AR Project Summary
For me this has been the most overwhelming part of the program. I am always second guessing myself, and am unsure if I am doing this right, collecting the correct data, or representing it correctly. Time has flown by and I have not been as diligent about writing up my findings as I should. I have plenty of notes; I just need to find the time to finally put it all together in paper format, thus one of the reasons for taking off the next class to get caught up.
My action research is based on the effects of
including Smart phone technology into the classroom. I wanted to see if teacher
frustration with smart phone devices could be relieved if provided with professional
development on how to integrate them into lessons. In the meantime, my school went 100% one to
one iPad integrated. I thought this was
the end of my project, but we still have students whose parents do not want
them to have an iPad, or refuse to pay the insurance fee. We do still have a
few students who do not, nor will not, have an iPad. So I have been able to
continue my project with an inclusion of the iPad. I have been able to observe
classes, interview and survey teachers and students on how they use the smart
phone in place of the iPad. I have given teachers professional development on
the smart phone and various APPs to use in the classroom. For the most part,
the APPs discussed mirrored the APPs on the iPad, or had web addresses that
could be accessed just as on the iPad. I have discovered that the smart devices
have provided an excellent addition to the iPad, particularly when a student
does not have their iPad, or never had one.
Several of my personal students never missed a beat has the lesson
progressed, because they used their smart phone. By providing teachers with additional
information on another useful tool in the classroom, students are more engaged
in the lesson, and less distracted by the smart phone.
