Jessica Martinez is in her twelfth year as an educator. She spent nine years as a classroom teacher before becoming an instructional coach. She gives her thoughts on technology in education and specifically at Bancroft Elementary.
Earl Jones: How are you currently using technology in the workplace?
Jessica Martinez: I use technology to look for research, for different websites, resources, and articles for others and myself, for example. That’s pretty much it. So, I don’t think that without technology I’d be able to do half of the stuff that I currently do.
E.J.: We’ve come very far with technology and the field of education is evolving. How are teachers and other educators using technology more now than in the past?
J.M.: I certainly think that some teachers have managed to use the SmartBoards that are in the building. Other than doing ST Math on iPads, and maybe some Lexia, and some reading interventions and whatever other apps there are, I don’t think we’re using it to the best of our ability. I definitely think we could use it more.
E.J.: What benefits or drawbacks for students and educators do you see in this big technological shift?
J.M.: Benefits? Well, using devices is a different modality of learning, right? There’s the kinesthetic, the visual, the auditory. You can hear it and see it and touch it. It becomes interactive. The kids go up to the board. They also can do designs, circle things, and really do whatever they want on a SmartBoard. As for the iPads, it’s tangible as well and it’s a different way to receive information.
Disadvantages? I would think just not having enough technological resources for everybody. Also, in terms of using the SmartBoard, you need to have the time and knowledge on how to create lessons on the Smart Board.
E.J.: You have to be tech-savvy.
J.M.: Right. You have to be tech-savvy. It’s just the planning, for example, and not having enough knowledge on how to use them. I don’t think there are a lot of disadvantages. I think it’s a great way to integrate all content areas for kids, through technology.
E.J.: Are there one or two specific areas in which you wish teachers were using technology more?
J.M.: In everything really! Literacy, math, science, social studies, and research. I mean, use a SmartBoard I would say. It’s like a big iPad for the kids, right? It’s interactive. And in literacy, they’re certainly already downloading books on their own. Here at our school, teachers are using Lexia on the iPads, so why not use it as much as possible. I hear they’re going to be using myON. It’s certainly a different modality of learning for the kids to be able to access and connect to the content.
E.J.: Is there an area in which you think teachers should stick with traditional teaching methods like pencil and paper or manipulatives?
J.M.: No.
E.J.: So a complete shift?
J.M.: Yeah, a complete shift, I think [laughs]. But being comfortable and being able to take that risk is what’s holding people back. There is a lot of pressure on a daily basis, which leads to anxiety because there are certain things that have to be done by a certain time and date. But paper and pencil? I mean, unless you need paper and pencil to work out the problems or the task requires it, then fine. We also want students to be self-sufficient and use what they need without us telling them what to use. Don’t get me wrong. I think in the past teachers have done a great job teaching the traditional way, but everyone must evolve to keep up.
E.J.: What can we do to help teachers who aren’t as tech-savvy?
J.M.: I certainly think we need professional development (PD). For me, I know they (the district) sometimes offers after-school PD’s and teachers can sign up for that. I would say that the PD must be held more often. I would also suggest having people in each school who are tech-savvy. Sometimes it’s the little things we don’t know, like how to reset the server. If we could just call someone to check out the problem immediately, instead of being placed on hold for over an hour or waiting for your assigned person to come to your building to attend to our needs it would help teachers tremendously.
E.J.: What can we do to help students who aren’t as tech-savvy aside from technology class?
J.M.: I think they’re tech-savvy already! I mean, some of them show us what to do on the iPads. Also, I know we have a lot of Learnzillion videos for literacy and for math. We could have videos on how to use an iPad. I know when I get stuck, that’s what I do. I go to YouTube and search “How do I do …? How do I install …? How do I find …?”
E.J.: The PARCC assessments will soon be launched in DC and this high-stakes standardized test is administered via computer. What are your thoughts; are we ready for assessments via computer?
J.M.: [laughs] No, we’re certainly not. I think we’re not ready for it. I don’t know how it’s going to be rolled out. Also, I don’t think the students are ready to take assessments via computer. I don’t think they know how to navigate and select questions, or go back and fix something. They haven’t had the experience. This is contrary to what I stated earlier about children being more tech savvy than adults, however, children have not had experience testing on devices. The transition and the mind shift that they will no longer bubble a scantron sheet maybe surreal to them. I do think that they will adapt much faster than the adults. My concern is more with the resources. I don’t think the district is ready because we do not have enough computers and the server is not consistent. Sometimes it works and other times it’s too slow.
E.J.: Agreed. One of my concerns is that with close reading in the classroom, they have the paper in front of them. They annotate the text by circling, underlining, and jotting notes in the margins. On the computer they won’t be able to do these things.
J.M.: Yeah, I think those are all things we need to consider, just because as an adult, I download articles and I still have to print them out. I have to highlight; I do have to take notes. So those are accommodations that everybody should be provided with. I can’t even imagine them trying to annotate or cite text on the screen. So I don’t think we’re ready for it.
E.J.: Any other thoughts on technology in education?
J.M.: I think that’s the route we should take. But I don’t think it’s something you should throw at teachers and just say, “Hey, we’re going techy this year” and we don’t have the experience and training. I think that’s how things get a bad reputation. You finally try to implement something and it’s not done effectively. It’s not thought through. But I definitely think incorporating technology is the way to go. I mean, two-year-olds are flipping through iPads, so we either adapt or become extinct.