Interview with Ms George-20230911_114228-Meeting

Recording
September 11, 2023, 3:42PM
21m 43s

Chelsea George 0:04

And it looks like we're good.

Donna Price 0:06

Already.

Chelsea George 0:07

Alright.
Would you mind please introducing yourself with your name and your job title?

Donna Price 0:12

Yes, ma'am.
I am Donna Price and I am the digital learning specialist for both CJ Hicks and peeks
Chapel Elementary.

Chelsea George 0:21

Can you explain what that job entails and how long you've been doing it?

Donna Price 0:27

So I've been in Rockdale for 2627 years in the same position I was one of the
originals.

Chelsea George 0:27

No.

Donna Price 0:36

And umm, basically what we do is support anything technology.
Umm.
In my role, I work with teachers and help them integrate technology in the classroom.
Go into classrooms, do some modeling.
I coach teachers with how they can use technology to help with teaching and
learning and support help support technical issues as well as software issues we do
have.
OK, got it.
Restart.
Notice umm, we do have an Intel and she does.
She handles pretty much all the hardware concerns, so my job with that is minor.
Uh, you know, let her take care of that.
And I handle most of the software.
Issues.
Chelsea George 1:34
Thank you.
Umm, what type of degree is required for this position?
So I guess, like the minimum qualifications.

Donna Price 1:42

A teaching certificate.
And because I'm elementary.
To elementary teaching certificate through 5th grade.

Chelsea George 1:55

Which makes sense.
I'd also like to ask how are you meeting the needs of faculty and staff during the
transition to remote learning?
But I guess the best way to frame this question is how can you support teachers and
staff or students and staff during independent learning?

Donna Price 2:14

OK.
Well, I will go back to your first question about the remote learning, UM, two years
ago when we went out on March 17th, I think that was the date and we thought we
would be out for two weeks.
Rockdale was very fortunate because we had we already had one to one devices and
so teachers and students were better prepared than maybe some other counties, but
the.
Teachers just.
Struggled some, but we were prepared and so I, you know, met with teachers during
the day.
We did training in the evening and it was challenging because they were working
with students during the day so they couldn't really train during the day, so I was
supporting during the day and then training at night.
And so for me that was difficult, but during ILD just getting teachers ready for using
canvas and getting students ready to use canvas.

Chelsea George 3:05

Right.

Donna Price 3:18

And as always, anytime anybody needs help, whether it's during the day or in the
evening, I'm always there to support them.
My my time isn't limited from 7 to 3.

Chelsea George 3:32

Which is great because the needs are almost never ending.
Donna Price 3:36
Right.

Chelsea George 3:37

So when we did start the remote learning, I think that was 2122.
That's school year or 2021.
Did you also support both schools at that time?

Donna Price 3:50

Umm, no.
Well, that was so long ago.
I think I was supporting Sims at that time.
But since because we had two DLS S for each school, I helped out as needed.
But the needs it wasn't like being at two different schools.
There was still a DLS that was able to support Sims.
I helped out when needed.

Chelsea George 4:23

OK, OK.

Donna Price 4:25

But the the demand wasn't as great.
That you know, it's physically being in two schools.

Chelsea George 4:32

Yeah, let's.

Donna Price 4:32

I think that's what I remember from two years ago.

Chelsea George 4:37

Which feels like light years away.

Donna Price 4:37

Which feels like light years.
I know, right?

Chelsea George 4:43

The next question what are the typical daily activities for your job?

Donna Price 4:43

The next question what are the typical daily activities for you?
No two days are the same.
I tried to lay out a calendar of what my day is going to look like.
Umm it starts out with at 7:00 o'clock to 7:45, Miss Burdett.
Night run the news show.
And so we have a team of students that come in and we use teams and we present
the news show throughout the building.
And then from 7:45 till 8:45 we have PLC on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
And if it's not a PLC day, if it's a Monday, we have ILT meetings and then from 9 till
the rest of the day, I am going into classrooms and modeling for teachers, coaching
teachers, doing classroom observations.
Uh checking help desk, resolving issues.
Working on iPads.
I get calls on the walkie.
You know someones having an issue in their classroom or admin is having an issue
so I just provide support wherever is needed in addition to all those other other
things.
And then working on.

Chelsea George 6:05

Right.

Donna Price 6:07

We do a lot of DLS, do a lot of training at the ILD days and at the PL.
Learning.
So all I would like to say I have time to work on those during the day.
My day is so choppy that I get so many interruptions that I can't focus long enough
to plan.
So then I have to do a lot of the planning and preparation at home, but that's my
choice.

Chelsea George 6:30

Umm.

Donna Price 6:32

It's just too hard to try to focus long enough to get anything of anything
substantially done.

Chelsea George 6:41

Right at the actual job site.
Which makes sense, yeah.

Donna Price 6:44

Yes, yes.

Chelsea George 6:47

The next question, do you have a budget that you control?
And if you do, how do you make decisions on selecting resources for stakeholders?

