Reflecting on reflecting

During the course of this educational master's program, I've learned quite a bit about the value of reflective leadership.  All courses and assignments require reflection activities and, early on, I didn't take them as seriously as I do now.  Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say.  Now that I'm near the end, I am reflecting more on the work that I did in my internship as well as what I could have done better.  This doesn't mean there still isn't time to accomplish some of the activities I should have done or done differently.  Now, I will simply do them because it will help me learn, not so that I can say that I finished my degree. 

One of things that I think about often is how, when I am an internship supervisor, I will help those interns under me to be successful.  I needed a lot more guidance than I got, but I also could have asked for a lot more assistance as well.  I need to get out of the "lone wolf" mode that has helped me be successful for so many years and become more open to collaboration.  Literally, I have to seek out the assistance and input of others and then use it. As a leader, I also need to be ready and willing to help those under my leadership to reach their greatest potential.  I must be willing to hire people who complement my weaknesses and not those who are just like me.  This will take work and deliberate action on my part. 

One of the things that I really needed more of was "in the front office" experience.  Most of what I did was outside of the daily action, so to speak.  This doesn't mean that I didn't learn.  It just means I need to get more time in the office, especially as I gear up to start interviewing.  One of the hindrances that kept me out of the office was the high need area, Science, where I teach.  Most of my conference periods were spent planning and meeting with other teachers to work on increasing student achievement.  This is not an excuse, just an observation. 

One traumatic event also occurred during my 18 month internship.  During February and March of 2012, I spent most of both months at M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston as my father was dying of lung cancer.  He finally succumbed to heart failure after over a month in the hospital.  This one event took me quite a while to recover from and I am still in the healing process.  It did help that I was able to hold his hand as he died and was also able to give a eulogy at his funeral (as did my brother, wife, and niece).  Still, this slowed me down a bit. 

On the plus side, the program prepared me for taking the TeXES as I passed with a score well above the minimum.  My test scores also showed me that my weakest area is, as I already knew, instructional leadership.  This means that I will have to work extra hard in this area to develop my skills and will also need to work with those who are even better than I am if I'm to help a school succeed.  In a way, I am glad that the test revealed what I already knew.  If I had done well in that domain, I probably wouldn't be reflecting on ways to compensate and grow in this skill. 

I know that the above has probably been tedious, but it always helps to look back and reflect.  As a leader, it should be a part of my day every day in this neverending battle to improve. 

Action Research Report

Finally done.  The action research report ended up being completed different than what I had intended or expected.  In the beginning, the research was designed to measure whether iPods would increase student achievement in Science.  As the project unfolded, it became apparent that the iPods were not going to work as expected.  The report ends up documenting the problems and then recommending solutions, mostly proactive, for avoiding similar problems in the future. 

Recently, I read an article that described how, in Science, failure to prove a hypothesis can lead to greater discovery than would have occurred had the hypothesis proved correct.  I can only hope that in this case the results will prove useful even though the original project was not necessarily successful. 

Looking  back, I could have done the project on the effects of a positive incentive program on student discipline.  The program was in place and would have been easier to quantify.  However, the learning would not have been as great.  In a nutshell, I'm glad I chose this topic and will apply what I learned to future assignments.  Hopefully, others will also be able to use the findings to help them in technology integration projects as well.

Below is the text of the document.  I can only hope that it formats correctly.

Abstract

As part of a technology grant, Palestine Middle School, a rural East Texas campus, received enough iPod touch mobile devices for every 7^th and 8^th grade student.   The campus also received ancillary equipment, including Macbooks, to support these devices.  During the first year, students were allowed to take the iPods home and teachers used the ancillary equipment for student-produced podcasts.  Once the grant was complete, the iPods were designated for classroom use only.  The original intent of the research was to determine the effects of regular classroom use of iPods on student achievement in Science.  However, during the classroom implementation, many obstacles were encountered that hindered the effective use of the equipment.  This report documents these obstacles and provides recommendations for eliminating or overcoming them in future technology projects.

