Interview with a Teacher

I spoke with Lee Kolbert from Boca Raton, Florida and asked her three questions for the Interview with a Learner assignment for Ecmp. I realized I had been e-mailing the wrong address, and spoke with Dean who gave me a different one. The following is her response to my questions.

"Hi Christa,
I just recently responded to a news reporter who asked similar questions so perhaps my responses to him will benefit you as well.

What are your thoughts on the use of cell phones in the classroom? Do you think they are beneficial in the learning process? Why or why not?

Regarding cellphone use in schools:
Well, I do think it's very exciting since so many of our teachers and
students already have smart phones; it's a shame not to harness the
potential of devices we already have and/or are so easily accessible. There
are so many Apps already out there for all grades, for all subjects. Our
students are using these devices all day long when they aren't with us; it
makes perfect sense for them to continue to use them while in school, as
well. Imagine a class where students use their cell phones as a response
system (clicker) to respond to their teacher's poll or questions; then the
results are sent immediately to the teacher's website or desktop which is
then displayed on a screen for full class interaction.

I teach 4th grade, and in my class, my students are blogging
(http://kidblog.org/mrskolbertsclass/) and now with the latest Wordpress
App, my students would be able to post and edit their own blogs from their
smart phones. My students would also have the advantage of having access to
their own mineral chart, Periodic Table, Wikipedia, dictionary, and flash
cards. I would love my students to use Google Earth on their own devices as
well.

Because of their potential for misuse, I, and all teachers, would have to be
extra diligent to be sure these devices are being used properly. To me
though, that's a matter of effective classroom management and parental
support. I believe when kids are allowed to use their smart phones for
authentic learning, they will make good choices with them to be sure they
are readily available for the next learning opportunity.


Have you ever had difficulties with parents, admin (etc) when trying to integrate any types of technology into the classroom?

Regarding parental resistance:
Yes, there's been some pushback due to fear. There's a perception that as soon as you post information on the internet, then a predator jumps out and stalks your child. There are companies who do a very good job of scaring our parents about this, then charging them quite a bit to put on programs in our schools to teach the students how to be safe. Its my job to provide the best authentic learning experiences for my students and so I need to meet the challenge of having to educate the parents as well. One thing I'm diligent about is making sure my students never post last names, addresses, phone numbers or other personal information such as where they will be at certain times and dates. Since my students blog, it's been a frequent conversation since they often leave trails of such information without realizing it.


Where can you see technology taking your classroom in the next five to ten years?

I think we're going to see more digital textbooks and more hand-held devices in schools."



Mrs. Lee Kolbert
4th Grade Gifted Waters Edge Elementary School
Boca Raton, Florida