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Kaleeah Weaver

Education 214

Dr. Joni Flowers

20 September 2022

Integrating Technology Into The Classroom

Technology has been advancing quicker and quicker in the past few years, and you could

argue that humans are advancing equally as quickly these days. On the contrary, technology

could sooner than later begin to advance so quickly that we humans fall off our high horses and

end up getting left behind by something we created with our own hands. That would be

detrimental, so to combat it, we should make it one of our priorities to build knowledge about

both old and new technology- starting at our roots. Our childhoods, the time when we are the

easiest to influence, is the time to start building that knowledge- and what better way is there to

familiarize ourselves with this fast-advancing concept than by teaching children about it

throughout their school years?

If I’m being honest, I never would have thought that I’d ever talk to, let alone interview, a

high school principal until at least obtaining my Bachelor’s degree and entering the workforce

later on in life. Despite that, here I am in my second year of college emailing a very lovely

woman- who happens to be the principal of a high school that a few of my close friends went to.

On September 12th, 2020, I sent an email to Ms. Kimberly Perry Carter, the current principal of

Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ms. Perry-Carter, as a principal, is someone you can

assume knows much more about technology concerning school-wide necessity and usage than
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the average person, and you’d be correct. Ms. Perry-Carter is a knowledgeable source of

information about teachers, students, and the use of technology.

Valley High School, a Vegas school with roots in CCSD (Clark County School District), is a

school that does indeed have a technology plan. According to Ms. Perry-Carter, “The plan is

created by the technology committee which is made of teachers and staff members. The

technology plan is tied to the School Performance Plan goals.” Interesting… I initially believed

that CCSD would give the schools a certain amount of computers and things of that nature

according to how many students were in the school. Perry-Carter explained that schools have a

committee of staff and teachers who make these decisions, and any new technology needed for

the school has to correlate with instructional needs. The School Performance Plan goals that she

had mentioned even include how the newly purchased technology will be used to improve

students’ learning.

When asked about the process a teacher must go through to get new technology for the

classroom, Perry-Carter stated, “[Teachers] submit a proposal explaining the need and how the

technology will be used to improve student learning and instruction.” As for the exact

technology and any decision-making that comes with said technology, Perry-Carter notes that the

purchases of these devices are mainly “based on the need [for them] and the availability of

funding.” Moreover, when unexpected problems arise with teachers and said technology in the

classrooms, she commented that they have three knowledgeable members on their technical

support team who are ready to act in an instant, “[Their] response time is almost immediately but
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the resolution of the problem may take longer if we have to order new technology or parts. In

most cases, we can swap out the technology.”

Naturally, there are times when teachers and other types of educators struggle with using

all this new hardware and software. Perry-Carter noted that the same tech support team that

troubleshoots technology problems for the school also helps these teachers and educators with

using technology- and if more help is needed, there are also some professional learning courses

available to educators provided by CCSD as well. Teachers aren't the only ones that may be

struggling with technology, and when asked about any events or activities involving the

community with the school’s technology, Perry-Cater commented that “during parent [and]

family nights technology may be used.” Parent and family nights, from what I’ve gathered from

my friends who attended the school, include many different parental involvement activities for

the community who attend the school.

Beyond that, Valley High School has many things to be proud of regarding technology. Being an

older school, there have been many types of new technology hardware and software used in

those walls over the past few decades. Today, in 2022, Perry-Carter remarked that Valley High

School is currently, “Almost 2:1 with student Chromebooks and [our] teachers have desktops

and laptops as needed. We have fully equipped computer labs and content-specific technology

that was requested by teachers.” This fact alone is incredible if you were to compare it to when

the school was first founded. Students at Valley High have almost an impossible chance of being

left out in terms of using technology because there is so much available to them at any time-

from Chromebooks to entire computer labs- they will find a method. Although technology has
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progressed a long way, Perry-Carter added that there is still a challenge they face with how

quickly the technology changes and how soon they can provide teachers and staff with the newer

versions of hardware and software.

When asked about whether or not there is a digital divide among schools in the district,

Perry-Carter stated that she thinks so- there are many elementary and middle schools that do not

have suitable funding to assist them with getting technology. When asked if schools and teachers

could ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn and use computers while in

school, she noted that educators would need to ensure there was simultaneously appropriate and

consistent use of technology in all classes. Adjacent to that, Ms. Perry-Carter is very fit to teach

children and educators about technology and doesn’t struggle with it much at all it seems, as she

stated that she feels like she is well-versed in the use of technology. In terms of being fluent in

using this technology- such as the computer, projector, or online software- she commented,

“[Being fluent in technology] is an advantage. Our students use tech daily so educators need to

be fluent.” Lastly, when inquired about her opinion on the direction that educational technology

is going in these days or if she would like to change anything about it, she stated, “I would like to

see more simulations of real-world events connected to content level learning where students are

interacting with technology to enhance their learning.”