iPod Use in a Rural Middle School: Pitfalls and Possibilities

            During the 2010-2011 school year, Palestine Middle School, a rural East Texas campus, participated in a T3 (Target Tech in Texas) grant funded by the Texas Education Agency and administered through the Region 07 Education Service Center.  The purpose of the grant, according to the Texas Education Agency (2011) was “to stimulate the use of educational technology in teaching and learning.”  As a result of this grant, Palestine Middle School received enough iPod Touch devices for all 7^th and 8^th grade students, amounting to approximately 400 devices.  In addition, the campus was given 15 Apple MacBook computers, five iPod storage carts, and accessories for all devices.  The focus of the Region 07 grant was to use the technology to enable students and teachers to produce educational podcasts and to enable every 7^th and 8^th grade student to have access to a mobile device (iPod) for home and classroom use.  In the original distribution of the iPods, documented by Covington (2011), parents and students were given the option of checking out an iPod for home use.  Only 39 students chose this option.  When the grant requirements were complete in the Spring of 2011, Palestine Middle School was allowed to keep the iPods and other equipment.  It was decided that the devices would not be reissued to students during the 2011-2012 school year, but instead only made available for classroom use. 

            Palestine Middle School is a rural campus located in Palestine, Texas.  It serves approximately 400 7^th and 8^th grade students, most of whom (71%) are considered low-income.  The ethnic breakdown of the campus is 36% Hispanic, 34% White, and 29% African American. The year prior to this project the campus received a rating of Academically Unacceptable due to the performance of one subpopulation in Science.

            The original purpose of this action research project was to determine how to effectively implement the iPods into Science instruction in order to improve student achievement.  In the project design, Science teachers would use the iPods on a regular basis and student achievement would be measured through local and state assessment results, surveys, and data from journals and other relevant class work. It was expected that, by regularly and effectively using the handheld devices, student achievement would improve as the year progressed. 

            After completion, the findings of the project could be used to assist other departments in incorporating iPod technology into their subject areas.  In addition, other schools could benefit from the lessons learned during the classroom implementation process. 

            As will be seen, the original intent of the project was not realized due to factors beyond the control of the researcher.  This report will instead serve as a tool to help overcome some of these concerns in future technology projects.

            Several key terms will be used in this report.  iPod refers to a brand of portable media player designed and distributed by Apple Inc.  The iPod touch is a touch-screen version of this device and will be referred to by the generic name iPod throughout this report.  Applications, or apps, are the computer programs downloaded onto the iPods via a web browser.  Applications allow the iPod to perform multiple functions and include games, educational and productivity tools, and media access.  iTunes is Apple Inc.’s media and library application.  It allows applications to be downloaded and stored on the iPod.  Podcasting is a method of creating and distributing multimedia files over the Internet.  Podcasts can be either audio or video, although video podcasts are sometimes referred to as vodcasts.  Curriculum Based Assessments and Benchmarks refer to school developed tests to measure student progress.  STAAR is the acronym for State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, a state mandated assessment of knowledge and skills.   

Literature Review

            In Vision 2020, the Texas Education Agency developed a long-range goal of having an education system where students have 24/7 access to information and resources and teachers are able to use technology to effectively meet the needs of these students (Texas Education Agency, 2006).  The goal will require both technologies for the students and training for teachers.  At present, there is a growing body of literature supporting the use of mobile technologies to increase student learning as well as documenting potential problems.  Shuler (2009) suggests that mobile technologies can serve several important functions.  These include “anytime, anywhere” learning, reaching underserved students, improving modern social interactions, and customizing learning to fit individual student needs.  There are already a number of mobile applications that can be used in education, including mobile gaming and simulation, research aids, and study tools and the possibilities continue to grow (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe, 2009).  Other uses include listening to lectures and books, notetaking, and language learning as well as simply blocking out distractions through the use of music (Dogbey, 2007). 

            In 2004, Duke University piloted a project that provided iPods to incoming freshman.  The results indicated that these devices could be helpful in many academic situations (Duke University, 2005).  Some of these include language learning and vocabulary development (Born & Nixon, 2012; Fraga, Harmon, Wood, & Buckelew-Martin, 2011) as well as general classroom activities (Yerrick & Johnson, 2009;  Bauleke & Herrmann, 2010; Murray & Sloan, 2008).  

