TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW TEMPLATE

Name: Maria Nichols

Date: 12/2/23
Grade Level of Teacher/Instructional Coach: 8th
Content Area of Teacher/Instructional Coach: Social Studies

Directions: When you meet with the teacher or instructional coach, ask him or her the
questions below. Feel free to ask a few more related questions. Make sure you inform the
teacher that you will take notes during the interview. Record the interview if the teacher agrees
to be recorded. After the interview, reflect on the interview experience by answering the
reflection questions.

Collaborate with Colleagues

What is your background, training, and experience as an educator?
The teacher I interviewed is a social studies teacher who has been teaching for 6 years. He
graduated in 2015 for Indiana University, and certified to to teach social studies in grades 6-
12. He is also the tech coordinator in the building, and the go to for all things tech and
strategies in the classroom.

What digital apps, digital programs and digital media do you recommend for your classroom?
This teacher uses Google Drive, Power Point, Excel, Google My Maps, Forms, and Kahoot,
among others. He also uses several different websites such as You Tube, iCivics, Google My
Maps, etc. Recently, he has been learning to use Nearpod, but has not fully integrated it into
his classroom. He says that he likes to use Google for writing assignments and presentations,
because it is easier to track student progress, by adding him as a collaborator to their work.
His tests are usually on Google Forms as well, because it helps him track data through
analysis of each question and student.

Technology Goals
How do you stay current with key research that supports technology’s role in improved student
learning outcomes?
He says that a lot of what he does comes from trial and error. He will usually just search for
resources online when he has an idea for a lesson to see what he can find. For example, he
says that he discovered Google My Maps by accident. This is a program where students can
create their own virtual maps on an overlay of an actual Google Satellite Map. He uses this is
a specific lesson about the Battles of the American Revolutionary War, where students map
 out the locations of key battles of the war. Another neat project he likes is having students
create a Virtual Museum about the Civil War. He also found the idea for virtual museums
online, and adapted it to his own needs in the classroom. He also relies on the school
district’s tech department. It’s called FWCS integraED. This is one of my PLN as well. There
are many resources for teachers, but as the Building Tech Coordinator, his job is to bring new
ideas from that department into the school buildings.

When you learn that a digital tool or a pedagogical practice is not as effective as you originally
thought, how do you adjust?
The teacher usually evaluates his lesson for their effectiveness and then makes adjustments
for the next year, or next lesson as needed. For example, a Civil War virtual museum he used
two years ago was on Google Slides. He wanted to use that because he can track student
progress better, and it automatically saves their work. However, the slideshow at the end did
not work the way he wanted to. So, last year he created a new virtual museum shell in
Power Point from scratch for students to use and put information into. It worked a lot better,
but he had to remind and make sure students were saving it often and correctly.

How do you engage in conversation about current research or findings from the learning
sciences?
He often learns of new tech to use in the classroom through his quarterly Building
Technology Coordinator meetings. Anything he learns, he is quick to share it with other
colleagues in the building. He says he is also willing to try new things he learns in the
classroom.

How do you make educational research meaningful in your content?

A lot of times, the school district provides a variety of Professional Learning on new
techniques and strategy in the classroom. Often times he says that he tries new things for
the classroom to see if they will work. He uses a lot of the resources that the district
provides. For example, the district he says, used to use Pear Deck. It is an add on for Google
Slides, which he used. The district did not renew the contract for that program this year and
switched to Nearpod. So, he is learning that now.

Digital Learning
What is your experience in online or blended learning environments?
During the Covid Pandemic, the school needed 3 virtual classes for each subject and each
grade level. He volunteered to teach 2 of the classes for 8th Grade U.S. History. However, he
was asked to teach all three 8th and all three 7th grade social studies, because he was more
technology proficient than some other teachers were. So, during the 20-21 school year he
taught entirely online from his classroom over Zoom.
What strategies do you use to engage students in active learning in online or blended learning
environments?
He said that one of the challenges during the virtual learning was student accountability
online. For example, one of the major struggles was virtual classroom management.
Students keeping their cameras on, remaining focused on the Zoom, avoiding background
distractions, etc. Helping students online was difficult as well. In the classroom, he was able
to move around the room and see when students were struggling, but online he had to rely
on students to tell him that they needed help.

He found that using Zoom breakout rooms helped a lot, because it allowed students to work
asynchronously as individual students, or synchronously on group assignments. With the
breakout rooms, students could work individually in their own rooms that the teacher could
pop in and out. He could also put students in small groups to work together.

He also relied heavily on Google Docs for assignments, because he could track real time as
students made edits. He modified his paper assignments to create fillable blank spaces that
students could type answers. It was a challenging year; his goal during the virtual learning
was to try new things to engage students. It was something that really no one had done
before. After that year, the school district was going to open a virtual school. His principal
asked if he wanted to apply for the social studies position. He said that he had no interest in
that, and was looking forward to having students in the classroom again.

