Interview with a Learner

  For my ECMP 455 class I signed up to do an interview by email with Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano. Before I decided what questions I was going to ask her I browsed through her blog when I had time, and have seen many interesting posts so far!  I found some information which gives you an idea of who she is as a person and thought I would share some of it with you guys before posting the interview. Here it is.

Silvia Tolisano was born in Germany, raised in Argentina and is now currently living in the United States. To date she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish with a Minor in International Studies and a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology. Her areas of interest include technology in the classroom, digital storytelling, multicultural and global education. Silvia  is available for national and international conference presentations, consultations, and teacher training sessions. Where she is able to work with you and present in English, Spanish and German! As I was browsing through her blog I came across her Accomplishment page; where her Education and Teaching Certifications, Published Articles, and Recognitions are listed.

There are many things to explore and see on Silvia’s blog along with her philosophy, a page with a variety of posts from her professional blog as well as her resume.

Check it out!

Here is the interview:

1)   What are some of your favorite tools/programs that you have used in your classroom from the past/present with your students? Why are they your favorites?

 I expose my students to a wide variety of tools. I have used blogs, wikis, iMovie, garage band and Skype among others with my students. Currently I am very involved in experimenting with the use of Skype in the classroom. I am interested in finding out how Skype can be used to increase motivation and engagement for students and at the same time address 21st century skills (communicating, collaborating, connecting) as well as literacies (media, network, information, global). Take a look at this blog post to learn more about my observations of using Skype to transform teaching and learning.

2)   Have you ever experienced any challenges when implementing technology into your classroom?

Part of using technology is understanding that there will be a certain amount of frustration involved. That is just part of the deal With that being said, YES, the challenge is part of the fun.  They have ranged from computers not working properly, to the internet being down just when students are walking in, teachers being unwilling to incorporate “THE COMPUTER”, a web based tool suddenly being unavailable or taken down to time zone issues when connecting with other countries.

3)   Do you believe that this generation of “techno students” who are constantly working online, find it difficult to converse with others face to face, or interact with their peers? Why or why not?

I don’t think so. The online tools that we have available are giving everybody MORE opportunities to connect and communicate than before. My network of peers is literally from all over the world. Something that would have never been possible for me without these tools! My students are growing up knowing that their friends as well as subject area experts are NOT limited to their zip code.

4)   What do you think/feel is the greatest challenge facing students today?

So many challenges….Students (any learner for that matter) has to learn to stay focused while being able to multitask at the same time. There is also the challenge to know how to learn, unlearn and relearn at a faster and faster rate as tools and platforms are changing, evolving and being created. As information is growing at exponential rates all of us face the challenge to be able to filter through it.

5)   Do you have any tips or advice for future teachers that want to use technology in their classrooms?

Don’t be afraid to experiment with technology. We are all pioneers when it comes to using so many of these tools. Don’t be afraid to be a leader at your new school when it comes to technology. You might have to be the one to inspire and show (by example) “veteran teachers” new ways to engage, motivate and teach kids.

If you have any other comments/ advice about your blog or anything else that has to do with technology please feel free to tell me about it, as I am interested as well as my peers and classmates will be interested to read about it on my ecmp 455 blog!

I believe the most important thing to remember when using technology in the classroom is that it is NOT about the tools, but about the skills. Take a look at the following blog post and share with your classmates.

Silvia has created several posters for different tools with the skills that are addressed when using them, and you can find them on the above blog link. Take a look-they are quite neat!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

After doing this interview, and reading through the answers to my questions I am a little bit less frightened to become a teacher and have to implement technology into the classroom, knowing that everyone has something to offer to others when it comes to teaching, as there is such a wide range of knowledge in today’s world when it comes to technology! I have enjoyed this experience, and will continue to check back to Silvia’s blog! As I know I will read and learn many new things!

Advertisement