            However, we still know very little about how to harness the power of digital media and its use in education (Shore, 2008).  In addition, some schools go through what Thomas (2007) calls “install first, think about the pedagogical consequences later.”  This can lead to underutilization or misuse of the devices. 

Action Research Design

Subjects

            This project was originally developed because iPod technology was readily available on campus, but was not being used.  The goal was to find ways to implement the devices into instruction in 7^th and 8^th grade Science and then determine their effectiveness through examination of Benchmark, Curriculum Based Assessment, and STAAR scores in Science.  It was decided that Science would be the best place to start because, of the original teachers involved in the T3 project, the most active were in the Science department. Science had also received a rating of Academically Unacceptable the previous year and it was hoped that integrating iPod technology would serve to increase student achievement and raise this rating.

Procedures

            The vision for the project was communicated to Science teachers during staff development prior to the beginning of the school year in August.  The teachers were encouraged, but not administratively directed, to implement the technology in their classes.  However, follow-up on the use of the devices was a part of early department meetings and support was given by the Science department chair.  iPod training was scheduled to begin in September and be held weekly during department conference times.  This was to be an opportunity to learn from the district technology trainer as well as share classroom practices.  Both Science teachers and students were surveyed about their own experiences with the iPod devices in September and given opportunity to share ideas for how they could be best utilized in classes.  A DropBox folder was created to allow teachers to add lesson and application ideas.   As the year progressed, scores on Benchmarks and CBAs were to be evaluated using the DMAC system to look for improvement.  Students were also to be surveyed in December and again in May to determine their impression of whether using the iPods helped them be more successful in Science.

Data Collection

            As the school year continued, it became apparent that there were going to be issues in implementing this project as designed.  First of all, though promised in August, the iPods were not made available until late October due to technical concerns.  The previous year, students had taken the iPods home and a number had been stolen and subsequently recovered.  Before they could be reissued to teachers, they had to be updated and repaired.  The training that was scheduled never materialized as the trainer was pulled for higher priority activities after the iPods were issued.  By this time, much of the zeal for using the devices on the part of teachers had faded.   Those few teachers who had tried to use the iPods reported problems with wireless connectivity.  In addition, administrative support dwindled as other projects took center stage.  Due to these and other concerns, it was decided to change the scope of the project and focus on using the devices in my own 7^th grade Science and 8^th grade advisory classes.  Anecdotal data along with CBA and Benchmark scores would then be used to evaluate their effectiveness. 

            After beginning to implement this secondary plan, it quickly became apparent that there were inherent problems between the building’s wireless network and the iPods.  In addition, many hours were spent looking for suitable applications, or apps, only to discover that they would not load onto the iPod iOS (mobile operating system).  Paid apps could not be loaded because the district did not have an account that could be used district wide.  Both of these issues were brought to the attention of the responsible parties in the fall, but were not addressed until May.  After spending a large part of the year trying to get the equipment to work properly with hit-or-miss accuracy, it was decided to focus the brunt of the research on determining root causes for the problems that were encountered and developing recommendations for future projects of this type.  This was accomplished through interviews with teachers and technology personnel.  Anecdotal and observational evidence documenting student iPod use was also collected and used in the analysis.  This was collected with open-ended surveys of students using the iPod technology as well as watching and interviewing students. 

Findings

            In the beginning of the project, 378 Palestine Middle School 7^th and 8^th grade students were surveyed as to their familiarity with iPod technology.  37% of all students reported owning an iPod.  By grade level, 44% of 8^th graders and 32% of 7^th graders reported owning these devices.  Of the others, 82% said they had experience with the devices.  Only 14% of students reported having never used an iPod, with 4% not responding.

            Of the students who reported either owning or using an iPod, 132 said they used the device daily.  60 reported using them weekly, 49 reported monthly use, and 77 said they used an iPod less than once a month (see Figure 1).

