Pilot Research - Action Plan for the use of iPods

During the weeks of implementation in my action research plan may change from the original action plan which is the use of iPods for homebound students to all students who are in grades 6 – 8. My goal for the plan should consist of minimal revision and new additions and revisions from the advice of lead instructors and student participation. The action requested will be a collection of information about the techniques of iPods for teacher and students based on student lectures and collective information on new lesson plan for the students. The study of the action plan will take the approach of collecting information from other districts and learning workshops as a comparison analysis to show that all students in every district are on the same learning curriculum. As a direct result, I am motivated to explore the use of iPods by accumulating evidence from research material that would be a contributing factor to explore the effective use of digital media tools for students of today. Despite the strategic importance of effective new product development as a source of learning materials, most new products for learning activities can fail to achieve their anticipated outcome for success. The goal of my action plan will provide an ideation goal for the project and form a project team. The team assigned will compose of 3-5 people from teachers, IT department, and students. Team members will typically spend 12 to 20 hours per week on the project. To implement the action plan, I would need technology savvy students and teachers to support the development of implementing iPods as a learning tool on campus.

EDLD 5301 Action Plan: Podcasting for Homebound Students Grade Levels 6-8

Goals
Step 1: Attend a workshop(s) on bridging podcasting into schools.

Step 2: Introduce and Implement a Podcast pilot program for homebound students.

Step 3: The program objective for students to be able to access various assignments and submit assignments on-line.

Step 4: Interview at least three schools with an integrated technology program to test the pilot program.

Step 5: Test the program for readiness.

Step 6: Introduce the technology to selected school for implementation.

Action Step 1: Attend a podcast training class at University Houston IT training center.

Timeline:
December 2010 thru Jan 2011

Evaluation:
Laptop, Audio ear phones, editing software, Internet and iPod.
Revise and test the software program.

Action Step 2: Request an appointment with North Forest ISD, Rosenberg ISD, and Waller ISD.

Timeline:
Oct. 27, 2010 – Nov. 9th – 11th 2010.

Evaluation:
Resource materials about the benefits of podcasting in the classroom for homebound students.
Research key information to present the use of podcasting.

Action Step 3: Meet with school Administrators to implement a pilot program for at least 1 school to test the effectiveness of podcasting .

Timeline:
Jan. 2011 – Feb. 2011

Evaluation:

Laptop, speakers, and dummy slides of lesson plans, and objectives for school administrators to follow.
Hands on learning modules.

Action Step 4: Create a plan to introduce the pilot program to a teacher who will facilitate the on-line learning environment.

Timeline:

March 2011 – May 2011

Evaluation:

Presentation Slides, laptop, audio equipment, and software tools.
Evaluate the teacher response to the on-line learning environment.

Podcasting for Homebound Students Grade Level 6 - 8

The title of my action research plan has changed from week to week. The more I research, the more information I find on this interesting topic. I have finally narrowed the topic to focus on a specialized group of learners (homebound). Podcasting has become very popular since it first came on the scene as an audio and video file in 2004. In the past, podcast has been used primarily of recording lectures and discussions. The convenience of allowing students to listen to lectures several times can help the student to improve academically. Instructors can use podcasting to integrate dependent courses such as Art and History. I would like to see podcast become development for students in grade levels 6 - 8, designed specifically for homebound students; in an effort to offer these students the same quality education as students who are able to attend classes on a daily basis. Through the use of podcast, home bound students will be able to perform better on their assignments when they know other classmates are doing the same type work and at the same level.

Author Gardner Campbell makes the following statement: "Podcasting can reveal to students, faculty, staff, and communities even the world the essential humanity at the heart of higher education" (p.44). Educators understand that every individual learning style are uniquely different, podcasting can provide the affordability for learners to playback an audio file as many times as possible. This is why; I believe podcast would enhance a students learning ability. Moreover, I believe if school administrators implement podcasting in their schools, they would be able to assign multiple classes to one particular teacher to host the online learning community. The added benefit to this online community will promote more users to use podcast, and parents would be able to see the added benefit of online teaching; student enrollment may increase because of the popular tool of the popular tool of podcasting.

