Interview Post Lesson (T3)

Recorded unit (R- Researcher T3- Teacher 3) Central theme

1. So what learning took place there?

2. T3: They spent so much time on their typing that in

the end I had them stop and had them work on their paper versions.

3. We got the story plan finished but not the story. I felt

frustrated despite the help from [name of Teaching Assistant].

4. R: Okay, fine, what where the problems with the

technology, generally, within the lesson?

2. Lack of keyboard skills affected time taken

3. IT slowing down work, not enhancing

Recorded unit (R- Researcher T3- Teacher 3) Central theme

5. T3: [Child‘s name] was very fast on the typing and

did produce a good draft. [Children‘s names] didn‘t hardly do anything. Spent most of the time trying to type in their story but their typing skills aren‘t up to it. The laptops worked well, no problems, though one had to be started twice. The children seemed to like using them, but I don‘t think it helped with what I wanted to teach them.

6. Maybe more time needs to be spent on teaching them

typing?

7. R: What areas would you change?

8. T3: In my lessons? I wouldn‘t change my planning.

Oh, you mean with the computers. I would not use them for this again. In SATs they have to write, in lessons they have to write. Using computers for projects may be good, but they [the children] don‘t know, don‘t use them enough to be as quick or productive.

9. R: Anything in the way you did it, to use

technology?

10. T3: I looked at what [other teacher‘s name] has been

doing. She is very good, but I don‘t think I can use them [computers] like that. I could see and help the children with simple wordprocessing but I was just frustrated by how long it took them to produce something that I was able to do with them before in half the time.

11. R: Okay, now the basis of all of this is to work out

the difference between what we were like 2 years ago and what we‘re like now. So, do you think you would have attempted this lesson 2 years ago?

12. T3: No, I wouldn‘t have seen the need. I use OHP and

photocopy cut and paste sheets that I use for springboard activities. The OHP, if it goes wrong is easy to fix. Normally it‘s just the bulb. I did feel under pressure a little to use the computers.

13. The training we tried wasn‘t very good and I still think of

myself of a very beginner. In some respects I am glad that I don‘t have to work on using computers. I do remember when the big push was for using OHPs and to move away from just chalkboards, so maybe it is time to move on!

5. Children enjoy using IT; teacher felt it hadn‘t helped her.

6. Some time spent on keyboard skills. 8. No reason to adopt IT 10. Wordprocessing skills at basic level. 12. More understandable technology 13. Reluctant adopter

Recorded unit (R- Researcher T3- Teacher 3) Central theme

14. R: How about your confidence in using the

equipment?

15. T3: I have been teaching for longer than I care to

remember and I am afraid that my confidence in this new initiative is better left to the younger teachers like [teachers‘ names].

16. R: Is there anything [note change in question

approach because of previous answers] about how you use ICT now as opposed to the status of how you used it a few years ago?

17. T3: I feel a little ashamed to say that there isn‘t. But

I don‘t think the children are any worse off. My SATs results are still as good!

18. R: How do you think your skills have changed over

the last 2 years, if so, how, and what‘s caused them to change? Is any aspect in terms of change?

19. T3: You know when the NOF training came in I

thought ―Great! Now I can learn!‖ But the training didn‘t help

me – I don‘t have a computer at home and the way it was set up

meant that I was jumping through hoops just for the school to get the money for the laptops it wanted. I just felt that for me, it so disappointing.

20. R: That‘s it, thank you. Well done.

15. Age concern. 17. Can‘t see necessity.

19. NOF training feedback

Table 4.49 Page 3/3 Interview Post Lesson (T3)

Almost immediately, Teacher 3 mentions her own discomfort at using computers; however, he/she is making a concerted effort to integrate them by using computers in an area he/she would not usually tend to. Teacher 3 is attempting to integrate laptops into her usual method of teaching, and will not be using the interactive whiteboards and he/she has not quite mastered these yet. However, he/she is not confident that using laptops will make much of a difference; furthermore, he/she worries laptops

will produce an added hindrance to the children‘s understanding due to their slow typing skills. A

Consequently, Teacher 3 felt that her prediction about slowing down of learning due to lack of keyboard skills has been realised; Teacher 3 adds that this caused much frustration on her part. Though the children enjoyed the IT element, the teacher feels that it detracts from what they should be enjoying; it provides them with an additional point of focus, perhaps, rather than increasing their concentration on literacy. Teacher 3 felt it was so unsuccessful that he/she would not utilise

computers again; he/she does not feel the need to change her lesson plan to accommodate the laptops further: Teacher 3 obviously feels the benefits are not substantial enough to justify alterations in this case. This could be attributed to the fact that Teacher 3 feels unconfident in her own IT skills as the training he/she was given was not sufficient – Teacher 3 has also felt under pressure to embrace IT and is somewhat reluctant to change her methods, which she has found consistently successful. This was attributed by Teacher 3 to her age; new initiatives are ‗better left to the younger teachers‘. A flaw in the training is perhaps displayed here; it has not catered for the differing needs of