Action Research Question: How does one-to-one technology integration increase engagement and motivation, while decreasing behavior distractions in an 8th grade Language Arts classroom?
I will start the implementation of my study by selecting a co-taught language arts class to work with and measure. I will collect data for several weeks without the use of any technology by the students. I will record the amount of redirections and the percentages of students engaged and participating. Though the lessons will still be engaging, students will not have access to technology. Then, I will record the same data while students were immersed in technology daily. Students will be expected to do similar work, but with technology. It is my belief that the number of redirections will go down and the percentages of engagement will go up. This will be a valuable study to show to my school and district.
Moral purpose applies to my Action Research Project because with technology integration, students and teachers alike will get the most out of their classroom experiences. Morally, teachers are obligated to meet students where they are in order to actually teach them well.
Moral purpose without understanding change leads to complexities and breakdowns in the teaching process. Without understanding change, teachers will burn out.
We, as educators, must accept change while seeking help, appreciating difficulties, and embracing resistance and complexity. I must understand the change process in order to implement my action research project effectively.
By placing importance on relationships, an educator's interactions with students and colleagues will improve drastically. I will need to develop strong relationships with staff in order to create the most impact.
Leaders place importance on constantly developing new ideas and sharing things that work with their colleagues. It should be the goal of the leader to create success within each individual they lead by the sharing of knowledge and information, but often times, people are hesitant to share what they know in our society.
The goal of my teacher action research project is to create a sharing of knowledge that transcends face to face conversation. Knowledge should be shared face to face, through technology and on paper. I would like to find a way to seamlessly weave the three.
Great leaders foster ambivalence until a certain point, at which time, they step in to make the task at hand clear, concise, and relatable to all present at the table. Coherence making is difficult to achieve in this modern society of constant change.
Establishing coherence is essential in classrooms and schools alike. Teachers must learn to work together and create a space that works for students. Technology can aid in this coherence making process by making certain that each learner has the tools that they need to be successful.
In conclusion, the Framework for leadership will be an integral piece of my Teacher Action Research project involving technology integration. I look forward to integrating pieces of this framework into my project and teaching.