Jiada Nucci

Professor Flowers

Edu 214

16 March 2020

Interview Essay: Midterm Part A

I interviewed Lynnette Johnson, a teacher at Roberta C Cartwright Elementary school.

Ms. Johnson has been a teacher for 6 years. During the interview, I asked her a variety of

questions regarding technology use in the classroom for both teachers and students. She

integrates technology into her classroom in many ways and for many subjects.

Each school typically has a set of software programs that are chosen for the staff to use.

Ms. Johnson’s school typically uses google suite and google classroom for communicating to

students and with each other. The staff uses Infinite Campus for grading and students and parents

can view their assignments and grades through this software, too. Ixl, Seesaw and Discovery

Education are some programs that students use for reading, writing, math and other learning.

Ixl is a form of “technology [used] in all aspects of learning. It's wonderful for reading

and everyday math practice”. While Ms. Johnson favors Ixl for math and learning she thinks its

“just okay on its own, but needs in-class learning to pair with it for best results. Its best for

practice”.

When asked if she enrolled in professional development classes to learn how to use the

software or learned how to use the software on her own Ms. Johnson answered “Both. Some

technology training was given on Instructional Development Day. Some was self-taught”. She

gave me a few examples of technology that was mostly expected to be learned on their own, but
one stood out to me most. She said once Smartboards were put into classrooms, months went by

where teachers were expected to use this technology with no training.

For students, most software is “self-explanatory”. Ms. Johnson typically spends about 20-

30 minutes of class time teaching students to use the software. “At most, it’s a couple of weeks

of [the students practicing]” says Johnson about the students fully understanding the software.

Ms. Johnson says “I don’t think there’s a digital divide in our school.” Johnson believes

that her school is very up to date with the technology they use and feel their students and

teachers are well adjusted and thriving in a more digital world.

“I don’t believe that technology interferes with learning or teaching in the classroom”.

Remarks Johnson. “At least not at my level. I could see it interfering with a more primary level.

It all depends on your method of teaching. If you allow students to use it during direct instruction

they are more prone to be distracted”.

“I believe that more professional development would improve the use of technology in

the classroom”. Johnson believes that the staff should have more training. With the minimal

training given teachers are basically “teaching themselves and only scratching the surface of

what these programs can do”.

Technology in the classroom is great for students to practice what they have learned in

the classroom. It is a wonderful supplemental tool that “different kinds of learners get different

benefits from”. While Ms. Johnson utilizes and encourages technology use in the classroom she

believes that direct instruction is very important. She stated “Kids learn from each other and

from the classroom. [In my opinion, technology] should only take up about 25% of the

education”.
 My opinion on technology in the classroom has changed a little. I feel I learned a lot from

Ms. Johnson about how the administration handles technology for teachers and how teachers use

technology with students. I used to feel like technology should play a bigger role in the

instruction and teaching of students but now I feel it is best as a supplement to the classroom and

the teaching that goes on within it.

Additional questions:

1) Do you feel having technology in the classroom is better than not having it?

“Yes it helps with practice and when students finish classwork early they are able to do

work on the Chromebook instead of waiting for the class to end”.

2) Do you feel students using technology in the classroom will be beneficial with their

pursuit of higher education or careers?

“Yes. As long as schools change with technology the students adapt to it well and will

benefit from mastering it in the future”.

3) Do you think that teachers should be required to go back to school for technology in the

classroom training?

“Every 6 years teachers have to renew their licenses and during that time they have to

refresh themselves on the newer technology. I do feel that the administration should play a

bigger role in keeping teachers up to date with new technology”.