812 Reflection

As with any lesson, students learn better when they are engaged, and play an active role in the classroom. If have found this to be absolutely true with integrating technology as well. During my lesson on technology ethics, the students were not active participants throughout the entire lesson, so there were periods where they were drifting on me. However, I did structure many sections of that lesson, so that students knew exactly what was expected of them at that moment. They had specific guidelines to follow, which eliminated a lot of questions and confusion. I think that structure is important with technology integration, as it is something new. The same goes for adults. While implementing my techquest, I made sure i provided the staff with a clear outline as to what our goals were, and how we would accomplish them, along with a timeline. It was important for them to know all of the facts, and be on the same page as me.

Integrating web-based technologies had its positive moments, and its challenges. I have encountered many struggles with technology throughout the implementation of my techquest. We are currently using outdated technology and it has added extra stress in this project. So, even though technology integration seems like it is the way to go, it will not come easily. There are certain pitfalls that may occur, that will delay the process. Also, technology is not always reliable, so I have had to re-think my use of it in the classroom. I use powerpoints for a portion of my math lesson. They are found on the textbook's website, and I just download the one I need each day. The other day, the website was down, and I had no way of getting to the powerpoint. I was relying so heavily on the powerpoint, that I had never taken the time to think of a back-up. I had to make so on the spot changes and it all worked out, but it was definitely an eye-opener. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of technology is it can breakdown and have its moments where things do not always run as planned.

I have met many of my goals for learning about technology integration. It has been a focus of mine to study smart boards, and their different applications. Throughout my certificate classes, I have found time to focus in on that and have come across some valuable resources. I was also able to choose smartboards for my SIG project which was an excellent experience. I was able to collaborate with others that had a similar interest in the tool, and we were able to create a wikispace that serves as a reference page for smartboard lessons, ideas, troubleshooting, and professional development. During the research for that project I was able to learn a lot of neat tricks along the way, as well as diigo so sweet resources to have for the future.

In the meantime, I have also been able to accomplish some of my smaller goals, for integrating technology more frequently. I recently created an interactive review game for a math test. It was set-up similar to a game show, and each student had a role in it. We were able to utilize the smartboard, as students had to race against each other to get the right answer and write it on the board. I was able to pick up some tricks on different powerpoint features as well, as I created the game template through that program.

As far as continuing goals, I look forward to finishing my techquest project. We will continue the journey of implementing Study Island at Riley. It has been a strenuous project so far, but the end result will be worth it. We have planned for additional teacher professional development and training with the program over the summer. From there, we will launch study island in the classroom fall 2010. We look to the future, and have plans to implement another technology-based program the following school year for reading, called Read180. As far as personal goals go, I would like to continue my teacher edition of my delicious site. I have made a point to add at least one resource a week. I have quite the collection so far, and it still has plenty of room for more. I would also like to design a website for my class over the summer. I think having a website would provide another way for parents to stay on top of what we do in class, and it gives them another opportunity to stay in touch with the school and with me. I have currently only designed a site through weebly, so I am excited to look around and explore other options for my classroom website.

Project Evaluation

How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?

This project has been a wonderful learning experience for me and for the other participants. The first change I would make for the future that comes to mind is the timeline. I was rather eager to get things started, and thought it would all fall in to place quickly. I did, but it didn't. We are already behind and we are only in the beginning stages. I did not allot extra time for hangups, or bumps in the road. Also, I am lucky to have had the support of the board for this project. Without it, many aspects of this project would not be possible. However, it has been very difficult to schedule times where we can all come together. They seem to think that meetings during the day are possible, forgetting we are busy at work in the classroom. Also, the last thing teachers want to do after school is attend a training session on Study Island, and talk about our progress with it. So scheduling has been a challenge.

It is unfortunate that our technology is so outdated here. This has caused such a snag in our progress. If I were to do it all over, I would definitely break this project up into smaller chunks. The first being technology inventory and updates. Only after that is taken care of should we continue progress with the Study Island program implementation.

What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?

First and foremost, for any other beginning teachers: Make friends with your building principal, board members and superintendent ASAP! Having established relationships with these high-profile members of the district has made this project so much easier for me. Having known me for awhile, they are confident in my ability to complete this project, and allow me some leeway to share my ideas and plans for the future. With this, comes pressure to deliver the ideas I have presented, but it has made working on this project at lot easier.

