Week 2, Task 4; Interview

Interview

Q: How do you plan your lessons with the integration of technology?

A: I know how important it is to integrate technology in my lessons. It differentiates the lesson and it prepares the students by giving them important skills. The first thing I have to evaluate is the class. I get a feel for their interactive skills, their literacy skills, and how well they work with technology. A technologically adept class will have an easier time using technology independently. I find that ELLs and students from low income families have had less access to updated technology and require more assistance. Once I understand where my class is standing in this respect, I can plan my lessons.

I like integrating technology in various forms. We watch clips on the Smartboard and play games on it as a class, too. What I find most challenging, but indeed most rewarding, is watching students collaborate when using technology. I think this is the most vital skill that students will need to know for always. By knowing how to combine ideas posed by a few people into one masterpiece, students are experiencing what they will have to do in the real world. When you think about it, it’s not very hard for a decently computer literate student to do projects using technology. They have been exposed to technology since they are born! It’s the collaboration factor that throws them off. They all have their ideas and they need  to learn to listen to others, too.

Q: What do you do about the difference in levels?

Since not all students are on the same level with their experience with technology, I need to differentiate the activities. Firstly, I group students according to ability so that they can have an easier or more difficult version of the task. ELLs can use translation tools and have one on one assistance. I am a firm believer in having students push their metal limits and work hard to reach a goal. That’s why I include ELLs and students with IEPs in every activity with just some minor modifications.

Q: What forms of technology do you use in your lessons?

A: Everything! We watch clips, play interactive games, and listen to music. We use word processing tools to type, and create presentations. We have just started a unit on blogging and the students love it!

Q: What questions and problems do you have with technology integration?

A: The first as we discussed, is the difference in levels. We have to scaffold and differentiate for the weaker students. A second concern is the lack of resources. We don’t have enough computers necessitating the group work. Additionally, the network is a bit outdated leading to frequent crashes which disrupts the lesson and frustrates the users.

Thank You so much!