Technology Site Interviews Narrative – Colquitt County Schools

During my Instructional Technology Practicum, I have had the pleasure of interviewing

three Technology Specialists employed by the Colquitt County School system. I interviewed
Cindy Walsh (Instructional Technology Specialist - Willie J Williams Middle School) who was
my field supervisor, Paula Wyatt (Academic Coach and Instructional Technology Specialist –
Okapilco Elementary School), and Randi Brown (Instructional Technology Specialist and E-Rate
Administrator – Colquitt County Hight School). The Colquitt County School system has ten
elementary schools, one middle, one junior high, and one high school that serves around 9,500
students. The technology department has never been what one would consider a large
department even with the school system being as large as it is. The department had four
technology specialists and in 2016, three of the technology specialists were transferred into
school positions and there was only one to fill the duties and responsibilities of serving the
system. In 2017, one of the specialists was hired back into the technology department and in
2018 another specialist was hired back. The department has three of the original four specialists
working today but the fourth position that was transferred out to the school position was never
filled. These positions are held by three hard working women that have worked as teachers,
academic coach, media specialists, and instructional technology specialists.
The three Instructional Specialists all agreed that the system did not require a specific
degree for the position except a BS in Education with certification in any field but each one had
advanced degrees ranging from a bachelor’s degree to a specialist degree. Their job
responsibilities vary with the list growing by the day because there are only three to fulfill the
duties for a big school system that needs to hire more technology specialists. Because of the
need, the technology department created the SOUNDER Academy as a technology resource to
assist the elementary schools with technology help because they do not have a technology
specialist assigned to each one. These schools have a teacher leader who volunteered to be the
technology resource and attend professional learning sessions on a Saturday outside of school
hours to collaboratively support fellow educators to transform learning and teaching. If there is a
situation that they cannot resolve, then the point of contact will be any of the three Instructional
Technology Specialists. There is a need for more technology specialists but there has been no
discussion of hiring additional personnel.
The job duties and responsibilities went into overdrive as remote learning became the
mode of instruction last year due to COVID in early March. As the shutdown began, the
technology specialists were needed even more. Our system was not a one-to-one student device
system when this occurred, but the specialists were there to help give out devices to students who
had internet and could attend the online classes we were offering from the time we shutdown in-
person school until the end of May. Each of the specialists were involved in the Google Meet
and Google Classroom rollout for the shutdown. Trainings were held either online or face to
face to get teachers ready for online instruction. Cindy helps convert paper content to digital
format that can placed in Google Classroom for student work and also supports teachers with the
use of technology software and equipment that they use in their daily instruction. She is also
available to answer any questions that parents and students have on online learning and accessing
their teacher’s instructional materials. Paula helps her teachers by helping them implement
creative solutions that work best for their students while learning virtually. She also feels she
needs to be there for her teachers to support their social-emotional needs when they need to vent
about the struggles they have faced during this remote transition. Paula is providing parents and
students with chromebook support and also wireless smartspots, called Kajeets, to provide
wireless internet at home. Paula is the remote learning coordinator that oversees all remote
classes and also teaches remote classes for K and 2nd grades. Randi helps teachers at the high
school with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and the remote LMS, Edgenuity. She also gives
phone and email support to teachers and students when she is working in her other position as E-
Rate Administrator over infrastructure. Randi has provided students and parents with video
presentations about the chromebooks before they could be checked out. Randi provided the
teachers at the high school with basic troubleshooting information to help students and parents
with remote learning before contacting her.
All three specialists love what they do each and every day. Cindy feels the best part of
her job is knowing that she helped fellow teachers when they need help, whether it is with
technology to enhance their lessons or just answering a simple question. She said teachers are
always very appreciative and this makes her feel good knowing she can help. Paula said without
a doubt that the best part of her job is working with teachers and students. She said everyday
presents new challenges and that teaching is a tough job now more than ever, but it is a
profession where you can make the most impact in another person’s life. Randi said her job is
never boring and is always changing based on district-wide initiatives, individual school
initiatives and updates in technology and/or programs. She gets to build relationships with
teachers and students to truly impact the learning that is taking place every day in the schools.
They do not control a budget for technology, but they do work with other people in the
department to make decisions through research to find appropriate resources that fits the needs of
the school or teachers that they serve.
I enjoyed the opportunity to interview the three people that makes a tremendous impact
every day on the technology needs of teachers and students. They have such diverse
backgrounds which helps they jobs and the teachers they serve. They each have been with the
school system in different positions, and they are constantly researching to keep up to date with
the changing technology. Each of the specialists expressed their love for helping others and
providing the support that teachers and students need in today’s school environment, whether
that is in-person or remote learning. They all agree that we need other specialists in our district
because we have so many schools and the elementary schools do not have a specialist assigned to
them. The only elementary school that has an assigned specialist is Okapilco because of a grant
that they received that required them to have a technology specialist. I have learned from each
one of them and look forward to learning more. They truly made me feel like I was one of them
and was always willing to answer any question I had.