Julio Vargas

EDU 214 - 1005

Prof. Flowers
Teacher Interview

For my teacher interview, I interviewed Mr. William brown. He is a

seventh grade science teacher at Cadwallader Middle School. I decided

on this teacher because he is my Uncle, and his story is eye opening.

In high school, he constantly ditched school and seldom did his school

work when he did go. He barely graduated, but he learned how

valuable an education was for his future.

Mr. Brown was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but his family

moved to Las Vegas when he was eight months old. He told me that

despite being born in Shreveport he considers Las Vegas his

hometown. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno where he

majored in biology. He graduated top of his department on his route to

a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned his teaching license through

the Alternate Route to Licensure or ARL.

I began with inquiring about which software was used for

grading, and he was quick to respond with Infinite campus. He then

went on to give me a brief description of the software. He stated that it

is an application that keeps students and parents informed by giving

access to assignments, grades, and attendance. It seems very

convenient, and useful. There is even a mobile application for easier

access to the information.

I proceeded to ask him about software that he considers to

enhance the learning experience. Google classroom is used in his

Julio Vargas
EDU 214 - 1005
Prof. Flowers
classroom to make learning more interactive. I have never heard of this

software before, but he gave me another brief description. After his

description, I asked him how he learned how to use the software. He

said that his school has site-based professional meetings each year to

introduce the staff to the technology they will be using throughout the

year. These meetings he described seemed like an excellent way to

effectively teach the educators about the software.

His classroom is a learn as we go environment when using

technology to aid in his lesson plans. The question he seemed most

passionate about answering concerned the digital divide between

CCSD schools. He does believe there is a big divide, and he tied it to

one main reason. This reason was budgeting. He believes that more

affluent schools should not receive more money for new technology; all

schools should receive the same amount.

That answer really hit home for me; I attended a small

school that was always deficient on supplies for education. It is really

pleasing to hear that there are educators who want to make sure all

kids have an equal chance at a quality education. I asked Mr. Brown if

he feels that technology can sometimes interfere with teaching and

learning in his classroom. He said that when a lesson revolves around

the use of technology and it is having technical issues it ruins his

lesson plan. However, he said that when everything is working

perfectly technology is an excellent educational tool.

Julio Vargas
EDU 214 - 1005
Prof. Flowers
The final question I asked him was his opinion oh how to

improve the use of technology in his classroom. He pondered this one

for a moment, and his reply was to improve the consistency in the

network at school. Apparently, his school has issues with network

connectivity, and it interferes with his grade input and planning for

future classes. Mr. Brown was a delight to interview, and he was very

knowledgeable about the technology being used at Cadwallader Middle

School.

My Additional Questions

1. Where are you from?

A: I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but I consider my
hometown to be Las Vegas, Nevada.
2. Where did you attend college, and what was your major?
A: I attended UNR, and received a Bachelors of Science degree.
3. What was your reasoning for choosing a career in education?
A: I love to teach, thats the easiest question youve given me.