            Based on these survey results, the majority of students at Palestine Middle School reported at least some experience using the iPod, even if they did not own one of the devices.  When asked how they used the iPod, 190 reported listening to music, 201 reported searching the internet, 217 played games, 141 used applications, and 39 reported other uses. (see Figure 2).  Some of these other uses included doing homework, watching math videos, taking pictures and video, reading books, taking notes, and using the device as a watch, calculator, and timer.  Students were allowed to choose multiple options on this survey question. 
            Students were also asked what they perceived as the best use of the iPods in the classroom.  The choices were searching the internet, using educational applications, solving math problems, listening to/watching educational podcasts, and other uses.  Multiple options were allowed on this survey question.  Most thought that all of these were good uses.  The other ideas suggested included research, listening to music, finding music by classical composers in band class, recording classes, doing science experiments, taking notes, using online textbooks, and staying organized.  One student also pointed out that the previous year’s attempts at iPod implementation were not effective and another thought it would be a good tool for ignoring the teacher. 

            Science teachers were surveyed regarding their familiarity and comfort level with the iPods.  At the time of the survey, there were only five science teachers.  This group was chosen as the original intent of the research was to measure the effect of iPod use on Science achievement.  Three of the five reported owning an iPod.  Only one had never used the device before.  Four of the five teachers reported being somewhat familiar with the iPod and one was very familiar.  All reported that they were comfortable with the iPod.  Four of the five teachers expected to use the iPods at least once a week.  The other expected to use the devices at least monthly.  Based on these survey results, at the beginning of the school year, Science teachers were prepared to use the iPods in their classes if the proper support systems were in place. 

            In my own classes, I used the iPods at least once a week and made observations during these times.  Students used the iPods as lab timers, stop watches, and dice, played interactive math and science games, searched the internet when the wireless network was working, watched preloaded podcasts, and designed vocabulary cards for review.   One group of students also created podcasts using the MacBooks and transferred these to the iPods where they learned from each other’s work.  Several observations were reported during these sessions.  First of all, students with special needs, especially behavior issues, were more focused when they were using the devices.  Subsequently, they were able to answer content questions with much more accuracy.  There was also an increase in on-task behavior on the part of all students when the iPods were used versus regular class work.   

            Open-ended surveys were given to students who used the iPods regularly.  These students were asked if the iPods had helped them in their learning and, if so, to describe how.  All but one student reported that the iPods had helped them learn more effectively than traditional class work.  Several students reported that it helped them to be able to look at electronics instead of paper. 

            Students were also given an opportunity to advise teachers who wanted to use technology more in their classroom.  Some of these responses included:

·         “The advice I would give would be for the teachers to let us use technology in the class.”

·         “Learn about it.  Then use it.”

·         “Make using technology fun.  That way when the teachers want to use it, kids will too.”

·         “Watch your students.  If they have questions, answer them, and teach them how to use and work with technology.”

            Teachers were interviewed to determine why they did not use the technology as expected.  The two main reasons given were lack of training and fear of theft.  As mentioned earlier, a number of the iPods were stolen the previous year and teachers did not want to be responsible for the loss of more of the devices.

            Finally, in an attempt to determine the extent of the problems that kept the project from being fully implemented, interviews were conducted with technology personnel.  These interviews resulted in knowledge that would have changed the scope of the project if known beforehand.  Several key points gathered from these interviews included:

·         During the T3 grant, Region 07 purchased 1^st generation iPods.  These iPods would not support applications designed for later generation equipment.  They also did not come with cameras or microphones.

·         The school’s internet security system automatically prohibited internet access on the iPods.  Each user had to enter their credentials and even then, the system would drop them after about five minutes of internet use.

·         Under the T3 grant, iTunes was set up with a single-user iTunes account instead of a corporate account.   For this reason, paid applications could not be downloaded and used on multiple devices and teachers had to use their own iTunes accounts to obtain applications.

·         Apple equipment did not work with the school’s domain without upgrading the iOS on each iPod.  This was discovered through trial and error. 