Second, technology is so important in education. As education technology masters students, and classroom teachers, we need to educate our parents and community members on the importance of technology upgrades in the district. We had to really reach out and make our voices heard in order to raise funds for a technology update. Many did not realize how behind the times we were until we made it known throughout the community. Keep your community up to date with the school and their needs. This will help with improvements in the future.

In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?

Even through all of our ups and downs with this project, we are thrilled with the progress we are making, and look forward to continuing with this venture. We have been using a software-based reading program called Read180 by Scholastic in some of our classrooms. We have had a lot of success with this, and are looking to branch out and utilize it in more classrooms. This will take on the same process as Study Island. We are currently working through the kinks with our technology and computers in the classroom which will benefit both Study Island and Read180. After we get Study Island up and running, we are going to look into presenting a proposal to the board for funding for purchasing more Read180 licenses. We will have to come prepared and be able to showcase the success our small group of students have shown, and how the rest of our students could benefit from the program. Much similar to my techquest proposal for this class. (Thanks to my experience with that, I will be on the Read180 proposal committee.) We look to have all of our teachers attend a Read180 conference in the summer of 2011. Scholastic holds an annual seminar/professional development for their program users that lasts 4-5 days. It includes training, and individualized breakout sessions that relate to specific program functions that you can use for different grade levels. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, we can have Read180 up and running the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year.

The professional training will really make the difference with this program. It would have been nice to have it for Study Island as well. Also, by the time we focus on Read180 we will have the majority of our technology snags out of the way. All of the classrooms should have updated computers and the computer lab will be re-vamped as well. This will allow for us to focus on the program and get things rolling without having to worry about the other first. The upgrades have been a lengthy, tedious process, but will be well worth it in the end. I am really happy with the progress we have made so far, and look forward to the end result!

TechQuest Implementation

Here is an update on the implementation of my TechQuest. We have come across some challenges and some good surprises. Overall, we are happy with the success we have made. Listen to the podcast for more details.

Click on this link to listen to my podcast.

Internet Research for TechQuest Project

Search Results

http://studyislandky.blogspot.com/2008/12/study-island-implementation-ideas.html

This site provides great ideas on how to implement Study Island in the classroom. It is a blog entry completed by a Study Island representative for Kentucky schools. They give great ideas on how to track student progress and ideas for where to place computers in the classroom. They highlight the fact that computer access is a huge component of implementing Study Island successfully. A computer lab in the school is the absolute bare minimum required in order to use Study Island.

Microsoft Word - Case Study Summary State of Ohio

This provides a pdf of a case study that focuses on the effects of Study Island in various Ohio school districts. This was conducted by a professional research team- Magnolia Consulting. It highlights the gains of 3 different school districts. Each school has had significant success with Study Island. I was pleased to see that each school district represents a different demographic- suburban, urban and rural. Within each school district, they include graphs to indicate the impact Study Island use has made.

Video Games to Help Students Learn

ABC news conducted a story on Study Island and how local schools were implementing it in order to improve test scores. It gives a basic layout as to how the program works, and provides some great screen shots of the site.

Study Island Helps Increase Standardized Test Score Performance

This site provides a great segment on how Study Island supports ideas of No Child Left Behind. NCLB is research driven, and dependent of data. Study Island runs of os similar values, as highlighted in this article.

Study Island

I also referred to the actual Study Island website for information. They offer pricing tables, and specifics on their program for each state. The offer training tips, success stories, and video tutorials specific for the state of Ohio.

What I Learned Through This Search Process

I began my search by referring to the article on Study Island in the current issue of Tech & Learning. This article didn't necessarily provide information that I could use in my project, but it was a great first step. I dropped the names of researchers that have studied Study Island, which was a great help. I then googled the name of the lady that conducted a study and found a great article. This is how I stumbled across Magnolia Consulting. They offer case study results for most of the states that utilize Study Island. I was happy to have found that so quickly. From there I continued to wander off of links that I visited, hoping they would lead me to more resources. I have not practiced this technique in the past, but I found it very valuable. Being able to hop from one page to links that they had provided was great. I trusted many of the sites I went to, and in return trusted the reliability of the links they provided on their page. The "hopping from link to link" strategy really worked for me.

