Web Conference Reflection for September 23, 2012

I attended two web conferences. The last was last week, September 23, 2012. As usual the conference was of value. There are the complaints and notes of what is and is not working, as well as some genuinely helpful questions. There appears to be an overwhelming number of side conversations that sometimes have nothing to do with the assignments or concerns of the students. This can be distracting as you have to read the written posts as well as listen to speakers in order to stay abreast of what is going on. Dr. Abernathy and Dr. Jenkins do a fairly good job of keeping the discussions on track and even then the conversations are sometimes annoying. My questions are most times answered without my asking. I made note of one other student's concern that most of the reading material was geared toward middle and high school partnership concerns. I deduced from the earlier readings that that was because there is a higher percentage of parent involvement in the elementary grades. That may be, but in some instances a low level of parent involvement exists at the elementary level as well. I did not ask some questions I needed answered, but look forward to getting those answers as I am nearer to completion of the program.

EDLD 5326 Action Research Project Update

Action Research Project Title:  Assessing Student Gains Through the Use of Technology

Number of AR Project Documented Hours: 54

AR Project Summary:

 

I had to revise my research project again after being told I would be teaching a different grade level and teaching different subjects. Curriculum guidelines that were promised in July were not available until late August which slowed the necessary research into the use of technology to teach the subject I chose to use.  The overall question is still being answered. The subject I chose to use instead of the projected Language Arts is Social Studies. I was able to find additional Internet-based material to use while teaching Texas history and geography to fourth graders. Since most of the students have embraced the additional time given to utilize computers while studying, once the project is over, I will use it with all classes. There has not been a significant difference in student academic achievements reflected by the data collected so far. Perhaps with time, a more significant difference will emerge. Very few students have access to Internet connections at home. Perhaps if they had, there might be greater academic gain fueled by their ability to view and work on assignments at home. Rotating students among the four classroom computers presented my first challenge. This is the fifth week of additional computer use and we finally have the bugs ironed out. Thirteen percent or about 5 of the students have shown significant gains. Since this is a class of only eighteen students, I wonder whether this percentage is simply a reflection of the number of students who would normally make those kinds of gains.

Below is a revised timeline of my action research project. The proposed blog was not able to be put into effect because most students had no Internet access except for at school. The dates for data collection changed since I need to have the project finished by the completion of the 11th course.

Guidry's Revised Action Research Plan
Goal: Assessing Student Gains via the Use of Technology
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Research prior use of technology to enhance instruction. (Literature Review)	Self: Ava Guidry	May 1, 2012 to June 15, 2012	Internet access, computer	Evidence of substantial documentation by classroom teachers who use technology in the classroom.
Create surveys for students,  design online lessons and assessments, review sites for use in classroom.	Self: Ava Guidry	July 2012 to August 2012	Internet access, computer, social studies scope and sequence and/or curriculum guide for 4th grade	Completed design of surveys, lesson plans, assessments prepared
Data Collection and Analysis	Self: Ava Guidry	August 27, 2012 to October 2012	Internet access, computers, Surveys for students, records of student performances with and without use of additional technology.	Surveys completed and returned. Collected data analyzed and compiled.
Findings and Discussion	Self: Ava Guidry	November 2012	Computer with word processing, excel, and spreadsheet programs.	Publication of research findings and sharing with principal and co-workers.

Guidry's Revised Action Research Plan
Goal: Assessing Student Gains via the Use of Technology
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Research prior use of technology to enhance instruction. (Literature Review)	Self: Ava Guidry	May 1, 2012 to June 15, 2012	Internet access, computer	Evidence of substantial documentation by classroom teachers who use technology in the classroom.
Create surveys for students, set up blogs, design online lessons and assessments.	Self: Ava Guidry	July 2012 to August 2012	Internet access, computer, language arts scope and sequence and/or curriculum guide for 5th grade	Completed design of surveys, lesson plans, blog set up, assessments prepared
Data Collection and Analysis	Self: Ava Guidry	August 27, 2012 to November 16, 2012	Internet access, computers, Surveys for students, records of student performances with and without use of additional technology.	Surveys completed and returned. Collected data analyzed and compiled.
Findings and Discussion	Self: Ava Guidry	November 2012	Computer with word processing, excel, and spreadsheet programs.	Publication of research findings and sharing with principal and co-workers.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

Draft Action Research Project Progress Report

Assessing Student Gains via the Use of Technology

           The goal of my action research is to ascertain

whether academic gains are significantly higher for students

being exposed to more technology during their daily

instruction as opposed to those who are not.  I teach at a

campus where the students have limited access to

technology.  They get one thirty-minute period per week to

utilize an unshared computer.  They are directed to learning

sites and only have access to these sites while there.  These

students are digital natives in that they can quickly master

anything pertaining to technology.  I would like to see

whether given some leeway in the choice of sites they can

access will result in increased academic gains.  Students will

be given additional computer time to complete assignments,

access homework assignments, collaborate, and complete

assessments.

          I teach fifth grade at a school where the student

population is predominantly African-American and

approximately fifty percent are considered at-risk.  The

school is located in the midst of two subsidized housing

projects which house low-income, socio-economically

disadvantaged families.  The students are most often living

with a relative or someone who is not a parent.  Ninety-five

percent of the students are on free lunch.  The school is

three years old, replacing one built in the fifties.  The

students shared another campus while their new one was

being built.

          In the three years the new school has been in

existence, there has been a high teacher turnover rate. 

There is a large percentage of students with anger-

management issues. The number of student referrals and

suspensions is high. Student tardiness is also high.

          The issue I am confronting is student use of

technology in the classroom.  I would like to see whether

students will perform significantly better if exposed to more

technology during instruction. There is not enough

technology use by students during their instructional periods. 

