Throughout my observations and speaking with my teacher, I have learned a lot about technology within Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy. From speaking with my teacher, she did not mention one specific coordinator of technology or an individual that has a title as such. She did mention that the children learn a lot from and work with the school’s library media specialist, Ms. Aldrich. She goes to multiple schools within the Cleveland Municipal School District and works with many students. In terms of the technology available, my first grade classroom is not integrated with technology as much as the third grade and older classrooms are. Within my classroom, there is a mini computer lab with six desktops in the back of the classroom. I have never seen any students work there throughout my observations. Each room has a smart board in it and the teachers have a work computer. My teacher utilizes her smart board in almost every lesson and is always entering grades into her computer.
Other technologies within the building include chrome book carts that remain in each third grade and above classroom. The students are assigned a chrome book that they use every single day. There are a couple of computer labs and computer carts within the school that teachers can reserve through an online form for their class to use. The computer labs are within the media center and in different specialist rooms. When there is an issue with the technology I have seen my teacher call it into a different person in the building. I am not sure if she is communicating to a third party company or if she is speaking with a maintenance type worker, but she says that the call places a work order and somebody will come to fix it.
When speaking with my teacher, she did not mention a specific firewall type or name, but she said that many of the general things are blocked within their school such as inappropriate websites and information. All social media websites are blocked within the school. This makes sense because the students in my class are obsessed with Tik Tok and other social media. I would imagine that having access to these things would be a huge distraction. The district staff has input into what is blocked or needs to be unblocked. In my own high school we were able to get past the firewall by getting off of the school wifi. I am sure this is a similar case within this school, but I am not too concerned about my first graders trying to get past it. It is clear that within this school, technology integration is extremely important and supported by a staff of specialists. Technology is not as present in my first grade classroom either intentionally by the school or because my teacher may not be familiar with it.
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