Reference: Gardner Campbell (2005), Assistant Vice President for Teaching and Learning Technologices and Professor of English at the University of Mary Washington: Podcasting in Educaton. Novemember/December 2005: EDUCAUSE; p. 44

Action Research Lessons from scholar Practitioners

In looking at the audio recording from the interview of Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research, Planning, and Development in Beaumont ISD. He is clearly focused on teachers investing in their learning environment by providing learning modules that would impact the student success.

Truth be told, teachers have an obligation to leave in incredible impression in the lives of thier students. We are aware that school experiences help shapes, mold and can influence how children view themselves inside and outside the classroom. For example: my son Rory is in the first grade, he enjoys his teacher and his classmates. His teacher learning style is very positive, and she provides a strong impact on how my son reacts in the classroom. Because his teacher possess a great attitude toward her students and in the classroom, my son is fascinating with becoming a teacher. Last year, he wanted become a professional race car driver, today he wants to become a teacher, he models his teacher professionalism. All teachers play an important role with children current and future decisions. Children come to realize that teachers make a difference in thier everyday lives.

Action Research Project: Podcast

Purpose: The purpose of my research project is to show how podcasting can benefit students, teachers, parents, and the community collectively in the educational environment. The deployment of podcasting can be created from original content material by teachers in communicating their learning objectives for the students. This information can be in the form of PowerPoint slides or creation of an audio file that can be downloaded to a PC or digital media format.

Implementation: The type of podcast(s) that I plan to develop in my action plan, students will be able to access course material on-line, through audio recordings, and PowerPoint printable lecture slides for Office 2007 and 2010 for PC and Mac users. In an audio format, the use of MP3 players, iPod, or mobile devices that has the application for downloading media files for playback. Students who do not have access to the listed portable devices can access the file and listen to the content on their computers.

Significance: By popular demand the growth and success of blogs, Facebook, and MySpace; I am certain that students, teachers, parents, and the community will find that podcasting would be a great addition to the education technology amongst students. Creating lecture slides or audio lectures through the use of podcasting will allow teachers and students share in a wide-variety of learning experiences. It provides them with a learning exposure that is unique to them and makes learning meaningful. Teachers will be able to use the technology to provide power pack presentations, share their daily class objectives, and provide questions and answer forum for students. Podcasting will provide the student the flexibility to download and review course material at any time. Students will be able to listen to lectures at their own pace. Students can also benefit from the use of podcasting as another learning tool for collaborating with other students.

My expectation in my research plan in the implementation of the use of this technology will focus on delivering instructional content such as written and oral lectures, and should be used as a vehicle for disseminating classroom lessons. Additionally, I would like to see students use podcasting to deliver oral presentations, this capability will allow students to record and share their presentations with their classmates over the Internet. Lastly, podcasting will be used as a media tool to provide students with classroom lectures, activities, class agenda, classroom forums, and distance education, all students who collaborate with one another whether its face to face or on-line, podcasting can play a vital role in the learning arena.

Educational Leaders can use Blogs as a form of Communication

An educator leader can use blogs as an interactive learning tool to post weekly agenda's, assignments, and learning resource materials to students. Blogging brings synergy to the classroom forum that can be beneficial to both the teachers and student to become actively engaged in classroom activities.

Action Research

In reading the article on action research, I discovered that action research can be used in many facets. Action research can be defined as a methodology to approach various situations in a rhetoric setting. For example: Most educators always start with a normal routine for their students, the action plan almost never changes. Action research can play a vitality role in implementing the change from normalcy of a traditional classroom setting, by helping teachers to acquire and use technical skills to deliver practical changes in collaborating with his or her students. Action research provides effective strategies for teachers who deal with different types of barriers that they might face on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, action research provides some fundamental steps for educators to investigate areas of concern and meet classroom demands and school challenges. By examining what criteria’s that can be met in keeping students focused on current lectures and assignment, and also gaining their attention when the students’ are exhibiting signs of becoming disengaged in the classroom. As I come to understand the various approaches and techniques in action research, it is merely deciding on what areas to focus on; what data collection techniques should be used; and an action plan to deliver for educational change. Since action research can be used on a large scale that actually fits with every teacher or educator in mine. In my current role as a corporate educator, I will use action research to redefine my learning modules to fit with my audience; through the use of action research it will allow me to collect useful data that is meaningful to my learning environment.