·         iPod carts were designed to automatically download applications from a MacBook to 40 iPods at a time.  However, the iPod carts were inconsistent in this task and the Macbooks often would not connect to the Internet to download the applications.

·         Servers and hardware were not in place to support the iPods. 

Conclusions and Recommendations

            Schools today have a great opportunity to meet the educational needs of students through the use of handheld devices such as the Apple iPod.  Research shows that the iPod and other mobile technologies have the potential to substantially impact student learning. It is also rare to find a student who does not have at least some access to a handheld computing device, thus allowing them to learn in a familiar environment.  However, in order to effectively use the iPods, certain prerequisites need to be in place.  These include ongoing training for teachers, iTunes accounts that can be accessed and used by multiple parties, wireless services that support Apple devices, the latest iPod technology, and full administrative support.  Without the proper environment, even the most willing teachers and students will find the iPod implementation process frustrating at best.  This is especially true when many students know they can simply take out their phones and do many of the same activities that are being attempted with the iPods.       As a result of this action research, several key recommendations have been developed for those planning a similar implementation.  These are designed to help overcome the problems that were encountered in this project.  First of all, before beginning any major technology implementation, ensure that full administrative support is in place.  Without this support, it will  be difficult to get buy-in from all teachers and others participants.  Next, a technology survey needs to be conducted to determine if the infrastructure is in place to effectively support the equipment.  This would include wireless access and compatibility with the school’s existing internet servers and hardware.  In addition, ensure that funds are available to purchase the latest versions of equipment.  With technology changing rapidly, failure to have the latest version can lead to a loss in effectiveness and failure to accomplish educational objectives.  In fact, at this point it would be recommended that iPads be incorporated rather than iPods.  The iPad is much more versatile, larger, and allows for easier use by multiple persons. 

            When using Apple technology, a corporate iTunes account should be created that allows multiple users to access and download applications.  This corporate account could be administered by one person to ensure that paid applications are available to all users and the use of applications is not abused.  Training and support for teachers must also be developed before implementing the equipment.  This training should include both hands-on activities with the equipment and group reflection time to share successes and struggles.  Equipment security must also be taken into account.  A procedure should be developed and followed to ensure that devices are kept secure and not removed without permission.  This could be as simple as sign out/sign in process for each device and a locked storage area.  Finally, choose one person to be in charge of the implementation of any major technology project.  This person would serve as the coordinator and ensure that proper procedures are developed and that the equipment is being used as specified.  They would also be able to keep others informed of progress and setbacks in the implementation process. 

            In beginning this research, I was advised by a peer that it might not turn out as I expected. In fact, I was told that I might want to do something less technical.  Although I took this advice to heart, I didn’t expect the project to be as difficult as it turned out to be.  However, as with any research, many times the failures result in greater learning than the successes.  Looking back over this action research project, it is clear that, had more information been available early on, the project would have gone much smoother.  In fact, had I known of the problems that were going to be encountered, a different research topic would probably have been chosen. Nevertheless, now that the project is complete, the results will be of value when implementing future technology projects and, hopefully help others avoid these same problems.    

References

Bauleke, D. & Herrmann, K. (2010).  Reaching the iBored.  Middle School Journal, January 2010, 33-38.

Born, C. & Nixon, A.L. (2012, March).  Closing in on Vocabulary Acquisition.  Testing the use of iPods and Flashcard software to eliminate performance gaps.   Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/SEI1201.pdf. 

Dogbey, J. (2007).  Using iPods for instruction.  The Principals’ Partnership. Retrieved from http://www.principalspartnership.com/

Duke University (2005).  iPod First Year Experience Final Evaluation Report.  June 2005. 

Fraga, L., Harmon, J., Wood, K, & Buckelew-Martin, E. (2011).  Digital Word Walls and Vocabulary Learning:  The Use of iPods to Facilitate Vocabulary Instruction with ESL Students.  Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 7(2), 38-57. 

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition.  Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium

Murray, C. & Sloan, J. (2008).  iPod Touch Research Report. Delphian E-Learning. November 2008. Retrieved from http://delphian.com.au/ipod-touch-research-report.

