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One of my assignments for EDU 659 was to interview a leader in the education field. I decided to interview a former elementary school teacher and designer/coordinator of the Master of Science in Online Teaching and Instructional Design program at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Dr. Jayme Linton. I also interviewed Beth Borten. She has a Master's degree in Elementary Education and has taught fourteen years in Georgia, South Carolina, and Copenhagen, Denmark. When I began determining my questions for the interview, I had a vision in my mind on how the interviews would proceed. I was wrong and pleasantly surprised. Although both teachers have taken different paths, they both had many of the same answers and thoughts.
It was interesting listening to how technology has changed in the last fifteen years. When each teacher began, they were lucky to have one computer in their classroom and they used overhead projectors. Mrs. Borten's school in South Carolina now has two computer labs, three rolling carts with class sets of iPads, and six computers and six iPads that stay in her classroom (fifth grade). Mrs. Borten's fifth graders make Google Slides and Google Docs at least once a week. It is amazing what young people can accomplish when given the right tools. Mrs Borten also taught in Copenhagen, Denmark for several years in the late 2000's and early 2010's. Mrs Borten said, "My students in Europe had google accounts and e-mail addresses 5 years before students here. They were doing project-based learning and flipped classrooms years before anyone in the states. The problem I ran into with the same age group of students in America was that their parents and the district weren't ready to give 4th and 5th graders e-mail accounts. I started asking for it in 2011. I finally got it in 2015, and only with closed access e-mail addresses. The students can only use their google accounts for sharing within the district. It has been such a time-saver on collaborative projects".
My next line of questioning focused on how schools acquire new technology. Both teachers shared similar stories when requesting new technology. Both described a fairly simple process for approval, which was pleasantly surprising. If a teacher discovers something new, he/she brings the new technology to the department. If a majority of the teachers/department feel that the technology is a good idea, it moves ahead for departmental approval. There are only a couple more steps for final approval, which was surprising. This is not the case at many schools and universities, where it seems like it takes an act of Congress to get approval for functioning desks. At least in these two cases, it appears the administration has full faith in their teachers to make appropriate recommendations. Dr. Linton mentioned that the Masters program she developed began with a conversation in the office of a colleague that was overheard by the head of the department. What began as Dr. Linton creating one class, turned into the Masters of Science in Online Teaching and Instructional Design program. It is one of the first college level blended programs in the country. Having the freedom to brainstorm ideas is a great luxury.
Another topic discussed was how do kids use technology at home when they do not have internet. While there is not a perfect answer, they are ways to make it work. Some teachers give their students time before school or during school to finish web-based assignments. Most teachers do an excellent job of making sure assignments are equal and fair to those that do not have access to the internet. Other options are going to a library or using their parents phone.
I also wanted to know if it was difficult getting higher level administrators on board with technology since they are digital immigrants? Both said this was not a problem at their institutions. Mrs. Borten said that her district might actually overuse technology.
If these interviews taught me one thing, it is that teachers want the same things that they want for the students. They want collaboration among faculty members and the freedom to suggest and try something new. It is also evident that the two schools both my interviewees worked for do a great job of listening to their teachers/professors and trust their judgement. Of course it could be that I was just lucky enough to interview two great teachers. I hope I am lucky enough to work in such a positive environment.
