Interview with a Veteran Teacher

Interview on January 26th, 2009 with male veteran teacher in small to mid-
sized (400 students) private high school.

Questions in bold, comments on selected passages on the right, in italics.

Q: What classes do you teach? Quite obviously, this is a very

A: Math 11, Physics 11,12, Chemistry veteran teacher who has been
11, 12 around for a while.

Q: How long have you been And yet, this teacher is fairly tech-
teaching? savvy: he uses digital cameras,
A: 34 years computers, etc. in his personal life.

Q: What is your degree in?

A: Chemistry - BA Science plus PDP

Q: Why do you teach?

A: Well, to put bread on the table?
(laughs)

Actually, I really enjoy it, I enjoy the To be still enjoying what you’re doing
subject, and I enjoy the students. I after 34 years – whatever it is that
enjoy helping people. Also, I like that you’re doing – is, I think, a definition
I can control how I spend my day - of success.
I'm in control of those things. I also
enjoy the summer holidays. I do
enjoy teaching ... though some days
are better than others!

Q: What technology do you use in Subject first mistakes the question as

your classes? a personal one … but moves on to
A: Well, um, my own computer for instructional uses. Question could
keeping up daily grades and have been clearer.
attendance - we use BCeSIS. And
emails with staff. I get the school
announcements, and read them from
off the screen - any updates, that
sort of thing.

For smaller classes, I might show a
YouTube clip, or use CD-ROM
instructional software for Chemistry
for instance. But I don't have a
PowerPoint projector - most of the
other teachers in my school do, and
Subject has one computer for
student instructional use in his
classroom/lab.
The graphing calculator subject
mentions is fairly new, but he does
I'm supposed to be on the list. I do not have enough for the entire class.
use a DVD player and television from
time to time.

I do have a TI-83 calculator with an

overhead panel, but I don't use it
very often because it's kinda clunky -
it shows a really pixellated image.

Q: What challenges do you have Here is the first instance of a

with technology and education?
A: The changing standards - you
have a library of material and then it
gets dated. Also, I don't have a
PowerPoint projector - those who do
have in my school one make
extensive use of it.
recurring comment theme: this
teacher has often been burned by
technological adoption that has then
been outdated, and he’s lost previous
work. This makes subject somewhat
suspicious of new technology.

Generating notes for PowerPoint

presentations is nice, but I'm
reluctant to put in that kind of
investment if I later discover that the
program I'm using is no longer
supported by the technology we have
in our school. I've had that a few
times.

Q: Do you find that technology Subject has only mild resistance to

hinders learning in some cases? technology … some concern over
A: At times it may end up giving students’ instant gratification
people a real quick fix to a problem orientation.
and they may not be actually forced
to think it through. Since Google, See following answer as well.
students need an answer quickly, so
they don't know how to use a
glossary or index. They want
something right away, and to look
back to a previous paragraph is too
much effort.

Q: That reminds me of Nicholas

Carr's recent article questioning
where Google is making us
stupid.
A: Well, it's an incredible resource,
you can get everything there. It sort
of becomes an Oracle of Delphi.
We're all tempted to take the path or
least resistance, but we should be
able to use print too.

Q: Do you find there's a tendency Subject sees the need for “21st
to search for somebody's else's Century” skills, and the fact that
answer instead of figuring out students often do not have them, or
your own? won’t expend the effort required to
A: Yes. A person who uses resources exercise them.
well could gather info from many
sources and synthesize in a neat way, Subject does, however, value
but a lot don't. simulations that allow students to
play with initial conditions in
But technology has a lot of good as chemistry/physics, and other science
well - for example: computerized lab courses, and see different results.
simulations. You can do the same
thing as the graphing calculator but
even more realistic - you can do a
simulated concentration (acid/base),
run a scenario, change something,
and you can run a simulation again
... and see how it changes the
results. And you can get physics
simulations like that - change
velocities or angles. These are fun,
they're quick, and visual ...

Q: Is that a good thing? Subject recognizes that learners are

A: Yes. Especially for some people. different, and provides different
options for those who need or would
A: Do you find that technology benefit from them.
accelerates learning in some
cases?
Q: Sure. Graphing calculators can
help you see changing resultsets very
quickly and easily by changing a few
inputs, whereas doing by hand would
take a long, long time.

