Methodology (ETEC 500)
Research Methodologies in Education (core course)
This course introduced me to the issues and practices in a range of educational research methodologies. Through interactive modules, I learned about and engaged in research strategies that helped me understand how research impacts our lives and educational pursuits.
In this course I examined the methodological possibilities available through the course readings and through reviewing and conducting educational research. I learned that research is viewed as a way of thinking critically about educational issues and practice and is seen as central to the conduct of all education. I learned that education is advanced through the critical application of research and believe it is enhanced when educators practice with a disposition of inquiry and wonder.
Artifacts
Assignment (opens in Scribd): The Literature Review – The Efficacy of Educational Technology in Reading Instruction
Assignment (opens in Scribd): The Research Proposal – The Efficacy of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) as a Reading Intervention: A Four-Year Project Proposal
General Reflection:
I felt I was well prepared to write the literature review due to writing the three article critiques beforehand. I found it a great challenge to express myself within the word allotment but, in the end, I learned to be less “wordy” and say things succinctly and not be repetitious.
I planned for the literature review and research proposal to address a key issue in my school district – primary literacy. The research proposal focused initially on kindergarten students; however, it was a four year study adding a new kindergarten cohort each year and following the original cohort into grade three. This project was also termed the Primary Project. The questions for this study were based on the concern that too many children in our school district were struggling with learning to read and were not meeting the expected learning outcomes. Because research tells us that these children fall further and further behind as each year passes and often require special education services before the end of the intermediate years – we needed to create an action plan.
It is common knowledge in the field of primary education that the teaching of reading incorporates the five skill areas of phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These five skills must be explicitly taught and practiced in order for students to become proficient. Through this literature review I learned that technology is moving reading instruction beyond the traditional oral and print-based approaches to those that are online, use electronic text and/or incorporate multimedia. Many computer assisted instructional (CAI) programs have assessment and tracking mechanisms built into the software which permits educators to provide timely, explicit interventions to remediate a specific skill area. To this end, current research confirms that effective school-level interventions should be comprised of a method of identifying struggling students and providing immediate assistance, a school culture that is motivated to participate in student assessment and data tracking, educator participation in grade level meetings to analyze data, adequate staffing to implement interventions, adequate resources, and ongoing professional development.
Reflecting toward the future:
What do I see as the supports that would help me to further cultivate my practice of pioneering leadership?
- Continue with modeling the way (Covey, 1997). Through my work I will continue to encourage the deployment of computers throughout schools and not have all the technology tied-up in one room such as a computer lab.
- Continue to promote the use of mobile devices in schools such as Mobile Computer Labs.
- Continue to promote the utilization of technology as a learning intervention and work to obtain a district licence for Lexia Reading. The goal this year is to obtain a licence for 100 simultaneous users.
- I also see that I need to work on getting schools better tech support, more focused professional development, and a district technology plan to sustain our initiatives.
How does theory learned in this course offer me insights about how I might nurture a change in the culture of my community?
- I’ve used the theory in this course to build the research base for the use of technology use as a learning intervention.
- I have also researched, compared and contrasted a few online reading interventions and Lexia weighted out as the best selection to meet our needs.
Implementation, surprises, and consequences? Regrets?
- As everything goes in the work to implement the use of technology in classrooms, it is slow work at times. In the fall I ran the risk of having my colleagues revolt on the implementation of Lexia as it was just taking too long. Union guidelines on who had to do what and when in order to get the computers ready to access the web-based software was a real challenge. People were getting frustrated. I was getting frustrated.
- In the end, the students really took a liking to the program. They were engaged from the onset and continue to be engaged to this day. Teachers are very pleased with their student’s progress and students continue to love Lexia.
- My only regret is that there are some classrooms where it was not possible to bring the technology to the students due to infrastructure problems and therefore, I had to agree that the students would leave the classroom to access Lexia.
How does this project affect practice or what new perspectives have been discovered in reflection?
- This project has given classroom teachers a tool that they can believe in. They have continued to use technology as a reward or punishment in terms of only letting students access it if they behaved and they’d loose it if they misbehaved.
- I believe that both teachers and principals see the value in the Lexia program and how it is both engaging and current for the student.
- Teachers are also liking the print resources that come with the program and they can use them with the entire class.
- I believe that this project will further provide the rationale as to why we need technology to be accessible in each and every classroom.
Next Steps:
- Please go to the menu “challenges” and click on “theory to practice“ for an update on this project.
- The project has been re-titled “Success for All” and there is an update under the menu item “Challenges“.
- Thanks to ETEC 500, this project is continuing in the 2012-13 school year and we are making plans for 2013-14.
| Pioneer Trail | ||||
| Bullet Trail |
