Study Pool Participation - ILP

ILP - Interview with teacher

I reached out to one of my old teachers from St. Thomas Aquinas by email and I was able to ask and receive their answers on technology in the classroom. My high school is very advanced when it comes to technology. We used school-provided laptops, each classroom had smart boards, etc. It was interesting to see how one of my old teachers feels bout technology.

What are different types of technology you have used in the classroom? Please list them!

• Platforms such as laptops, mobile devices

• Software packages (such as Microsoft Office, Powerpoint), programs, apps (Kahoot, Blackboard)

• Display sevices such as smart boards and video displays

• Audio tools such as microphones, speakers.

• I was lucky to be one of the first teachers to use the smart board in my classroom. Students were very engaged and interested to learn about everything the smart board could offer. We learned together just what an amazing teaching tool it is. Along with the smart board, STA provides every student with Chromebook laptops, which is the primary way in which our students complete their work. Students enter the classroom, open up their Chromebooks, and log on. They talk and settle in to the lesson as they pull up our class website, and then they look for that day’s directions. It’s a pretty standard routine in my classroom, where students are using technology every day. Often, they can use these tools to navigate their learning fully on their own, and are engaged in the learning process. They follow my written or verbal directions in their reading, writing, discussion, collaboration, and creation. Every student manages their assignments, quizzes, and tests through Blackboard. I use a personal computer to develop and organize my lesson plans, calculate grades, and keep track of my students. With the computers, teachers use many applications such as Kahoot and other educational websites to integrate technology into our lesson plans.

How can you keep communication open with parents?

Most parents have a smartphone and/or email, and one of the best ways to keep the lines of communication open with parents is by utilizing these. Parents can log into Blackboard, which allows them to keep track of how their children are doing, what due dates they have, etc. You can also send and receive instant messages right through the app. 

When should technology be integrated in the classroom?

Whenever it helps!

4. How can technology empower students to control their own learning?

One of the goals of great learning environments should always be empowerment of students. Technology can do a lot of things in our classroom, but one of its most important impacts is the ability to put the power of learning in the hands of the students. The potential for knowledge, skill-building, and creation is available online for everyone!