Donna Price 6:59

I do not have a budget.
The only budget that we to my knowledge that DLS have is the Media Center has a
expendable equipment budget and I think it's like $500.00 a year.
So if there's something that we need, I go to the media specialist and I say, hey, we
need iPad chargers for example.
You know, I may ask her if I could have $50.00 or, you know, whatever, but I don't
have any money that I control and all the purchases are made through county office.

Chelsea George 7:34

Umm.

Donna Price 7:37

You know, large purchases, so.
That's all I have is whatever I can ask for.

Chelsea George 7:47

Josh and Neil basically told me the same thing, that they don't really control the
budget, but they might have some influence with their opinion.
When admin asked like oh, what do you think we should allocate this money
towards?
But it's not like they're the final decision maker.

Donna Price 8:04

Alright.
And every year, at the end of the year, the administration starts planning for the
following year and they will ask, you know, do I have any recommendations for
software or?
Programs, but yes to their point, yes, it's pretty much the same.
I can make recommendations, but I don't have any funds where I can say hey, I need
whatever you know and then I can purchase it.

Chelsea George 8:35

Have you had an opportunity to impact technology implementation throughout your
school and would you be able to provide a specific example?

Donna Price 8:46

I believe I have had a impact in technology through the school.
In a way that I try to make everyone believe that they can implement and utilize
technology in the classroom.
And I would say just being ready for ILD day, the majority of our teachers were ready.
There may have been one or two that.
Wasn't quite ready, but they had an alternative and I would say kindergarten and 1st
is because those students are just coming in new and they are not.
Able to take devices home and use them responsibly.
We have found.
So I think they're while the KM one teachers are not resistant, they also always have a
paper plan for ILD day. But.
But they're rocking and rolling with technology as well.

Chelsea George 9:56

And I also feel like seeing growth in the classroom, it wouldn't just be something you
see over the span of a day or a few weeks.
Sometimes it takes a few years within the teacher's career to see just how far they've
come.
With your help. Umm.

Donna Price 10:10

Right, right.
Right.
I I agree, I agree.
And then that that's where it's my role and that's where I go in and do classroom
observations to see how I can best support teachers with the use of technology.
It's not an observation that I do that goes to the administration.
I'm not doing a tikz observation, it's just.
What can I do to support you and how can I help you integrate technology with what
you're doing, whether it's instructionally, behaviorally digital, citizenship content
based?
So umm.

Chelsea George 10:44

All across the board.
Thank you.
Umm does your school have a technology committee?

Donna Price 10:54

We do.
We have a technology media committee.
As far as our role, we are to, let me tell you what we what our plan is we plan to look
at how we can utilize technology, how we can implement digital citizenship
procedures and protocols with Miss Burdett.
We look at the.
We no longer use accelerated reader, but the we're using Beanstalk as our reading.
It's not invention reading mode of motivation, and so we look at ways that we can
use technology to do that.
We don't really have purchases, but if we had a media, I mean, if we had purchases
we could look at, you know things to purchase for the school back when we first
became a one to one district, the media committee, media and Technology
Committee was instrumental in identifying procedures for CJ Hicks, how we would
follow that one to one, how we would distribute devices and so on and so forth.
Also, the Technology Committee works on the yearbook, so we just whenever there's
a need.
You know, we pulled together.
Chelsea George 12:24
And is the Technology committee only like admin and school personnel or can
parents also be involved?

Donna Price 12:32

We have not had parents on our technology committee, but that that's a good idea.
But we've just had staff.

Chelsea George 12:41

You are the first person I've interviewed where we actually have a technology
committee.
The first and only.

Donna Price 12:47

So in all honesty, I won't say that we meet regularly.
We meet when we need to.
But it's not one of those committees where we meet every month, but we do have
one.

Chelsea George 13:01

That's awesome to have a vision in place and to have people to support the vision.
That's great, yeah.
How are technology decisions made at the school level?

Donna Price 13:17

So usually if there's an issue and I think I think this is answering your question, we
discuss it at ILT at our instructional leadership team and then umm, I typically make a
recommendation or someone else on the team will make a recommendation.
We discuss it, we talk it, I talk it over with Christy, the Intel and so it's a joint, a joint
decision, discuss it with Patrice, you know, from peaks because she's here a couple of
days a week as well.
So it's really a joint effort and just discussing and coming up with the best.
Resolution for the school.

Chelsea George 14:01

OK.
Do you think you can speak a bit about the technology acquisition form?

Donna Price 14:10

You want to know like the whole process and procedure, OK?