Shore, R. (2008). The Power of Pow! Wham!: Children, Digital Media & Our Nation’s Future. Three Challenges for the Coming Decade. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

Shuler, C. (2009). Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

Texas Education Agency (2011).  Target Tech in Texas (T3) Collaborative Grant. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=4844&menu_id=2147483665.

 Texas Education Agency (2006).  Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. A report to the 80^th Legislature from the Texas Education Agency.  Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/etac.

Thomas, M. (2006).  iPods in Education: Innovations in the Implementation of Mobile Learning.  The Knowledge Tree: an E-journal of Learning and Innovation, 10, 4-14.  Retrieved from flexiblelearning.net.au.  

Yerrick, R., & Johnson, J. (2009). Meeting the needs of middle grade science learners through pedagogical and technological intervention. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(3). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss3/science/article1.cfm

Figure 1:  Survey Question 7: How often do you use an iPod?  These responses were limited to the students who reported either owning or using an iPod in previous survey questions.

Figure 2: Survey Question 9: How do you normally use an iPod? Students were allowed to choose multiple responses.  These responses were limited to the students who reported having used an iPod.

 

EDLD 5352 Web Conference 3 Reflection

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

This was a fairly short web conference, but full of useful information.  I was very impressed with Dr. Abernathy's insistence that students complete the work and, if mistakes are made, to redo and resubmit until it is correct.  This is the type of learning that we need to be doing in our schools and the attitude that should be instilled in teachers and students. If mastery is our goal, then the only way to get there is through repeated mistakes and corrections.  Unfortunately, this also takes time that often teachers feel they do not have. 

This week's focus is on Project Based Learning and several participants shared their experiences with this teaching method.  All agreed that PBL is an excellent way to engage students while covering key course content because it puts the onus of the learning back on the student as well as provides choices for information.  Another topic that was covered was the use of videos versus readings in the course.  I was the only one that had anything good to say regarding readings.  While I like the idea of videos, I would not do away with the readings.  I tend to learn from both and would rather see a combination of the two.  The videos are more visual and often bring about an emotional response, but the readings, at least to me, allow for more in-depth study and review.  They also show examples of professional writing styles and are more permanent.

Besides the discussion about this week's coursework on Project Based Learning, there were also several key point of information including what is expected for our final internship report.  This has changed somewhat since I started the program, so I was thankful for a clarification. 

Overall, the web conferences have been extremely helpful in bringing about understanding of the course requirements.  In addition, the course work itself has been eye-opening as I have been exposed to new tools and methods, some of which I was able to put to use immediately in both my professional and personal life. 

EDLD 5352 Web Conference 2 Reflection

Saturday, July 28, 2012

I am hardly awake at 9 am on a Saturday, but I am glad I was this time around.  This web conference gave me several pieces of important information, not of the least of which was being thankful I took ILD at Lamar with Dr. Jenkins versus online.  According to one participant, the amount of coursework was equal to about three of these courses. I also got clarification about who to contact regarding certification now that I have ILD and, as far as I can tell, LCE completed.  These two pieces of information alone were worth the cost of admission.  For this week's coursework, Dr. Abernathy explained exactly what was expected to be turned in for this week's assignment.  Fortunately, my team was already ahead of the curve as we had already had our first team meeting and were on the same page regarding what web 2.0 tools we were each going to review in Week 3.  As the instructions are not always clear, the web conference was helpful in ensuring that I am doing what is expected.  I and another teammate were also able to send an update based on the conference to the other team members to answer questions brought up during our team web meeting earlier in the week. 

EDLD 5352 Web Conference 1 Reflection

Saturday July 21, 2012

Prior to this web conference, I was the most confused that I have been in any course during this program.  First, Epic did not respond normally.  Second, the course instructions were somewhat confusing as the information in Epic did not align with the Week 1 overview.  Thankfully, this issue was resolved during the conference as Dr. Abernathy explained the problems with Epic and went over the general course requirements.  Also, the need to form a team for week 2 was emphasized.  Knowing this in advance helped me to get the ball rolling and to have a team together by the end of the weekend.  In addition, the livebinders link was posted by Dr. Abernathy.  This was helpful as the link in Epic did not work and I referred back to this conference several times during the week for the link as well as shared the correct information  with my teammates.  One of the great things about the web conferences is that I recognize others are often having the same concerns that I am, therefore my questions are usually answered before I ever have a chance to ask them.  In addition, other students are helpful to answer questions and make suggestions.  Overall, without the web conference, weeks one and two of this course would have been extremely stressful or, at the least, more stressful than usual. 