I almost view Ms. Perry-Carter as a role model of sorts. She, being not only an admirable

black woman and a delightful principal, is someone I strive to be like when I’m older. I am also a

black woman myself, and my life goal is to become a principal of a school or high school by the

time I’m 50 years old, so I can’t help but view her as an older extension of myself in a good way.
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All of her responses and comments gave me an understanding as to what I may learn and know

about technology whenever the time I become principal comes around; Ms.Perry-Carter has

years of experience dealing with everchanging technology in school and work settings. Her

knowledge about technology-based hardware, software, their educational uses, and how to

troubleshoot them comes from years on the job and experience with said engines- and her

interview was an insight into that fact.

Now, there’s something I didn’t mention when I brought up the fact that I had emailed

Ms. Perry-Carter on September 12th, 2020. She was not the only person I emailed that day, I had

emailed a regular English teacher for an interview before I even considered her. I sent two

emails, one asking to interview the teacher and one including the interview questions, to a

teacher at Valley High School. Sadly, he responded to the first email allowing me to interview

him, but I never received a response to the questions from him. Consequently, I emailed multiple

other teachers at Valley High School to get a very last-minute response from someone, anyone

even. Thankfully, two wonderful, lovely teachers responded to my questions promptly with full-

fledged responses.

Tara Hottendorf and Ryan Max Ocampo are two English teachers from Valley High School. As

educators in the 21st century, they find themselves using technology in their classrooms all the

time- so it is only natural that they would be well-informed on technology. There are many types

of educational software that both students and educators use for grading, report writing, and so

on, and being CCSD educators (Clark County School District), both Mr. Ocapmo and Ms.

Hottendorf commented that Infinite Campus is their primary tool for managing students. Mr.
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Ocampo noted that some of the specific uses of the app include “grades, attendance, district

testing information, personal/guardian information, behavioral information, mass e-mailing,

generating reports, etc,” and he also stated that the school's primary curriculum management

system is in Canvas. Speaking of Canvas, Ms. Hottendorf also mentioned the curriculum engine

in Canvas, but she remarked that “we are also supposed to be using curriculum engine but I have

been so busy that I have not been using it.”

In terms of which software products are the most effective in the teaching and learning

process, Ocampo commented that for teaching, he sticks to Google apps such as Slides and Docs

and then integrates them into Canvas. As for effectiveness in the learning process, he noted that

he finds “Engagement increases when I use things like Kahoot or PollEverywhere that allows for

individual real-time engagement via personal devices. These are all tools. I am a firm believer

that it really depends on how you use the tool, not how well-designed it is.” As for Ms.

Hottendorf, she interestingly commented that she is not the largest fan of most software

programs. Valley High School purchased “Study Sync” for their curriculum, an online program,

but she deems it as “not user friendly or easy to adapt/use in the classroom.” She prefers to work

hands-on most of the time, but she does enjoy things like Kahoot, Blooket, and even social

media apps like TikTok to engage the classroom in lessons. Neighboring on that, both teachers

mentioned that neither of them received any kind of training to use these apps, though there are

options that the school and district provide to educators for learning purposes.

When it comes down to teaching students how to use software products, both Hottendorf

and Ocampo state that neither of them has to spend much time teaching students how to use
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educational software. “The software I use is typically very intuitive. Kids sign in and interact in

ways that are typically familiar to them because these generations of students are now considered

digital natives,” Ocampo commented. He also added, “However, I often find myself running into

students who aren't as digitally competent and do end up troubleshooting often. I stick to mostly

software the kids are used to using because of other classes, especially since increased use during

the virtual year.” Hottendorf’s response was similar, “Most [students] come knowing how to use

the "fun" stuff, and we do basics for things like Infinite Campus and Canvas at the beginning of

the year during procedural stuff.”

In addition, lately, there has been a noticeable digital divide in both the school and school

system, and both teachers stated this. Hottendorf put her opinion on the divide into words best,

“Absolutely. For starters, there's far too much on the teacher's plate and so when we don't receive

the training we need to implement software programs, I immediately revert back to what I know

works - paper and pen. When something is GREAT, I will take the time to learn it, but I haven't

been impressed with what we've seen.” As for how the school system bridges the gap, Ocampo

commented that both educators and the school system were conscious of students who didn’t

have the technology at home for virtual learning, CCSD increased funding and many schools

have gone down to a 1:1 ratio of students who took home school equipment to utilize. Hottendorf

remarked that she thinks the entire educational system needs to be updated to give teachers the

tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

On the other hand, Technology does occasionally interfere with teaching and learning in

the classroom. Hottendorf stated that when technology is used as a tool for learning, “it’s
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awesome,” and that she encourages her students to use their phones for “good.” As an example,

she mentioned, that the students may look up a word that they aren’t familiar with while reading.

Hottendorf shared an experience that she had as well, “We were reading a text that referenced a

specific type of car and a student grabbed their phone. Without thinking, I told them to put it

away, until that student showed me their screen. They were genuinely curious about what this car

looked like and were doing a google search of it. That moment drastically shifted my perspective

on tech in education.” On the contrary, Ocampo noted something I consider to be true as well,

“Technology allows access to more distractions and does interfere with teaching and learning if

not handled properly. Students who lack focus will often turn to their devices for engaging

entertainment that is not academic and it contributes to teacher burnout as educators feel like

they are competing for attention.”