Being able to use names and cases from an actual article gave me some direction as to where to look. I was able to search with a purpose instead of wandering the internet blind. Using key words is also hard to master. I looked to include words such as "implementation" and "case study" in my searches in hopes it would narrow my results.

It is often frustrating to look for quality research. I was lucky to have found what I did so easily. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I used google for my search. I often tell my students to shy away from that, as it is a daunting task to weed through and find something reliable within the list of search results. Yet, I used it myself. Thanks to Tammy, I was referred to the Tech & Learning article. If I had not started with that site, I would have rather began with an article database such as EBSCO or Academic Search Complete. Unlike the internet, I can trust that they provide articles from professional journals, books and magazines. I know they are reliable sources.

CEP812 Project Description

Overview

Implementing a technology based program such as Study Island may help improve students’ study skills and habits, as well as their test scores.

The Problem of Practice

The big push in school systems today is passing the state achievement tests. As a result, having students pass the achievement test is a top priority at Fostoria Community Schools. According to the Ohio Department of Education’s 2008-2009 School Year Report Card for Riley Elementary School, the school has been designated as showing “Continuous Improvement” (reportcard.ohio.gov). In order to reflect academic excellence and earn a higher designation, at least 75% of Riley Elementary students tested must score proficient or higher on the test. Currently, only 60% of all tested students at Riley Elementary scored proficient on the achievement test for this past school year.

In efforts to improve student success, practice achievement tests are administered every week, rotating in subject. This was done to give students another opportunity to practice answering questions formatted similar to the ones on the state test. We have found that many students are not properly prepared for the test. Therefore, on test day they panic and start to doubt their abilities. Giving students more exposure to the format of the multiple choice questions on the test will hopefully lessen the anxiety students experience on test day. This way they know exactly what to expect, and how to handle it.

Lesson plans and curriculum maps are designed to align with state standards, and therefore content on the achievement test. Much time and effort goes into guiding each student to success. However, we have to remember that each student is different in their educational needs. Students learn at different paces and with different depths of understanding. Implementing a program such as Study Island would help provide students with the individualized support they need in order to maximize success.

Study Island is an innovative website focused on providing instruction, practice and assessment based on state standards (www.studyisland.com). This is a website that is made available to administrators, teachers, parents and students. Study Island focuses all of their materials off of state standards in order to provide authentic resources for each state. Students begin the Study Island program by completing a pre-test to determine what level they will begin at. From there, they can complete lessons and practice sessions based off of the state standards. Sessions are broken down by standard, and then furthermore by indicator. Students can complete a set of practice problems within each indicator, take a review over multiple indicators, and even play games based off of content within individual standards. Teachers can then track students’ progress, as can parents.

Providing students with timely and detailed feedback is essential to mastering skills. Giving feedback helps students identify their mistakes and further develop mastery. As noted by Jere Brophy in his research article titled Teaching he states “To be useful, practice must involve opportunities not only to apply skills but also to receive timely feedback” (p. 22). While students are completing segments on Study Island they are given direct feedback on their progress. When students answer a question incorrectly, Study Island gives students a hint as to how to obtain the correct answer; therefore, guiding them to success. In a study section on fractions, students are referred to a help page in order to guide them through a practice problem correctly.

Also, students receive updates on their progress after completing a segment. Students must score a specified percentage in order to progress on to the next section. All of these results are available for teachers to access as well. Teachers can pull up a class report in order to see how students are doing, and where they are in the program. This data is also available to parents so they can track their student’s progress as well.

This feedback helps determine the success each student is having with the program. Essentially showing if it is effective for the students or not. To further determine the usefulness, staff could go back and compare results on Study Island to results on the achievement test. For example, if a student struggled with passing the mathematics portion on geometry and spatial sense, we could go back and review their progress on that standard in Study Island. If this was a section they struggled with during the school year, it would make sense that they struggled with it on the actual achievement test. On the other hand, if students are showing monumental success and this success is shown on their achievement test as well there may be a connection.

