Question
Technology integration involves using available new technology in curriculum-based instruction. The challenge for my school is using the new technology so that students are engaged in learning, and the curriculum requirements are being met. My school has just acquired forty thousand dollars worth of new technology such as document cameras and projectors in each classroom grades first through fifth. Now, it seems a must to incorporate the technology we have, but no one seems to be using the new technology effectively to its full potential. In this action research study I want to find out how to integrate this technology in a variety of ways in order to create a curriculum-based learning environment while increasing teacher's technology literacy and students active engagement in learning.
Setting
North Elementary is located in Western North Carolina, and is the second largest school in the county with an enrollment on 492 students. The student body consists of 253 boys and 239 girls. There are two American Indian students, two Asian, four Black, and fourteen Hispanic. Two children are migrant students, and will return to North Elementary in March.
North Elementary is a Title I school, and uses the school wide Title I model. The Title I reading teacher and assistants travel to the students rooms, and every student gets Title I reading for thirty minutes per day.
Participants
There are four kindergarten teachers/classes with an average of 20 students per class. First through fourth grade has four teachers in each grade level with an average of 21 students per teacher. North School also has a transition first grade classroom of thirteen students. These students were not academically or developmentally ready for a regular first grade classroom. There are forty-two certified staff members of which four are board certified, seven have a masters degree, and two have a masters degree and are board certified.
There are twelve academically gifted students or talent pool students in grades 3-5, and 68 special needs students in grades 1-5. More will be added as kindergartners are tested under the CARE team. 243 students at North Elementary receive free or reduced lunch.
Jill Mann
Comments (6)
I like the detail in the setting and participants sections, but what I want to know with any technology implementation issue is the degree to which IMPACT guidelines have been adopted in your setting. Dr. Sanders is in the credits of that document. He might be a good resource for your issue. IMPACT also may help with the literature review since it cites so much research.
How much planning time do teachers at your school get?
"Now, it seems a must to incorporate the technology we have, but no one seems to be using the new technology effectively to its full potential." What is the media and technology program like? That is the component of the school that will help teachers meet the expectation you have for the teachers to be using the new technology at full potential.
I read your response to Jason and think you made a good point there that applies to your study.
Posted by Daniel Skinner | January 30, 2009 9:38 PM
Posted on January 30, 2009 21:38
This is a great study topic. It brings together everything we have done in this program so far. You have the stuff now lets see you use it. This goes along with what Dr T was telling us about vision guiding what happens in the practices in the classroom. Sounds like your school needs to work on a shared vision. This is backward from what many schools face, no equipment but lots of ideas.
Posted by Craig Cavender | February 1, 2009 8:01 AM
Posted on February 1, 2009 08:01
Craig is right on point and this does go right along with Jason's research too. Assuming that staff development is being conducted and there are support personnel to call on, what can be done to promote this paradigm shift?
Are teachers waiting on a new initiative or additional personnel to jump on board? I kind of doubt it. New initiatives and the time the sap away are usually wildly unpopular. It could come down to what preceeded these purchases. Did we fill our rooms with the sexiest new toys or did we have a goal in mind? From what you are saying, the teachers were not privy to or did not buy into that goal. That is not to place blame on them because it may not be the route they wanted to go in the beginning.
I am glad we are asking these difficult questions to really do some small scale root cause analysis. Otherwise all of this training and equipment is a giant waste of time.
Posted by Kyle Wood | February 1, 2009 9:17 AM
Posted on February 1, 2009 09:17
I very interested to read your conclusions. To me this is one of the most important questions concerning technology. Schools and school systems need to get away from buying equipment and software just to increase the amount of technology within. I does not matter what you have if no one uses it. How do we solve this problem? There is too much money wasted every year on technology which sits in a classroom or on a server and never gets used. What is the answer?
Posted by Shannon Mosteller | February 2, 2009 10:54 AM
Posted on February 2, 2009 10:54
Great research question -- and its relevance and importance have already been commented on by your colleagues.
The "particpants" section should be moved up under the "setting" section because it is a large description of the people who occupy the setting. The participants are the actual people you intend to study. Out of all these people, who will you interview? Are you going to focus on one class, or a group of different teachers from various grade levels?
Keep your participants to 4-6 because of the short nature of the project.
Posted by Alecia Jackson | February 4, 2009 10:57 AM
Posted on February 4, 2009 10:57
Hi there, I found your web site via Google even though searching for a related topic, your website came up, it looks excellent. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Posted by Amazon Kindle Fire | October 7, 2011 2:26 PM
Posted on October 7, 2011 14:26