Action Research Week 3 - Part 3

1.  Setting the Foundation

One of the districts goals is that “Teachers will increase integration of technology in the delivery of instruction and in student use of technology in learning activities.”  My job as instructional technology coordinator is to help achieve this goal.  I would like to know the best ways to incorporate technology into the classroom so that student achievement goes up.

2.  Analyzing Data

The data I will be analyzing will be from student achievement or benchmark test given by the district, as well as the results of the STAAR test once they are received by the district.  I will be looking at data from both classrooms that use technology and classrooms that use almost none.  I will also be looking at the ways technology is being used in the classrooms.  I will also be looking at discipline records when technology is used and see if the use affects the number of disciplinary occurrences in any way.  This in turn will be compared to scores. 

3.  Developing Deeper Understanding

I plan to visit the classrooms using technology and see what programs, apps, or activities they are using and record the observations of these classrooms.  I will also be observing whether or not the teacher uses technology in whole group or small group setting.   I will also be observing the amount of time devoted to the use of technology.  I will interview teachers to see which technology they feel is most helpful, and if some programs or devices work better for some students than for others.

4.  Engage in Self Reflection

I will be using self-reflection by analyzing the strategies I have used to teach teachers to use technology. I will look at whether they have the skills they need to use the technology to push students to use it in a way that supports the TEKS they must teach.  Is the technology pushing kids to higher levels of achievement?  What more can I do to support the teacher in the classroom?  I will be looking at ways to train teachers better to use the technology effectively as I conduct this study. 

5.  Programmatic Patterns

I will be visiting with my site supervisor and teachers to evaluate and look for programmatic patterns.  We will ask questions about the technology and student groups to ensure there are no biases and all student groups are represented in this study and that an effective use of technology is designed for all student groups. 

6. Determining Direction

 The goal of this study is to determine effective uses of technology in the classroom.  It is important that teachers have input into what works in their classroom.  Therefore, the direction of the study will be determined in a collaborative way considering their classroom needs and the technology available.  The results of the benchmarks and other tests will help support these uses of technology or allow us to investigate other ways.

7.  Taking Action for School Improvement

After I have analyzed the test data to see if the way we implemented the technology in the classroom was effective, I will share the results with my site supervisor, as well as other Instructional Technology Coordinators in the district.  I will share the effective methods with teachers in staff development workshops and work on the areas of technology that did not seem to support academic improvement.  I will continue to work one-on-one with teachers who need extra guidance in using the technology.

8.  Sustain Improvement

Implementing technology into the classroom will be an ongoing learning process that will require constant tweaking.  I will continue to help teachers incorporate it effectively into their classrooms and provide training for teachers as technology changes.  I will continue to study the data our district receives and compare the data to the technology uses in an effort to always improve in this area and make education the best it can be for our students.