The Setting

There are many components necessary in order to make this program an asset to learning. First and foremost is the cooperation of the teacher. The teacher needs to make it a priority to find time to fit Study Island into the school day. It is important that students are given ample time to use the program to their benefit. In order for students to be enthusiastic about learning it is important that the teacher shares the same outlook. Having a positive attitude towards the benefits of Study Island and sharing that with students will help draw in their attention to the program. Teachers also need to have the training in order to maximize the use of the program. This includes attending training on how to use each component of the program, how to access student reports, and what the results on the student reports mean and how to utilize the results in order to achieve mastery in these standards.

Students need to have a positive outlook on learning. By providing them with a non-traditional, internet based approach they may be more intrigued to participate. Brophy also mentions that “Research on learning tasks suggests that activities and assignments should be sufficiently varied and interesting to motivate student engagement,” (Teaching, p. 23). Study Island features a variety of ways to learn including lessons, practice sessions, interactive games and practice tests. These options provide students with variety as well as a chance to have fun with learning by playing the games that are included in the program.

The next necessary component is the subject matter. Study Island focuses on all of the standards recognized in each individual state. The program is broken down by state, then by grad and then by subject area. For example, in alignment with Ohio standards for fourth grade, Study Island provides practice in math, reading, writing, science and social studies. The subjects are then broken down by standard and furthermore by indicators within each standard. The image to the right shows the breakdown for fourth grade science topics.

The final component to success is the actual classroom setting. In order for Study Island to be used to its fullest, there needs to be ample access to computers and the internet. Ideally, this would be available in each classroom. Nearly every classroom at Riley has 4 computers with internet connection. These would be available for individual Study Island sessions in the classroom. However, a school computer lab would also work. In order to further advance student achievement, access at home would be encouraged. This would allow students to log in at home and continue to practice for homework.

Technology-Integrated Solution

In order to raise the overall rating of Riley Elementary and showcase academic excellence in the students, test scores must be raised. Incorporating Study Island into the classrooms will help raise student success rates. Study Island is an innovative website focused on providing students with standards-based instruction, practice and assessment. By incorporating this program into our classrooms, teachers will be able to provide students with authentic practice that directly correlates to the state achievement test.

To begin, the school district will need to purchase enough software for their students. This would mean providing each student with their own account and access. Teachers will need to be trained on the program and learn how to utilize features created just for teachers. The school will need to be equipped in order for students to have daily access to the internet. A computer lab will work, however computers in each classroom would be most effective. Teachers will need to implement a schedule for using Study Island. This practice should be incorporated into the week’s lessons and activities and be introduced to students in the beginning of the school year. Students will be able to track their progress not only through their school work and grades, but through their success on Study Island as well.

The program is designed to match the state standards. Therefore, teachers will be able to directly link their lessons with the sections on Study Island. For those districts that are fortunate enough, practice on Study Island could be given as homework. However, this is only possible if all students have internet access outside of school.

In the article, Computer-based instruction’s (CBI) rediscovered role in K-12: An evaluation case study of one high school’s use of CBI to improve pass rates on high-stakes test by Robert Hannafin and Wellesley Foshay, it is stated that “students involved in a technology environment demonstrated increased achievement. Students also reported more favorable attitudes towards subjects when instruction involved the computer” (p. 148). By implementing Study Island in the classroom, it is hoped that students will take a more active role in their education. This program and the associated technology will be able to provide a new energy and spark in our students and in our classrooms, as well as a refreshing boost to achievement test scores.

Implementation

Spring 2010: Purchase enough software for the school. Confirm computer access in each classroom. Begin training each teacher on Study Island. Develop lessons and a school-wide Study Island schedule.

Summer 2010: Analyze results from achievement tests. Look for areas of strength and weakness in student scores. Identify areas of focus for lessons and practice in Study Island for the grade levels. Finalize Study Island schedule for the classroom.

Fall 2010: Launch Study Island at Riley. Provide parents/students with access codes. Begin to incorporate Study Island into weekly lessons.

CEP812 Project Description DRAFT

Overview

Implementing a technology based program such as Study Island may help improve students’ study skills and habits, as well as their test scores.

