The first thing I am thinking is that I put all these things in the beginning of my study thinking that something would go wrong, and I would have to shift around. Nothing went wrong, and I have completed three interviews an observation, and a student focus group! WHEW. It wasn’t so much the observing and questioning, but the writing afterward. For the first observation I took notes on paper. I will be wiser next time, and take my lap top computer which I had planned to do in the first place and forgot. The observation showed nothing new. I guess I was just hoping for a miracle.
For the interviews, first I interview and write down answers as close to verbatim as possible. Then I go to another task at work. It may be three hours before I get to type up the interview. By that time I have probably lost a little of what was in my brain. I feel a good researcher immediately types up the interview so they will be more accurate. I know I could use a tape recorder, but no one wanted to be taped, and I didn’t want them to be uncomfortable and quit on me. It was hard enough to get them to agree to help me in the first place. I will just stick to writing and do the best I can. The interviews shed a little more light than the observation, and I learned that teachers know a little more about their new technology than I thought they did, but they just aren’t using it.
I looked at all three teacher lesson plan books, and none of them had anything about technology written up. They do not plan for technology integration for their in class lessons, nor do they plan for the assistant who is in the computer lab. They just take their students and drop them off.
I met with the student focus group today, and spent most of the time talking about ways they like to use the document camera. Sad but true, they didn't know all the things it could do, and their favorite thing about it was watching movies on the big screen. They love the computers in their room, and said if they were good they got to play on them in the afternoon.
I feel that I am doing the best I can do considering I am doing my job and conducting research at the same time. My job is actually suffering more than my research. I think for the research process to work better, a researcher needs more time. They need to focus just on research when they are researching. I feel as if I am a juggler. As far as initial findings, I am finding that the teachers for the most part are using their document cameras most of the day. They are using them for glorified overhead projectors mostly, but they are sometimes using them in other ways such as book capturing and sharing as well as internet sharing.
I have actually changed my project a little to just gather information from upper grades 3-5. This will ease my work a little, and give me more time to think and reflect.
Comments (10)
Glad to hear things are going well, but I might be wary of using your laptop during the observations. The sound of typing might be a bit obtrusive, and you may have to weigh accuracy of results/ease of recording with possibly affecting your group.
I had not read much about your project before today, but am interested in the two-pronged approach you are taking-looking at not only the students btu the teachers and how they understand (or do not) the technology. Sounds like you are doing an excellent job of completing tasks and getting your data recorded, and are finding some unexpected things (uses for the cameras) and adjusting your focus as needed.
Posted by John Harrington | March 21, 2009 8:09 AM
Posted on March 21, 2009 08:09
Great work getting data from several sources. I understand the feeling of trying to balance. As someone in their first year in a new district, I can't let the job suffer, or...
Learning what the students didn't know (regarding the document camera) may wind up being more valuable for the teachers.
Posted by Conrad Martin | March 21, 2009 8:22 AM
Posted on March 21, 2009 08:22
Jill,
I can understand what you mean about your work suffering more than the project. However, upon further reflection, I have realized that the study is actually helping me understand my strategies for teaching and how my kids learn, which in turn is helping me with my job.
Hang in there! Hopefully you, too, will start to see a correlation.
You have done an enormous amount of work this week! Since you mentioned you were unhappy with the results of your focus group, originally what were you expecting to glean from the session? Could the information you did gain be used for another purpose? Do you believe that the students did not know about all of the functions of the document camera because their teachers never use them in class or do you think that it is because the teachers only use them one way?
Posted by Tina Mallén | March 21, 2009 9:24 AM
Posted on March 21, 2009 09:24
Jill,
It sounds that you are making great progress!! That's awesome when things come together, I was also worried about getting all the interviews and observations done, and it is moving very smoothly. I feel the same way I love being in graduate school and getting my master's in library science, but at times I feel that my classes distract me from all the other things we have to get done on as teachers. It can be frustrating, but the end results will be the best for our students and for us as people with a master's degree.
Posted by Elizabeth McMullan | March 21, 2009 9:43 AM
Posted on March 21, 2009 09:43
Jill, I had a very similar experience. The lesson plans were useless. The interviews were very interesting. I used a very small mp3 that has a mic in it to record the interviews. It was so small I think it was non-threatening. With out the pen and paper the interviews were more like conversations. I have not typed them up yet, kinda scared about that.
So sad about the computer lab. Your greatest resource is a dumping ground. Anytime during the week teachers could come back in the lab and not drop off the kids? I personally would do away with the computer lab as a special. Teachers could use that lab for teaching core subjects.
Posted by Jason Mammano | March 21, 2009 6:18 PM
Posted on March 21, 2009 18:18
Jill, I had a very similar experience. The lesson plans were useless. The interviews were very interesting. I used a very small mp3 that has a mic in it to record the interviews. It was so small I think it was non-threatening. With out the pen and paper the interviews were more like conversations. I have not typed them up yet, kinda scared about that.
So sad about the computer lab. Your greatest resource is a dumping ground. Anytime during the week teachers could come back in the lab and not drop off the kids? I personally would do away with the computer lab as a special. Teachers could use that lab for teaching core subjects.
Jason Mammano
Posted by Jason Mammano | March 21, 2009 6:18 PM
Posted on March 21, 2009 18:18
Jill,
Sounds like you have a good start on your project. I originally was surprised that your teachers didn't plan for tech. use when they have it readily available, but when I got to thinking about it, I decided that probably wasn't as uncommon as you might think! I thought your observation about the document camera was interesting - about them being glorified overheads! Did you do any digging as to why they thought they were or why they used them that way? I'd be interested to know myself. Good job - sounds like you've been busy!
Posted by Amanda Ogle | March 21, 2009 7:19 PM
Posted on March 21, 2009 19:19
Jill,
Let me just say first how jealous I am that nothing has gone wrong in your research timeline--I'm sure many others agree. I'm happy for you, though, because it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate with work and your project all at the same time. While it's depressing to hear how underused technology is in your school, your project will probably open so many doors! I'm interested to see how you'll use the information to raise awareness and show teachers what they're missing.
Posted by Tara Smith | March 22, 2009 8:54 PM
Posted on March 22, 2009 20:54
Jill it sounds like things are really going well. I am glad things seem to work out well and you did not have to step back and think of a different strategy. I agree that writing all that up is the main draw back. But I am sure that we will be glad that we did once we begin to finally analyze what we have. Plus it will help you in the collection process also.
Posted by Nikki Jaynes | March 23, 2009 1:47 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 13:47
Good progress, Jill. Never hesitate to follow-up with an interviewee if you can't remember exactly what they said during an interview. I've interviewed a few times without a recorder, and inevitably I have to call them to verify what I thought I heard! :)
Posted by Alecia Jackson | March 24, 2009 9:54 PM
Posted on March 24, 2009 21:54