This week, with the help of my site supervisor, I determined a topic for action research. The purpose of my action research project is to determine the effects of using Ipods as an instructional tool. The focal point will be the effect on student achievement and motivation in Science. We are a part of a grant that has provided Ipods for every 7th and 8th grade student on the campus. Last year, the grant focus was on student produced podcasts. At the same time, every student was given the opportunity to obtain an Ipod to carry between home and school, but many parents elected not to do so. In addition, there were several problems with application copyrights that were not addressed as well as internet access problems. These were supposed to have been remedied this summer, so we should have fully functional Ipods for daily use in classes. One of the main goals of my project is to help teachers find the most effective means for using the Ipods in class and as a homework tool and then address the effects of their use on student achievement.
Some of the wonderings I have are:
How can Ipods be most effectively and efficiently used in the classroom?
What effect will the use of Ipods have on student achievement?
How will the effective use of Ipods increase student motivation?
How much time will teachers have to spend developing and preparing lessons using the Ipods? Will results of lessons be equivalent to the time spent in their preparation?
The significance of this action research project is that it holds the potential to increase student motivation and understanding because it utilizes a tool that students are already familiar with. Students may be more motivated to complete their work and/or dig deeper into a topic when they have technology to help them. It also has the potential to increase the relevance of teacher lessons as they utilize this technology. Teachers may also be able to use the Ipods to make lessons available to students and parents 24/7. Parents may see improved grades as well as having children who find school more relevant. The results of this study may also help build a framework for the continued use of Ipods and other technology at our campus.
In my own opinion, technology is a fantastic tool to help students learn and achieve to their maximum potential, but if it is not used effectively, it can become nothing more than a high dollar toy. With this action research, I hope to discover how technology can be used to effectively impact student achievement.
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