The Problem of Practice

The big push in school systems today is passing the state achievement tests. As a result, having students pass the achievement test is a top priority at Fostoria Community Schools. According to the Ohio Department of Education’s 2008-2009 School Year Report Card for Riley Elementary School, the school has been designated as showing “Continuous Improvement” (reportcard.ohio.gov). In order to reflect academic excellence and earn a higher designation, at least 75% of Riley Elementary students tested must score proficient or higher on the test. Currently, only 60% of all tested students at Riley Elementary scored proficient on the achievement test for this past school year.

In efforts to improve student success, practice achievement tests are administered every week, rotating in subject. Lesson plans and curriculum maps are designed to align with state standards, and therefore content on the achievement test. Much time and effort goes into guiding each student to success. However, we have to remember that each student is different in their educational needs. Students learn at different paces and with different depths of understanding. Implementing a program such as Study Island would help provide students with the individualized support they need in order to maximize success.

Study Island is an innovative website focused on providing instruction, practice and assessment based on state standards (www.studyisland.com). This is a website that is made available to administrators, teachers, parents and students. Study Island focuses all of their materials off of state standards in order to provide authentic resources for each state. Students begin the Study Island program by completing a pre-test to determine what level they will begin at. From there, they can complete lessons and practice sessions based off of the state standards. Sessions are broken down by standard, and then furthermore by indicator. Students can complete a set of practice problems within each indicator, take a review over multiple indicators, and even play games based off of content within individual standards. Teachers can then track students’ progress, as can parents.

Providing students with timely and detailed feedback is essential to mastering skills. Giving feedback helps students identify their mistakes and further develop mastery. As noted by Jere Brophy in his research article titled Teaching he states “To be useful, practice must involve opportunities not only to apply skills but also to receive timely feedback” (p. 22). While students are completing segments on Study Island they are given direct feedback on their progress. When students answer a question incorrectly, Study Island gives students a hint as to how to obtain the correct answer; therefore, guiding them to success.

Also, students receive updates on their progress after completing a segment. Students must score a specified percentage in order to progress on to the next section. All of these results are available for teachers to access as well. Teachers can pull up a class report in order to see how students are doing, and where they are in the program. This data is also available to parents so they can track their student’s progress as well.

This feedback helps determine the success each student is having with the program. Essentially showing if it is effective for the students or not. To further determine the usefulness, staff could go back and compare results on Study Island to results on the achievement test. For example, if a student struggled with passing the mathematics portion on geometry and spatial sense, we could go back and review their progress on that standard in Study Island. If this was a section they struggled with during the school year, it would make sense that they struggled with it on the actual achievement test. On the other hand, if students are showing monumental progress, and this success is shown on their achievement test as well there may be a connection.

CEP 811 Final Reflection

Integrating technology can be a great asset to any classroom. Of course, this works best with certain teaching strategies. When utilizing the internet, interactive whiteboards, or other forms of technology I have learned that acting as a "guide on the side" works best for me. Students need to be able to take control of their learning. This can be applied to technology as well. Giving my students the opportunity to click the mouse, and write on the SmartBoard makes for a more engaging classroom and quality student learning.

In using different web-based technologies, I have realized how vital these are to the classroom. Webquests and even certain internet sites can enhance the classroom in ways text will never be able to. StAIRs are absolutely amazing resources. They give students an opportunity to work independently and at their own pace, while using technology. I could stand in front of the board and lecture on all of the content I put in my StAIR, but who wants to learn that way? These are a great way to differentiate material for students, and provided them with thought-provoking, engaging activities.

I have met my personal goals for technology as I completed the projects for this class. I have been able to broaden my horizons in different aspects of technology, while growing as a teacher and professional. In the future I look to further expand my knowledge base in interactive whiteboards. As of now, I know the basics, and get by with those. However, I would like to give my students more, and really use the tool to its fullest. Also, it is a goal of mine to make a few changes to my StAIR project in order to further enhance the quality. This includes adjusting volume levels, adding narration and possibly a few more real-life images. Then, I would like to work it into my lessons before the end of the school year. We have already covered the content in the StAIR, so I think it could be a fun review for my students to do. Plus, I will be able to re-test them and see how much they actually remember.