Chelsea George 14:14

Right.
Because I know it from the teacher end, but like once it goes beyond that and it's out
of my hands and kind of wondering what the next steps are.
Donna Price 14:23
OK.
So when a teacher completes the technology acquisition, which is needed for which
teachers really don't quite understand.
Like they'll put in helpdesk, I need X program.
Well, OK, there's a process that we have to follow.
And they're very resistant to that process and they don't seem to quite understand.
And even though we try to explain to them, you know why we have that in place,
because it's for safety and security, once they complete that, then they have to go to
the vendor and they have to get the data privacy agreement signed as well as
getting the RCPS.
Software contract sign which is submitted which is given to us from legal department
once they get that sign then they send it to me or they upload it.
I get a notification that this is something that they're looking actually, I get that
notification once they complete the technology acquisition.
Then I helped them get the required forms to the vendor.
Once those are approved and they're uploaded, then the curriculum department
goes through and evaluates the program.
Does it?
Is it something we already have?
Is there something else that will meet those needs that we have?
And then technology looks at it to see if the vendor is following all the guidelines
that we need them to follow.
And then if so, and then once everything is approved, then we secure purchase order
and then make the purchase.
DLS's have teams of vendors that they work with, so I work with the PBIS vendor for
all of Rockdale.

Chelsea George 16:16

Philly.

Donna Price 16:16

Uh, Neil, you worked with Neil and not Neil Neil.

Chelsea George 16:20

Yes.

Donna Price 16:21

Neil was responsible for simple dismissal because Edwards and Hicks uses simple
dismissal for dismissal.
Someone else's responsible for Renaissance?
Someone else's.
So each one of us take a application and we're responsible for it for the entire
district.
So it was it's it's it's challenging because for example with the PBI S rewards, I had to
get all the schools to some sign, send their contracts to me to get all and you know,
so it's a way to get everybody uniform so that the contract for Hicks is the same
contract that Edwards uses so that Edwards is not paying a different price than Hicks.
And yeah, it's it was a huge undertaking, but I got PBIS done.
So now next year it should be easier.
You know, I know what to expect, so it was difficult this first year because I had no
clue what a contract should look like or yeah.

Chelsea George 17:26

Right.
Oh my goodness.
Wow, thank you.
That was a great answer. Umm.
The last question I have is what is the best part of your job and what is the most
challenging part?

Donna Price 17:42

The best part of my job is it's always changing.
I'm learning something new everyday.
Every minute is a challenge and then working with teachers is a great part of it.
Just the interaction.
The fact that I've been here forever.
So you know, I feel like I know a lot of people.
And I try to be patient and friendly with people and try not to make anyone feel like,
OK, this technology is too much. You know?
I just try to make them feel like it's OK.
We got it.
You know, we'll, we'll get it going.

Chelsea George 18:26

Right.

Donna Price 18:26

The most challenging part is going home and still working until 10 and 11 at night.

Chelsea George 18:34

That late?

Donna Price 18:34

Yeah, because I can't get things done here.
So sure, I don't have to work when I get home.
That's by choice, but it makes my it makes my time when I'm here during the day, EI
feel like it I'm supposed to be interacting with people with teachers, and so that
allows me to do that.
But that's a choice.
I don't.
My daughters grown and my husband watches TV so I don't have the responsibilities
of a younger person, you know, or someone who has a family at home.

Chelsea George 19:10

Right.
OK.

Donna Price 19:13

So.

Chelsea George 19:13

Is there anything else you'd like to add or share?

Donna Price 19:18

Ohh no, I think Rockdale County is in a great place with technology and I you know, I
don't know if you have been.
Have you been to other counties with technology to see what technology looks like?

Chelsea George 19:34

Yes, but it was the year that everything shut down 2019 to 2020 in DeKalb.
That's where I did my student teaching.
Umm.
And they did not have one to one.
They had maybe 2 carts and I think there were Chromebooks to be used for
kindergarten through second grade, and kindergarteners definitely should.

Donna Price 19:55

Umm.

Chelsea George 19:58

Not even have a Chromebook they could barely find anything.

Donna Price 19:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.

Chelsea George 20:03

And with the younger grades kind of like you said, it's more pencil and paper.
They're just now starting to learn school itself, let alone a device.
Umm, but yeah, it's nowhere near the level of Rockdale, but that was four years ago.
Three or four years ago.
So it's been a minute.

Donna Price 20:21

And see.
Rockdale started going one to one in 20.
16 like we started.
Looking at different school systems to see what they did and then how could we
learn from their mistakes or their areas of or where they did well and look.
And you know, just take their plans to devise our own.
So I feel that Rockdale really was proactive in just creating a plan, not just saying,
hey, let's get iPads for everybody or let's just, you know, do laptops.
There was a study that went along with this and so for that I, you know, I think we're
ahead of the curve.
I wish that we could offer keyboarding and we did at one time.
I wish we could bring that back, but.

Chelsea George 21:18

Yes.
One thing I can say about Rockdale is that we are very resource rich.

Donna Price 21:23

Hmm.

Chelsea George 21:24

If somebody doesn't have it, I'm sure someone down the hall will so.

Donna Price 21:27

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
What?
Any other questions?
OK.

Chelsea George 21:34

That was it.

Donna Price 21:36

All right.
What?
Thank you.

Chelsea George 21:37

Thank you for your time, Miss Price.

Donna Price 21:38

OK, alright, thank you.

Donna Price left the meeting

Chelsea George stopped transcription