Q: Finish this sentence: Again, subject reveals a bit of a

technology allows me as a narrow perspective on technology
teacher to: (see page one) and thinks about how
A: Stay current. Motivate students. technology affects him personally
rather than the class as a whole.
Q: How do students feel about
using technology in class?
A: They like it. I think if we had a
bunch of computers and everyone
had their own station they'd feel very
much at home. There are a bunch of
students who do many projects on
computers and they get a lot of time
in our labs. They take to it very
quickly.

Q: Would there be some that

wouldn't?
A: not many

Q: Probably especially not in your The set of students in his classes is

classes? self-selected and not average!
A: No, I'm getting very academic and
mature students.

Q: Do students ever complain Subject’s students would prefer more

about not using technology?
A: Only that I don't.
(laughs)
That I don't have a PowerPoint of my
notes. Also there are students who
would like a class-by-class synopsis
of where their grades are. I don't do
that. Some teachers do that. I don't
do that.
technology in class.
Note that PowerPoint has and will be
mentioned multiple times. Interesting
that this is such a primary example
of technology in class … very
debatable whether this is a good,
bad, or indifferent thing.

Q: Do you see gender differences As in many science courses, there’s

in technology use? an under-representation of girls.
A: I would say that for the most part
the guys tend to use a bit more
technology for handing in labs, they
would do the graphs and charts and
graphics via computer. I've seen
some really advanced lab reports. I
predominantly have males in my
classes.

Q: Have you seen technology Interesting.

implementations that failed?
A: There have been times when I've
purchased an item for physics and I
got some mileage out of it - a
photogate timer, for instance - but
the technology changes and you can't
use a SCSI port, and you can't use it
anymore.
This is a very minor failure compared
to some of the flameouts that have
occurred in education. Is that
because the private school has not
had the money or motivation to try
really ambitious things, or is it
because they have intelligently
 proceeding in a measured way,
But in my colleagues' cases, I've seen implementing only what makes sense
a lot of real positive uses of where it makes sense?
technology. One uses PowerPoint for
all his lessons, another does almost
everything by computer - movie clips
... everything.

Q: Envision the classroom of the Subject has a very lively sense of

future. What does it look like? 20 humor, which likely has helped him
years out. through 34 years of teaching.
A: Incredibly young kids! (laughs)
Noticed the scheme for keeping
They'll all have a computer screen students awake …
that you could interact with and be
able to monitor and discuss/chat.
Maybe headphones so wouldn't
disturb each other.

Wired desks with electrical

stimulation for those who are falling
asleep ...

(laughs again)

Q: Are they all in one room? Subject sees – I think very rightly –
A: Not necessarily. There's a lot of that there are huge benefits to co-
benefit to it, we get a lot of personal location of students even when the
interaction and have a fun time ultimate technology is implemented.
together. There would be a loss if it's
depersonalized and just done by
remote. But I can see that if
someone's ill they wouldn't lose their
place.

On the other hand I would hate to

have to pipe over lessons to Big
White so the kids can play hookie and
I have to keep him up to date ...

Q: If you could give each of your Subject is somewhat conflicted and

students a top-of-the-line laptop
now, would you?
A: If I were Bill Gates, and I just
wanted an outlet for my philanthropy,
yes, but I 'm not sure the expense is
justifiable. Other things might have
higher priority. I'd be tempted. I
unsure whether 1:1 computing is the
ideal.
Is this a reflection of age or
experience? Or something entirely
different?
think they'd make good use of it.

If so, I'd like to have some controls -

for games, inappropriate content, Subject wants to see controls on how
and so on. Even graphing calculators technology can be used by students.
can be used to play Tetris!

Would I? I'd be tempted.

What I want to know is, is there a

solution to being able to keep your
archives accessible and be able to
build on your own databank, or will
you always have catastrophic loss,
and you'll lose your data?
Once again, subject is concerned
about personal use of technology,
and the ability to keep one’s own
material accessible through changing
technological revolutions.

It's like owning stocks - you think

you have a lot, then you realize
there's a recession and it's just paper.

The transience of electronic storage

makes me reluctant to make big
investments in it. I suppose that's
OK, it's just a learning tool ... you
can just pick it up and dispose of it.
I'm a bit of a packrat myself ... I like
to be able to pick up something I've
done in the past and revamp.