Interview Task

[Carina Gonzalez]

Hello everyone!

I'm currently an elementary media specialist interviewing for a middle school media specialist position.  The interviewer has asked me to prepare the following task for the interview:

Construct a classroom tool, using an already existing Web 2.0 site/application, to assist middle school teachers integrate technology into their classroom.  This is an open-ended task which will illustrate your proficiency with technology.  You can pick any subject.

 

I would love some feedback on how others would approach this request.  What do you think it means?  What would you do?

[Mary Fran Daley]

Hi, Carina. I think we're nearly neighbors. Anyhoo, I started something like this once, but it's a closed resource and hasn't really gotten off of the ground. I would consider using a Livebinder, Wikispace, or Google Site to create a library of technology resources that teachers can add to and learn from. I would use it to showcase any tech-savvy work you have done. For example, make pages for subjects and classes of resources. Name your sections- Intro to Joe Smith Middle School Techspace, Math, LA, Spanish, Music, SMARTBoards, Wikis, General, Educational Gaming, etc. etc. and a Lesson and Unit Bank. Start organized lists of resources or resource links. Include resources and ideas for how to use them. Under Gaming, I'd link online educational gaming resources with short annotations to suggest how to use them- "Scratch is a great free tool to create images, animations, and ultimately video games. You might use it to teach computer programming, media literacy, the Cartesian plane, turning degrees, and more. Click here [with a link to your lesson bank] to see a lesson where students create animations to develop their understanding of the x,y axis. Please add your own ideas in the 'Comments' field of this page." You can begin a skeleton of the resource really only fleshing out a page or two and highlighting some of your favorite tools and best lessons and units and discuss how you can provide PD to help teachers learn to use the wiki and collaborate effectively for technology integration. Maybe make a quick Slideshare or Knovio video for the resource's FAQ or Intro section that models sharing and providing good feedback on resources. I would think even if you don't get the job, you could showcase this in other interviews or letters of application. I think Wikispaces works really well for this, but everyone has their faves. Good luck!

[Mary Fran Daley]

Just re-read your post and think I missed the mark. Read twice, post once, right? I would just pick a tool you have used effectively in your classroom. Provide your lesson or unit. Show an example of how you would use it, how you assessed it, what students should learn, and what a student product would look like. I've used Scratch with Math, Glogster with Science, Blabberize with LA. I would talk about how you are helping students L4L and how you help students from straying to simple reporting and plagiarizing through critical thinking and creativity embedded in instruction and assessment. Sorry for the oops above. I'm sleep deprived. 

[Carina Gonzalez]

Hi Mary.  Thanks for responding!

What do you take from the "to assist middle school teachers integrate technology into their classroom" part of the task though?  It makes me feel like it's more of a PD request.  What do you think?

[Mary Fran Daley]

That's what I read at first, but I think it might be more of a co-teaching/collaboration thing, ie "Our teachers are: scared of computers / too busy to change the lessons they have used for decades / using technology in superficial and uninteresting ways."