Manage Technology Use

How do you manage technology use in the classroom and in the online or blended learning
environment?
In the classroom, technology is easier to manage. The school district already has several
safeguards in place to control how students use technology. The school district used a
program called Lan School to help monitor student computers. He said that he used it to
monitor student screens, and lock student computers as needed. However, he said the best
way to manage technology is movement around the room to monitor students first hand.
Misuse of school computers or playing games follow similar expectations of being on task in
the classroom.

He also mentioned that there has to be a balance of technology use in the classroom. He
mentioned that he tries to differentiate lessons and activities to make sure its not too heavy
one way or the other. For example, he has some specific projects that are only on the
computer, and some do not use technology at all. An example of this is the map that
students make about the American Revolutionary War. He has a lesson on the causes of the
war, in which the students make a timeline leading up to the Declaration of Independence.
Students do not use technology for this project. However, on the next project, students use
online resources to create an online map of the major battles of the American Revolutionary
War.
How do you engage students in setting clear ground rules and parameters for technology use?
He says that the district has a clear technology use policy that students are expected to
follow. In the classroom, his main concerns are distractions caused by the computers.
Students watching YouTube, playing games, or other off task behaviors. This is one of the
classroom expectations and school “Non-Negotiables.” He says that students are expected to
be on task in the classroom. When a student is not doing what they are supposed to like
playing a game or watching YouTube, he treats it the same as other off task behaviors.

Cultural Competency
Reflecting upon your class, how does this specific group of students create a completely unique
learning group and environment?
He says that the current group of students are all connected. They get along well, and are
very willing to work together. This is the group of students were back in school during 6 th
grade after Covid. Therefore, they have not missed any of their middle school experience
due to the Pandemic. The reason he mentions this, is that the last year’s 8 th grade did not get
along, did not want to work together like this year’s class does. He says that students do a lot
of maturing during middle school and the year of Covid shows.

How would you recognize and describe diversity as an asset?

“Diversity is an asset, because it brings multiple perspectives into the classroom,” he said.
One of the things that he talks about with his students at the beginning of the year is that
every students had their own perspective and although they may disagree with one other,
interactions will be respectful in his classroom. He also tries to incorporate the diversity into
the classroom lessons. For example, last year he had a student of Native American descent.
When they were talking about a lesson on national expansion, he encouraged that student to
share about the experience of Native Americans during that time, as it applied.

How do you model cultural understanding for your students?

One of the ways he models cultural understanding is to take other accounts into perspective
and listening. One of the expectations of the classroom is that when someone is talking
students should be active listening. Voices and eyes are on the speaker. This he said, shows
that person respect and that the other students are paying attention to what the speaker is
saying.

What are the factors that affect your student’s learning?

There are many factors that impact learning he said, including things that the students are
facing at home. Many of his students have to take responsibility for their siblings at home, as
well as other responsibilities that would otherwise normally be a parent’s job. However,
 many of the parents are working when the student is home, and are not able to support the
student the way they need to be supported. This includes support in the classroom, in the
form of differentiation and holding students accountable. Phones an increasing distraction in
many ways. In particular, students expect to be able to find research answers by typing in
the question being asked. They want to put in the first result, which is not always the correct
response. So, he has to help guide them on the proper ways to research a topic.

What are a few student strengths and student learning needs?

As mentioned before, the students of the current class like to work with one another. This is
an asset for learning, especially on group projects. He says, that it also allows him to use
other learning strategies such as turn and talk with more success than last year. One of the
needs for students is knowing when to ask for help. Many times students struggle with self-
advocacy and asking for help when they do not understand something. Although he uses
checks for understanding during whole group instruction, sometimes students fall behind
during project days when the classroom is busy.

How can technology enhance your student’s strengths and remove barriers?
The teacher mentioned that technology provides tools that enhance student learning. It is
another level of differentiation for different learners. The teacher says that he has students
who excel in the use of technology as apposed to other forms of learning. A major barrier
that he says helps remove barriers is the ability to quickly translate text and for him to
communicate with students who do not speak English. While “Google Translate” is not 100%
accurate, it is better than nothing.

Another barrier that it removes is giving students access to learning things they might not
otherwise. An example of this he says, is that when he was teaching virtually he had students
tour the British History Museum during a lesson on ancient Egypt. This is something that had
not always existed until the Covid pandemic. He continues to use resources such as this to
enhance student learning in the classroom.

Feel free to ask a few more related questions if the teacher has time. Record the questions and
responses below.