Some good news

Finally, some of problems with our systems are being solved.  Unfortunately, much of this will not occur until summer. In a nutshell, the biggest issues that I have discovered with the iPods are that they are 1st generation so they won't run many of the new applications, the wireless network was not configured to run the Mac products, and the district did not have an itunes account that could be used to purchase multiple copies of paid apps.  While this may not seem like much, it severely limited the tasks that could be done on the equipment.  Once these and other issues are resolved, the iPods should be much easier to use.  After that, I will have to start the process of building confidence in teachers and students that the equipment will be usable and not so difficult to operate that they will just give up.  More to come as the changes occur.  as always, I am learning through the process and this learning should help as the iPod implementation process continues.

May 2012 Action Research Template

This is subject to change again as I continue to work with the goals of this project.  What started out as a cut and dried project (see previous project steps) has changed considerably.  The learning experience has been well worth the trouble, though.

Action Planning Template
Goal: To analyze and evaluate the implementation of iPods and other Apple technology on the Palestine Middle School campus and determine how to best use this equipment for student achievement
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Administer Pre-Ipod Survey to teachers and students	Breck Quarles;  Advisory teachers (for student surveys)	Sept. 2011-Oct. 2011	Survey Monkey (for teachers); Paper Survey (for students)	Analyze surveys for teacher/student familiarity and comfort with  Ipods and teacher ideas for effective use
Train teachers in effective classroom use of Ipods	Lisa Covington; District Technology Specialists	July 2012 (original training did not occur as scheduled)	Ipod training materials provided by PISD Technology Department	Lesson plans will be evaluated for evidence of Ipod use;  Field notes will be taken during Science classes
Create a DropBox folder to hold teacher lesson ideas/applications	Breck Quarles;  PISD Technology Department	September 2011	Drop Box Account	DropBox folder will be checked weekly for new information and additions by teachers/technology staff
Meet with technology leaders to determine issues that have led to iPod implementation problems	Breck Quarles;  PISD Technology Department	April 2012	None	Analyze interviews for reasons behind the problems that have been occurring as iPod technology implementation is attempted
Meet with Science teachers regularly to evaluate progress of implementation and support teachers during implementation	Lisa Covington;  Breck Quarles	October 2011-May 2012 (monthly department meeting)	Lesson plans; anecdotal evidence from teachers; student work products	Discuss progress/concerns and develop ideas for improved implementation of Ipod technology
Survey students who have used the Apple technology in their classrooms	Breck Quarles; selected teachers	May 2012		Analyze surveys, looking for increased motivation and evidence of learning; gather student input for more uses of equipment
Survey Advisory students who have been using the technology	Breck Quarles;	May 2012	Survey results	Analyze surveys, looking for evidence of learning and motivation; gather student input for more uses of equipment
Survey teachers who have used the Apple technology this year	Breck Quarles; selected teachers	May 2012	Teacher surveys	Analyze surveys, looking for positive and negative concerns of using iPods as well as evidence of student achievement
Administer end of year survey to students/teachers	Breck Quarles	May 2012	Survey Monkey; paper survey	Compare end of year surveys to pre-Ipod survey to look for student/teacher growth
Meet with technology liaison to develop strategies for better implementation of iPods and other available Apple technology in the coming year	Breck Quarles; Lisa Covington; Larissa Loveless; Shannon Leisure; Summer Alcaeter	May 2012	Notes from meeting	Use the data and ideas collected to develop a plan for better using the equipment in the next school year
Solicit T3 Grant report from Region 7	Breck Quarles	May 2012	T3 Report	Analyze report for possible causes of problems we are having with implementation