART board really helps because they can actively participate.
Me: What technologies do you use now in your classroom?
Jaclyn: For my calendar, in order to stay organized, I use the calendar app on my phone. This has all my due dates and my lesson plans in it. I also use my phone to connect to a Bluetooth speaker to play the songs we use for lessons and for class. I also have 4 laptops in the classroom for the students to use for a bunch of different educational websites, like Khan Academy. I also utilize my laptop in order for planning and actually making my lesson plans.
Me: How do you think this technology makes teaching easier for you?
Jaclyn: Well staying organized is obviously very important so staying organized makes my job a lot easier. If I didn't plan out my lesson plans day by day it would be very difficult to teach my young students. Having a set schedule is necessary when dealing with younger kids. Also, using my phone is so much more convenient than using a CD player because I can use a much larger variety of songs and its much cheaper than having to buy multiple CDs with different songs. I can just go on YouTube on my phone and it plays through the speaker so it makes it so much easier. Having the students use laptops is also very helpful because sometimes when a student needs a little extra help, it is difficult to give them one-on-one time with so many other students. With the laptops, they can practice on their own while I can still get things done.
After doing this interview with Jaclyn, it made me aware that we have to use our own resources in addition to the resources that are given to us by the schools and the district. Though certain technologies may be easier and more convenient to use, we may not have access to them as teachers so it is important to use your resources and use what is available to you. Teaching many kids at one time is a difficult job, and technology has the ability to make things a little easier, so it is important to be knowledgable about the resources we have and use them to create a better work environment for not only the students but also yourself.
Me: So what technologies do you use for teaching in the classroom? Do you have a SMART board?
Jaclyn: Actually no; I did with my internships and I wish I had one but they don't give them to Pre-Kindergarten classes in my district.
Me: How did the SMART board help you with teaching?
Jaclyn: It was so helpful to better lessons and get students involved, like for example using Go Noodle for song and dance.
Me: How did this help the students?
Jaclyn: There were many interactive games and letter or number games that helped them get up and get involved with which made them much more interested in the lessons because they were actively participating. It can sometimes be difficult with younger students to keep them interested and engaged and the SMART board really helps because they can actively participate.
Me: What technologies do you use now in your classroom?
Jaclyn: For my calendar, in order to stay organized, I use the calendar app on my phone. This has all my due dates and my lesson plans in it. I also use my phone to connect to a Bluetooth speaker to play the songs we use for lessons and for class. I also have 4 laptops in the classroom for the students to use for a bunch of different educational websites, like Khan Academy. I also utilize my laptop in order for planning and actually making my lesson plans.
Me: How do you think this technology makes teaching easier for you?
Jaclyn: Well staying organized is obviously very important so staying organized makes my job a lot easier. If I didn't plan out my lesson plans day by day it would be very difficult to teach my young students. Having a set schedule is necessary when dealing with younger kids. Also, using my phone is so much more convenient than using a CD player because I can use a much larger variety of songs and its much cheaper than having to buy multiple CDs with different songs. I can just go on YouTube on my phone and it plays through the speaker so it makes it so much easier. Having the students use laptops is also very helpful because sometimes when a student needs a little extra help, it is difficult to give them one-on-one time with so many other students. With the laptops, they can practice on their own while I can still get things done.
After doing this interview with Jaclyn, it made me aware that we have to use our own resources in addition to the resources that are given to us by the schools and the district. Though certain technologies may be easier and more convenient to use, we may not have access to them as teachers so it is important to use your resources and use what is available to you. Teaching many kids at one time is a difficult job, and technology has the ability to make things a little easier, so it is important to be knowledgable about the resources we have and use them to create a better work environment for not only the students but also yourself.
Comments
Post a Comment