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

Position and Professional Goals Statement (EDLD 5397 Week 5)

Almost 17 years ago, my first principal shared a truth I still think about regularly.  He told me that, as a classroom teacher, I was limited on the number of students that I could impact.  As I moved into administration, that number would steadily increase.  One of the main reasons I have chosen to pursue administration is that I want to positively impact as many young lives as possible.  Once I finish my degree and certification, it is my intention to seek a position as an assistant principal.  I believe that a position at a high school would be the best place to start.  The reason for this is that several high school principals have shared that the duties of a high school assistant principal are almost as diverse as those of a lower level principal. I would also gain a clearer understanding of the knowledge and skills students need to bring with them in order to be successful in high school.  I feel that it is important to work as an assistant principal under a strong leader before taking a full principalship simply because the experience will allow me to make mistakes as well as learn from the experience of the principal.  After serving for two years as an assistant principal, I would like to become a principal of either an upper elementary or middle school.  As an upper elementary principal, I would already be familiar with the skills needed for middle school success, having taught at this level for 15 years.  After serving as a principal for a period of time, I would then like to pursue either a central office or region service center position, although I have not decided in what specialty area.  I do believe, however, that this will allow me to impact even more lives either in one or multiple districts.  By this time, I will be nearing retirement age and, since I have no intention of ever actually retiring and also have an entrepreneurial spirit, I would like to become an educational consultant, either for myself or as a contractor for an established company.  This would allow me to continue to impact students, but without the heavy workload of a full time administrator. 

                One of my main motivations for seeking a leadership position has already been addressed, namely the desire to positively impact as many lives as possible.  As a school leader, I will not only impact students, but also teachers, parents, and community members.  I actually started the journey towards becoming an educational leader in 1998.  I completed 12 hours towards a mid-management degree, but then decided to put the process on hold to move overseas and serve two years as an international missionary.  When I returned to the United States, money, a newborn, and a desire to return overseas halted the journey for a while.  During this time, I still continued to teach and to hold leadership positions in school, church, and in social organizations.  All of these had a connection with kids.  For a number of years, I did not consider that I had what it took to lead others.  However, others would turn to me for direction and ask me to lead them.  These instances, along with the encouragement of a leadership mentor helped me to see that, with development, I had what it took to be a strong leader.   It has been said that leaders do not look for followers, but instead seek out other leaders.  In my case, I have found that not only do I seek out other leaders, but am also sought out.  This has been a confirmation that leadership is a calling.  While I have never led a school, I have been in the classroom for 15 years and have been involved in numerous school improvement committees, including serving on the Campus Action Teams for several districts as well as being department chair for Science in Palestine.  Through these experiences, I have observed first hand both what works in schools as well as what doesn’t.  While I definitely don’t have all of the answers, I am willing to try new initiatives, make necessary adjustments, and give these initiatives time to be effective.  As a school leader, I know that the ultimate goal is to educate and improve the life of each individual student.  Anything that is done in the school must be done with this goal in mind.  As a leader, I will keep that foremost in my mind and in the minds of my staff as we seek to positively impact the lives of children. 

Action Research Project Progress Report

Attached is my action research project post.  If you've been reading the blog, you know the struggles I've had so far with the project.  Hopefully, this report will add some insight.  I couldn't figure out how to add a file, so it is printed below.  

iPod Implementation in a Middle School Science Class: Pitfalls and Possibilities

            During the 2010-2011 school year, Palestine Middle School participated in the T3 (Target Tech in Texas) grant funded by the Texas Education Agency and administered through 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.  This was approximately 400 devices.  In addition, the school received 15 Apple MacBook computers, 5 iPod storage carts, and accessories for these 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 portable computer (iPod) for home and classroom use.  When the grant requirements were complete in Spring of 2011, the school was able to keep the iPods and other equipment for classroom use.  It was decided that the iPods would not be issued to students during the 2011-2012 school year, but instead would be available for classroom use by teachers. 

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

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 (TEA, 2006).  This goal will require both technology 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 demonstrated that these devices could be helpful in many academic situations (Duke University, 2005).  However, we still know very little about how to harness the power of digital media and use it 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. In addition to formal research, there is also a body of anecdotal evidence presented in blogs as well numerous application ideas for the iPod Touch in education. 

This action research project was developed mainly because the technology was readily available on our campus, but not being used.  The goal was to find ways to introduce the devices into the classroom and then determine their effectiveness.  It was decided that Science would be the best place to start the research mainly because, of the original teachers who were involved in the T3 project, the most active ones were in the Science department.  The others moved to different campuses at the end of the school year. 

            The vision for this project was communicated to Science teachers during staff development prior to the beginning of the school year.  Science teachers were encouraged, but not directed, to implement the technology in their classes.  Training was also scheduled for Tuesdays during conference times.  This was to be an opportunity to learn from the district grant coordinator as well as share classroom practices.  Students were surveyed about their own use of iPods and my own classes were given the opportunity to begin using the devices early in the school year.  As the project leader, I either did not communicate the vision clearly and other priorities got in the way of the implementation.  Even though teachers were encouraged to use the devices, so far I am the only one who has used them.  The rest are sitting in the library locked in carts. 

One of the main concerns that must be addressed before the vision will be caught is security for the devices.  In the first year that the school had the iPods, a large number were stolen and then sold.  Although most have been recovered and the perpetrators prosecuted, there is still an underlying fear on the part of teachers that the same will happen again.  When the project was first introduced, this should have been addressed but was not. 