I mean more than the overhead projector or a “Brain Pop”

video. Students should use technology when accessing

lessons, homework, and assessments.  I will be

incorporating the use of blogs, wikis, and podcasts in my

quest to expose students to more technology.  My study will

help me see whether increased student use of technology

for learning purposes will result in significant academic

gains.

          This research should serve to enlighten my principal

and colleagues to the possible benefits of utilizing additional

technology in lessons.  It may address the problem of

inadequate student gains, student motivation, student

completion of lessons, and help change the culture of the

school.  Given the chance to use technology in a learning

environment may be just what’s needed by these students to

build morale and foster participation.

          My literature review will take on a new focus since I

am in essence starting a new inquiry.  In next week’s

addition to this update, I should have a list of articles I have

perused in order to find background information.

          My target population is fifth grade language arts

students.  They will range in age from 10years to perhaps 13

years old.  There will probably be from 20 to 24 students in

this group.   Most are from single parent or guardian

households.  These students will be my homeroom students.  

They will serve as the experimental group to compare to a

control group.

          My data collection methods will include and may not

be limited to observations, journals, surveys, interviews,

homework, daily assignments, and tests.  The observations

will occur daily and students will record daily journal entries.

Surveys will be conducted at the beginning and the end of

the research period.  My students receive homework four

days a week.  I usually take two grades per week from

homework.  I will compare my homeroom students’ grades to

those of the other students I teach, using the same

assignments for comparison.  This data will be shared using

narratives, bar graphs, and pie charts.   

          Results of my action research will be evaluated using

the charted differences of academic gains achieved by both

sets of students.  Pre-tests and post-tests will be

administered to see where each student starts and stops on

the academic scale during the observed time period.

          Results will be shared with my building principal and

other campus personnel. I will use written and oral delivery

methods to share my findings.

EDLD 5364 Week Five

This week's readings, video watching, and assignments helped me clearly see where this course is taking me. I have evolved from an instructor who used the bare minimum of tech tools when teaching to one who can incorporate a wide range of those tools to teach. The creation and fine tuning of a mentoring plan for a teacher who is pretty much like I was is an excellent way in which to learn what we should be doing. My job at this point is to convince administration that it would be worthwhile to allow access to some of the websites that are currently restricted. They are more than likely concerned for student safety, because if they receive E-Rate funds they “are subject to the requirements put forth in the Children’s Internet Protection Act.” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007)

I practiced a full range of lifelong learning skills that I will be able to incorporate into my teaching of children as well as adults. The collaborative project forced me to stretch my negotiation skills. I will not forget what it took for me to be a good team player while involved in the group assignment. Collaboration is one of the highly touted skills deemed necessary for our 21^stcentury learners to be successful. Project-based learning coupled with collaboration and technology “encourages learning in depth by allowing students to use inquiry-based methods to engage in issues and questions that are rich, real, and relevant to their lives” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). Construction of lessons for students that are relevant to their lives is a sure way to get them engaged in learning. Once a student is engaged, keeping them motivated may be as simple as allowing them to choose how they approach and display their learning. Catering to their learning styles will help ensure mastery of content being presented. Games, self-assessments, technology use, and project based learning activities give teachers the ability to cater a lesson to all types of learners. This course has been a valuable lesson in differentiated teaching techniques.



References:


Solomon, G. & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

EDLD 5364 Week Four

This week's enlightenments consisted of the importance of equitable testing of students, cooperative learning techniques, team teaching, and how to create professional development programs.

I learned that without in-depth planning and consideration of all students’ needed support systems in place, we are doing them an injustice when assessing.  This is true especially if the student has relied on the support to remove barriers during the learning process. The UDL blueprint gives guidelines for creating assessments that are fair and accurate. Learning differences, media characteristics, supports, and poorly integrated curriculum all confound efforts to accurately assess. Flexibility appears to be the key to generating fair and accurate assessments.

Cooperative learning is certainly not new. But, the use of technology and multi-media tools in order to deliver lessons, create products, and assess makes it seem like it. I subscribe to the thought that technology should be used as often as possible.  With cooperative learning, it is almost a must-have. The ability of team members to journal, interact, plan, and revise using tech tools makes cooperative learning almost unlimited. Students have built-in support. It can be carried out within a single classroom, across a campus, statewide, and internationally.  Cooperative learning techniques with technology engages, tracks student progress, assesses, and can highlight where remediation is needed.

Team teaching is not practiced much anymore, but the example I viewed in one of this week’s videos illustrates how well it can be implemented across curriculums of different content and subject matter. This type of teaching can address the whole child. It can give a student the flexibility to choose how they want to learn or what they want to focus on while learning.

Resources:

CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski. (2007).Using technology with classroom instruction that works.Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology web site, http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education

Web Conference Reflection for March 18, 2012

The week's web conference was again enlightening. I still had to merely be in attendance in order to get questions answered. I got tips on how the scenario needed to be completed. I found that we made a good choice in keeping our UDL lessons centered on the same subject and topic. My team can easily choose which facet of our topic, the American Revolution, we will use and plan to illustrate to our mentee how to conduct the lesson using tech tools to address all learners' needs. It seems to me that this week is much easier than last weeks'. That may be because I am not pushed for time. Or... it may be because I have a firmer grasp on what the assignment entails. Either way, the conference was a success.

There were websites shared by attendees that proved quite useful. Most notable of these was http://teachingwithtechnologyedld5364.wikispaces.com/. This site has an extensive list of UDL lesson plans and websites addressing this course’s assignment. If I had had access to this site before the start or at the beginning of the course, I believe it would not have been so stressful. But, perhaps the true lesson is in struggling through it and finding out about it yourself. I accepted and completed the challenge.