Rachel Malley

EAD- 513

Clinical Field Experience D: The Cultural Effect of Technology on a School Campus

Grand Canyon University

February 25, 2021

Reflection

To begin, my school has been working remotely since the beginning of the year. I was

able to do zoom observations for several elementary classrooms at my school. I worked at a

charter school in an urban area where technology has always been a huge focus for our students.

This year we have had to rely on technology even more than before due to working through a

pandemic. We currently use the website Class Dojo as a platform for teachers to post their daily

assignments as well as a place where information can be shared for the school community. This

website also offers a messaging system that allows teachers to have constant communication

with their student's parents. School Chromebook were offered to all students to be borrowed in

the beginning of the school year. This helped to keep kids accountable for logging in their zoom

sessions each day. Lastly, in a normal school year, teachers would use various technology tools

including a Smartboard, Ipads, and a document camera.

Additionally, most of our students from grades K-3 have become very proficient with

using a chrome book and typing. This will help to prepare them for the third grade when they

take the state testing on the computer. Our students take computer class two times a week where

the teacher shows them how to use a coding program. This is a great way to innovate our

students and promote digital aged learning. Our students are also guided through many different

websites where they can use their creativity to get their assignments completed each day.

Furthermore, teachers have been trained for several online educational websites this year

from our leadership team that will help to keep our vision and plan in place. As teachers it has

been a huge challenge this year to adapt to this style of teaching. It takes a lot of trial and error

but by exploring many different technology options it guides us to the websites and online tools

that work best for our students. The faculty and staff at my school are always willing to learn and
explore new websites. From speaking with some of my colleagues they stated that playing

around with technology and different websites on their own time has helped them to learn how to

use everything. I also observed how teachers have been utilizing many different forms of

technology at one time while teaching on zoom. This ensures that teachers are still being

effective teaching even during a pandemic. Our school also uses a program called Go Guardian.

This program allows the homeroom teacher to watch what is happening on each of their students

computer screens. This website is the most beneficial because you are able to ensure that

students are using appropriate websites and websites that are safe for their age. It also allows us

to assist our students to open different websites and guide them through using their Chrome

Book correctly.

Finally, I feel that technology in a class could negatively affect the culture in a classroom.

At my school, we are encouraged to use technology in my second-grade classroom as often as

possible. I feel that this could negatively affect the classroom environment because students

cannot form a strong bond with their classmates. If they are constantly starring at a screen all day

there is not enough time for student to engage in social interactions. Finally, technology can take

away traditional assignments and activities including group projects and whole class games. It is

important as an educator to have a balance when using technology in the classroom so you do

not form a negative classroom culture.

ISTE-Education Leader Standards and Implications for Future Practice

My reflection and observations connect to ISTE Standard 5; Connected Learner. This

year as educators we were continuously encouraged to be train on new technology that would

benefit our students learning. By being completely present in these training sessions we are able

to plan ways to academically meet all of our student's needs. As a future school leader, I will

make sure to understand how to use different pieces of technology so that I can be there to
support my teachers while they are learning new technology.