An Interview with Tom McKenna: 4th grade teacher and technology whiz/wonder!

The four MAT’ers at Harborview Elementary School, Jessica, Rosie, Bonnie, and I had the pleasure of speaking with master teacher, Tom McKenna, on his integration of technology and education.  Tom has been integrating technology into his classroom since he first began his teaching career in 1991 in Unalaska.  As a teacher in rural Alaska, Tom used technology to connect students with others outside of their town.  He explained that, while the students’ response to the technology wasn’t huge, however, it was “mind blowing for them to receive responses not only from other students but from professors and experts…it was life changing for some of them.  They felt like they had a voice.” 

Now, as a master teacher at Harborview Elementary, Tom continues to push students to find this power of communication through technology.  From basic word processing using laptops and Alphasmarts to publishing podcasts of student interviews on the class blog to recording teaching and learning methods for parents, Tom’s integration of technology is impressive and inspiring.  I was especially inspired by a beginning of the year activity that he does, “The Golden Line,” when students are given a chance to record questions about the upcoming year, using Tom’s i-phone.  These podcasts are then posted onto the class website to be shared with other student and families.  His use of digitial photography to “slow down science” and allow students to student specific moments in time allows for great depth and understanding within the scientific field. Most importantly, the use of technology “gives students an audience outside of the classroom” and allows them to communicate and connect with each other on deeper levels.

To integrate technology so well takes a lot of patients and drive.  Tom recently wrote and received a grant from the Juneau School District for i-touches to be used in his classroom and he uses his person i-phone for numerous recording projects.  Technology has its glitches and it takes time to learn the equipment and getting it operating correctly – it takes patients.  The payoff seems huge – students are motivated, parents are more involved, and the classroom is only the starting point for learning. 

Harborview Elementary School Technology Inventory:

Building level purchases:

• ·      32 G4 Apple desktops in computer lab
• ·      8 G4 Apple desktops in library
• ·      2 laptop carts with 20 Apple laptops (roving)
• ·      3-4 Apple desktops or laptops in each classroom (teacher’s choice)
• ·       Software—Study Island (available on internet), Reading Eggs, Pages, Mavis Beacon, Inspiration, Safari, Microsoft Word, Powerschool
• ·      JSD e-mail address – all staff
• ·      Wireless Internet (does not work in every classroom)
• ·      Elmo/Document Camera/Projector—In every classroom
• ·      Front Row Microphone—Available to every teacher
• ·      Interactive Smart Board—Available to every classroom (not in use due to lack of tech support)
• ·      Smart board—In computer lab (donation for teacher of the year)
• ·      TV—In half of the classrooms (available on demand)
• ·      Printers—one B&W in each class, one color printer in staff lounge, office printers (wireless printing)
• ·      Copy Machines—Two in school

Individual Classroom’s Technology:

• ·      4 I-Pads (Steve Byers mini-grant)
• ·      6 I-Touches (Tom McKenna mini-grant)
• ·      30 Alphasmarts (technology grant dollars) in classrooms
• ·      Projector, Large screen, Stereo with surround sound (gym)