Question: If you had to choose one thing that, you have done using technology in the
classroom, what would it be?
Response: “I really like the Civil War Virtual Museum Power Point that I created and used. I
tried to model it like the real Civil War Museum in Richmond. Students are able to easily enter
information in, and then they are able to tour each other’s museums?
Question: What is the single biggest challenge for technology in the classroom?
Response: “The biggest challenge is students being on task. Although we have software that I
use to monitor student screens, I cannot sit at my computer the whole class. Then, when I’m
walking around the room, they can quickly exit out of a game or YouTube. That and students
not having their computer, or charger too.”

Question:
Response:

Directions: Reflect on what you learned during the interview.

Reflection

Describe what you learned about technology tools in the classroom. Describe the strengths
and weaknesses of the teachers’ classroom practices. Does the information connect with any
personal experience or content learned in this course (research, theory, a scholar’s work)?
I have learned that technology tool in the classroom has been a great innovation when it
comes to teaching. Technology tools can be utilized on every subject, we can access
information one click away and we can monitor student online activity. Technology also
helps us differentiate for students in the classroom. There are activities such as his Civil
War Virtual Museum that can engage students in meaningful learning.

The main teacher strength is that he is very knowledgeable in computer and uses it as an
advantage in his classroom. I also think it is a strength that he is willing to try new things in
the classroom. He then learns from the outcome of that learning to shape his future
lessons. His willingness to differentiate and understand how his students learn is
important too. Students are able to engage through online interactive activities as their
learning history.

One of the teacher’s weaknesses is something that he mentions about managing

technology. It is difficult to always monitor student activity, and while he mentioned that
the school district provides safeguards, it is more difficult to monitor off task behaviors
such as watching YouTube or playing games. Another weakness that he mentioned is his
challenging to implement classroom expectations regarding technology consistently. He
said that he is always trying to improve his classroom management as new challenges
occur.

As I have been teaching I also use what resources the school district provides, and would
like to try new things. I have also experienced a similar situation to what the teacher
describes regarding the use of Microsoft vs. Google applications. I often have students
struggling or forgetting to save their work when using Microsoft. While the curriculum still
 calls for students to learn both, I tend to favor Google because it automatically saves
progress. Even for my own use in creating paper documents, I prefer to use Google
applications because of their ease of use. I have also though about becoming Google
Certified. One of the teachers I have been working with did that, and I think it is a great
skill of have on my resume.

Describe what you learned about how to manage technology in the classroom. Describe how
you will manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms,
virtual environments, or in the classroom.
I learned that it is more effective to alternate between lessons that use technology and
ones that do not. Sometimes, too much technology is not good. I like when he mentioned
that his lesson on the American Revolutionary War alternates in that manner. I have
experienced this in my classroom as well. Students become burned-out doing schoolwork
on the computer and once I alternate to paper, I have noticed success.

Many times, I have used a combination of technology and paper pencil. For example,
students might use paper and pencil to conduct research online. One of the lesson I have
done is that students create a business. They have online activities and assignments to do
for this project, but they also create a logo, which is done pencil and paper. So, that kind of
management will help students’ technology use balanced as well.

In the interview, the teacher mentioned the use of a program called Lan School. The
district recently switched to a new program called Classwize. It works the same way that
the old program did regarding monitoring students. I would like to have a similar stance on
monitoring students on my computer in addition to walking around the classroom. This
way, whether I am at my desk, or up walking around I can monitor students to make sure
they are on task. One thing that I like about Classwize is that I can take a screen shot of a
student’s computer to have if I need to make a parent contact to let them know that their
student is off task.

Describe what you learned about cultural competency in the classroom. Describe how diversity
is an asset and how you can model cultural understanding for your students. Describe how the
teacher demonstrates cultural competency in his or her classroom. Does the information
connect with any personal experience or content learned in this course (research, theory, a
scholar’s work)?
The main thing I learned about cultural competency in the classroom is to value the
students’ individual perspectives. These different perspectives help create diversity in the
classroom, which is an asset to student learning. Students learning from each other in a
variety of ways. One of the ways I can model cultural understanding is by respecting my
students’ views, beliefs, culture and background. Letting students speak and express their
views by listening and modeling active listening for other students to do the same. I like
that the teacher has a classroom expectation of “Active Listening.” Students should have
voices off, and eyes should be on the person speaking.

In the interview, the teacher mentioned that he encourages students to speak about
personal experiences and their backgrounds. For example, he mentioned the Native
American student who has a different perspective on American Expansion. This creates
cultural competency, because other students in the classroom are able to learn a different
perspective than what the content may have to say.

In my personal experience as an English Language Learner as a student, I know the

challenge that some of my current ELL students are facing. Simply creating ways for those
students to be more involved and understanding where they come from can increase
cultural competency.