            In the beginning of the project, Science teachers were interested in using the iPod technology and open to implementing it in their classes.  However, as the year progressed and they realized that the wireless system would not support the equipment nor was any training being provided, they lost their zeal.  The responsibility for training was given to the project grant coordinator.  However, she was soon moved to other higher priority assignments.  The Science Department head was also a resource in helping to spread the vision and assist with implementation.  She was also focused on other projects that were considered higher priority.  Therefore, as the researcher, I decided to simply use the iPods in my own classes, measure the results, and train others based on my experiences.  It was during this time that I realized the problems that were inherent with the wireless infrastructure and the fact that many usable apps were not available because of a monetary concern.   Both of these were brought to the attention of the responsible parties in the fall, but only in the last week have they been addressed. 

            At the outset, campus administration was behind the project and provided strong input as to priorities and processes to help the implementation be a success.  As stated above, the problems with the technology infrastructure dampened that support and the focus was placed elsewhere.  While many attempts were made to encourage the use of the equipment, even for simple tasks such as timing and calculation, the result was noncommittment.  In a recent meeting with the campus principal, it was made clear that the iPods were not a priority.  I was encouraged to continue to use them in my classes, but not to expect direct support until other priorities were met. 

            I have not yet given up on this project.  In my own classes, I use the iPods at least once a week and have noticed several positive changes.  First off all, students with special needs, especially behavior issues, are more focused when they use the devices and are subsequently able to answer questions about content with much more accuracy.  I attribute this to the children’s regular use of handheld technology at home.  I have also observed students using the applications when they are finished with their regular assignments.  These include math practice and general knowledge games.  I also have a group of students for an advisory period who were placed in my class due to low scores on state assessments.  These students use the iPods to practice math and reading.  They have also used the MacBooks to create podcasts and then learned from each others work.  Over the summer, one of the goals is to use the devices with ESL and bilingual students during the summer school program to enhance their English skills. 

Several lessons have been learned so far in this action research project.  First of all, it is imperative before beginning such a project that a commitment is in place from all stakeholders.  Without this commitment, the project will be hit or miss.  Staff development must also be a priority and should be ongoing with support provided as teachers attempt to implement the iPods into the classroom.  The technology infrastructure must also be in place so that both apps that require Internet access and web browsing are possible.  While this is not always a necessity, it makes the introduction of the technology much easier.  At this point in time, this action research project is being reevaluated and altered to meet the present conditions. Data will be collected from my own classroom and a new needs assessment will be administered.  Depending on what occurs in the next few weeks and over summer, I will also attempt to introduce the technology again in the fall and gather data for the first six weeks of school.  Overall, this project has been a learning experience in leadership and technology integration.  When it is complete, I expect to either have data that shows the value of the technology or have a project that is a lesson in the barriers that must be overcome before an implementation of this scale can be successful. 

References

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. 

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

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.  

Update

This week, I had some positive happenings towards my research.  First, I was finally able to secure a meeting with the trainer who was supposed to be providing PD since September.  That obviously fell through as this was not a priority.  Second, I just ran into her at the antique store/sandwich shop and made it very clear how important this project is.  Divine appointment?  Next, I was able to locate several more usable (and free) apps for the iPod.  Unfortunately, it took two hours Wednesday night to get them onto the iPods because of network issues and problems with the loading computer.  Thursday and Friday, I was able to use the iPod apps with students in a genetics lab.  The use was simple, but effective.  Now, I need to poll students and find out what apps they are using.  I have asked for general info, but not specific apps.  I got this idea from a student who showed me an app he was excited about and wondered if I could get it for our iPods.  At this point in the year, I am hoping to be able to gather at least some data before the school year ends, even it is mostly anecdotal.  The original scope will not be possible because of the technical issues that we have had resulting in non-use of the devices.  As I met with principal this week, she was losing much of her initial zeal for anything iPod.  Maybe that can be changed if we find successful uses before year's end.  In my research, I found a quote that best describes the entire process that our campus went through in initially obtaining the iPod technology:  "Install first, think about the pedagogical consequences later" (Dogbey, 2007).  Now, hopefully, I can work around this strategy to effectively use this technology to improve student learning.  If not, I can at least learn from the process and make sure it is done right the next time such as initiative is undertaken.

References

Dogbey, J. (2007).  Research Brief: Using Ipods for Instruction. The Principals' Partnership.  downloaded from Istc541.wikispaces.com/file/view/iPod+research.PDF. 

Positive News

I think that finally I may be getting some breaks in my action research project.  My principal wants to discuss their use with me (which at this point is minimal) and I sat down with one of our new hires yesterday and we worked through some strategies for implementing the technology more effectively.  I have to admit that, after this meeting,  I realize I am still not as tech-savvy as I should be. (Ahh, to be young again). Also, I am hoping to be able to use the Ipods in the summer school program for ESL. 

When I started this project, my department chair warned me of some of the pitfalls.  Sometimes I think I should have listened and done my other choice, but I know that what I learn from this project will be beneficial to my success as an administrator.

Midway point in project

Technology is great when it works. When it doesn't, it is a whole different story.  In September, when I started this project, I expected that technology would be sound, applications would be readily available, and teachers would be excited about using Ipods in their classes.  This was not necessarily the case.  As the year progressed, it became apparent that it was going to be much more difficult to effectively implement this technology than I originally thought.  A number of technological, personnel, and personal issues have cropped up that have caused me to have to alter my plans.  That's okay, though.  This is all about learning and I am certainly doing that.  In fact, I think I am learning more about how not to integrate this technology than the other way around.  My final project may read as a "What not to do" paper more than a what to do.  So, now I am applying what I tell my own students, namely that it's okay to fall as long as you  keep getting back up.