Julia Belvin

Narrative of Interviews
FRIT 7739 Spring 2023
 This semester, I had the opportunity to shadow and interview 3 instructional specialists

within my school district, Cobb County School District. Each of these instructional specialists

work in the same feeder pattern, so they operate under the same district leadership and have the

same student demographic. There are two different positions represented between the three

specialists, each dealing with technology in a different capacity. Each position has some

similarities and differences within the school setting. Two of the people I interviewed were

Technology Training and Integration Specialists. This is a position within the Cobb County

Instructional Technology department. Each TTIS serves a few different schools, usually within

the same level. The other position I interviewed was a Media Specialist. In Cobb County, each

school has a media specialist. Their positions include technology and traditional library

components.

The first specialist that I had the opportunity to interview was Heather Charest. Heather’s

title is TTIS (Technology Training and Integration Specialist) at my elementary school, and she

is also my field supervisor this semester. She used to be an elementary school teacher but

transitioned to her new role a few years ago after earning her Instructional Technology degree.

Heather really enjoys getting to work with and mentor the teachers at her schools who are

interested in technology. At this center and the other schools that she serves, she is able to

engage with the teachers and staff through team meeting, one-on-one help sessions, and through

her participation with the technology committee.

The next specialist that I interviewed was Tracey Borup. Tracey found this role through a

different path, originally working in banking and business. She found her way into the education

field through her degree in business education and has worked in many different technology

support roles over the years before becoming a TTIS at Lassiter High School, as well as a few
other high schools in the area, where she currently serves hundreds of teachers and school

supports staff members. Tracey really enjoys getting the opportunity to help the teachers at her

schools learn more about technology applications and incorporating them into her instruction.

The third person that I got to interview was Amy Pease, a middle school media center

specialist at High Tower Trail Middle School. Amy began her career in education as a middle

school teacher, worked at Hightower Trail for many years, and became the media specialist upon

the completion of her degree. Amy has many roles in the media center, some that are related to

technology and supporting teachers and students within the school, and some that are considered

traditional library tasks. Since Amy works in the media center, her favorite part is getting to

work with all the students, while also working with the teachers.

The specialists that I interviewed have some different day-to-day responsibilities,

depending on their position title. Two of the specialists are Cobb County Technology Training

and Integration Specialists, Heather and Tracey. They each serve a few schools, working to

support the teachers who work there to ensure that they are aware of the best ways to incorporate

technology into their daily instruction and assessments. Even though Tracey and Heather both

serve the county through the same position and department, their roles look different because

Heather serves elementary schools while Tracey serves high schools. The technology needs are

different at those schools due to the level of work that teachers are assigning students to

complete with technology, the application that teacher and students use for instruction and

assignments purposes, and the resources available to those grade levels. The other technology

specialist, Amy Pease, is a Media Specialist at the middle school level. She supports teachers at

her school by preparing lessons for their students in the media center, such as research skills. She

also runs the school laptop help desk. Since Amy is the Media Center Specialist, she also helps
students select and check out books, selects new reading materials to purchase for the school,

and provides a collaborative space for students to work together and learn.

In addition to those responsibilities that have been part of their roles for years, all 3

specialists have also had some additional job responsibilities added to their roles since the

district’s introduction of one-to-one technology devices for students this school year. Since all

students in the county have their own laptop, teachers have incorporated many more technology

application into their instruction. Heather and Tracey help their teachers to become proficient in

using our district learning management system, CTLS. If a teacher is having technical difficulties

with using CTLS, Heather and Tracey are the first stop for them as they troubleshoot the

problem. In Amy’s media center at Hightower Trail, all students bring their laptops to her when

they have an issue. If she is able to fix the issue on her own, she assists the student to get their

laptop in working order. If she is not able to fix the issue, such as needing a replacement part, she

helps the student submit a work ticket to get their laptop fixed by the field technician.

One of the largest differences between these positions is the people that they serve and

interact with daily. Tracey and Heather are technology trainers, meaning that they only serve

teachers and other staff members. They do not have any interaction with students, and they do

not plan lessons or content to teach. Amy is a Media Specialist, meaning that she helps teachers

with technology, but also teachers lessons to classes, helps students troubleshoot technology

issues, and still interacts with students with traditional librarian tasks such as finding and

checking out books.

While the TTISs do not have a budget that they control, all 3 specialists are able to give

input into how the technology budget is used. Amy received a budget for the media center, but

she does not usually use her money for technology applications. She used the media center
budget for books but gives recommendations for how the school uses their technology budget.

Tracey and Heather do not have a budget for their position, but their schools do have a

technology budget that they consult on. The district instructional technology department also has

a budget that they control, Tracey and Heather are able to give input but do not have the final say

over how those funds are allocated.

To work in either of these positions, you much have a college degree. To work as a

Technology Training and Integration Specialist, you can have any teacher’s degree. A degree in

instructional technology is not required, but preferred. In addition to a teaching degree, you must

also have at least 3 years of teaching experience. To work as a Media Specialist, you must be a

certified media specialist with a master’s degree. Amy and Heather were both classroom teachers

before transitioning into their new roles as TTIS and Media Specialist.

All the technology specialist that I have worked with had one main mission when

working with staff members at their schools, and that was to mentor and support whenever

possible. While I was shadowing these technology specialists, they were quick and eager to help

any staff member who asked for support. Through these interviews with them, I was able to get a

deeper understanding of their daily roles, and their “why” for selecting their positions.