Moreover, when asked about any suggestions to improve the use of technology in the

classroom, Mr. Ocampo made it a point that teachers are doing what they can with the resources

provided. “Some educators are just not well-equipped with skills to manage digital technology,

but they excel in more hands-on traditional approaches and that is okay. I think we should build a

culture that trusts teachers to pick when and where they need to implement technology and

provide support for when they choose to use it,” he remarked. In contrast, Ms. Hottendorf,

unfortunately, stated that she couldn’t think of any but she wished she could. She believes

improving the use of technology either starts at home or needs to be a school-wide policy.

Moving on, it’s no secret that society is pushing towards a more technology-filled future.

It’s just the truth, whether we like it or not, but is it a push in the right direction? Mr. Ocampo
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couldn’t necessarily agree that it’s the right push, but he could admit that it is a necessary push

that society needs to make. “As our society becomes more automated, integrated, and digital, the

people need to become more digitally aware in order to engage in society. For instance, voting is

largely done via a digital touchscreen. Simple gestures such as swiping to scroll and typing on a

touchpad become necessary skills that we have to teach in schools. Knowing how to manipulate

an e-mail delivery system is necessary in order to be successful,” he intelligently stated, “I don't

think technology is the right direction as so much as it is inevitable, and our job as educators is to

make sure that our kids are ready for what is in store for them.” As for Ms. Hottendorf, she is not

quite sure at the moment whether or not a technology-filled society is a push in the right

direction. She considers it to be a double-sided sword, “I believe students need balance, and

sometimes the constant technology takes away from their face-to-face interactions, which are

equally important for social development. That and tech-filled lifestyles are also commonly

sedentary lifestyles, which I don't think are healthy.”

In addition to that, when asked about any educational software they would go back in

time and have developed faster because it’s so useful, Hottendorf stated that she would have the

“fun ones” developed quicker for use, such as Kahoot and/or Blooket. She considers them to be

great tools to use with students in the classroom. As for Mr. Ocampo, he funnily stated, “I don't

think I could ever imagine having to manage all of my student's grades in a gigantic cell-shaded

book. I am glad that Infinite Campus exists.”

Lastly, I asked the teachers about how often they find themselves struggling while using any

educational software on any given day, and this tied back into how they answered a question at
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the beginning of my interview- when they were asked about which software products the find the

most effective in the teaching and learning process. In the beginning, Hottendorf commented that

she wasn’t the biggest fan of most software programs and that she prefers pen and paper, so it

makes sense that she answered that she finds herself struggling with educational software often.

However, she stated that she still does feel fairly well-versed in technology at the same time, she

just thinks there may be a disconnect between “user-friendliness and effectiveness within

educational software.” Mr. Ocampo, on the other hand, considers himself to be a digitally

comfortable educator whos well-versed in technology enough to say that he does not struggle

much at all. His struggles mainly come from “many other sources like kids not knowing when to

use their technology or randomly picking off the keys on their Chromebook out of sheer

boredom.” Interestingly, he added, “Education is a struggle in general.”

In all honesty, tech is quickly advancing by the second, and 30 years from now we may

have talking robots teaching students in classrooms with one human as the overseer of

everything in the school system. There may be new requirements regarding a person's knowledge

about technology in the future because of all of the new things that are created and released to

the public every day. I am very grateful to have been able to interview not only two different

English teachers, which is the kind of teacher I am aspiring to be currently, but I also got to

interview a principal, which is my long-term career goal at the end of the day. Their views on

technology really gave me an impactful insight into what kind of knowledge I will have in the

future, and I’ve said this before but I do mean it. This was an interesting experience, and it has

pulled some strings in my mind to make me think about what exactly my teaching career is going

to look like once I reach that level. I plan on teaching and being some kind of educator for a
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long, long time, and with the way technology is moving as quickly as it is these days, I am going

to have to play catch-up with certain technology and learn the newer ones once they come out. I

was very excited to become a teacher before and while writing this assignment; that excitement

has now multiplied by a long shot.

Unrelated Notes for Professor:

I hope that it is alright that I used two teachers for the teacher interview section of the

midterm. I was very worried over the past few days because the one teacher I had asked to

interview did not get back to me in a timely manner. I was stressed and concerned when I sent

out mass emails to the English teacher section of Valley High School’s staff because there were

only four days left until the midterm was due and I hadn’t written anything for the teacher

section yet. Out of the five or so teachers that responded to me, Ms. Tara Hottendorf and Mr.

Ryan Max Ocampo were the only teachers who gave full-fledged responses that weren’t only a

sentence long, so I wanted to show my thanks to them and include them both in the teacher

section even though only one teacher was needed. I’m going to express my gratitude and email

this midterm to them for answering my questions quickly and appropriately. My stress was

dissolved as soon as I read their answers, and I am very, very grateful.

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Email Correspondence: I compiled all the emails used for the interviews into this Google Drive

folder that you should be able to access without signing in.

There are only 6 emails:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iMxf8zd_EKQTJVhHYMkPr4uJ3FYUbqWt?

usp=sharing