Introduction

What happens to student learning when I integrate computer technology into a first grade classroom?

Technology has made its way into homes and workplaces all over America. Through trial and error along with numerous risks and investments, corporate America has developed innovative ways to increase productivity in the workplace. Technology has changed the way we communicate and has profoundly influenced many industries. Unfortunately, the field of education lags behind. While technology has become buzzword among educators and policymakers, there remains insufficient research on the best uses of technology to increase student learning in schools.

Many attempts have been made to integrate technology into the classroom. Some people think technology is the answer to all schools’ problems. Others thing there is no place for technology in schools, and the focus should be on more concrete core skills. I believe there is a balance. If integrated carefully and thoughtfully, technology can have a positive effect on student learning. Unfortunately, due to a plethora of issues including resource constraints, lack of training, compatibility issues, and ramp up time, technology is often not integrated in useful ways. I would like to take time this semester to learn more about the various hurtles involved with finding meaningful ways to incorporate technology into student learning.

My goals for this semester of full time work in a classroom include learning to manage a classroom effectively, learning to integrate multiple disciplines into each lesson, and learning reasonable ways to incorporate technology. In terms of my specific research question, I have five major goals. First, I will use interviews to document the main uses of technology in the classroom during the past few years. Second, I will observe and document the current use of technology in the classroom and its affect on the students. Third, I would like to keep track of all hurtles involved and record any hardware, software, or support needs. Fourth, I will integrate technology into my lessons when appropriate and document the effect on student learning. Finally, I will develop a recommendation to overcome some of the challenges and develop a set of best practices for integrating technology into the first grade classroom.

Technology is notorious for its bumps and glitches, so while I hope to achieve each of my goals, I realize that fourteen weeks will only be the beginning of my teacher research involving technology. As a former member of the technology industry, I reasonably expect things to move slowly, but I intend to set up computers in the classroom such that they can be integrated into the regular curriculum to enhance student learning. In order to have any hope of success, I chose to complete my practicum in a school that boasts of computers and internet access in every classroom.

If there were a simple solution to finding meaningful ways of incorporating technology, there would be more agreement on this topic among the education community. However, many contradicting journal articles exist on this subject. I fully expect to encounter problems throughout my research in developing and defining meaningful integrations of technology into the curriculum. One point that has become clear from my preliminary review of current research is that technology should not be taught in isolation; for this reason, I have made my research topic about integration. It’s a lot easier to teach about computers separate from other subject areas; however the real challenge lies in the integration. I believe I can overcome these challenges by keeping in mind my top priority: to enhance student learning. It all comes down to the students. I expect to find that technology is not always helpful. This is more than acceptable. It is just as important to understand when the use of technology is not appropriate to a lesson.

For my non-technology related goals, I expect to learn a lot through feedback, observation, trial, and error. I expect to struggle with classroom management and slowly work my way up to maintaining order. It is especially hard to maintain an atmosphere of positive reinforcement in times of chaos. I am sure it will be years before I can master my classroom management skills. For my goal of learning how to integrate multiple disciplines in each lesson, I believe this, too, will improve with practice. I will take notes and discuss ideas with my cooperating teacher on the best methods for integration. Luckily my classroom is already set up with a strongly interdisciplinary structure.

My time at the Lynch School of Education has greatly shaped my opinions on teaching and learning. I have experienced firsthand the differences among schools, classes, and individual students. Schools have different cultures, classes have their own dynamics, and each student has his own learning style. It is my role as an educator to help each student find success within his specific setting. I have developed an appreciation for reflection and its role in teaching and learning. I continue to explore my strengths and weaknesses. I hope to use reflection and feedback to learn about myself and improve my practice. Throughout my experiences in the classroom, I have maintained a curiosity about technology in education. This research should help me further define myself as a teacher and my philosophy on using technology in the classroom.

Teaching is unpredictable and research is fraught with its own challenges. Flexibility will be a key factor of success in this project. One of the biggest concerns I have about conducting this research is time. I want to accomplish so much in a small amount of time. On top of this, technology brings with it a whole set of issues. Members of the school community will have their own opinions on how and when technology should be used in the classroom. Some people think computers are just about skills games, others think computers are a waste of time, scary, or not worth the time at all. Even worse, many students and teachers see computers as a toy rather than a teaching tool. On top of this, I may not have the hardware, software, or the budget to test out my ideas.

Another concern I have is that my research findings will be limited in scope to schools with similar setups. There is such a wide variation in technology setups across schools that solutions for one school might not be possible in another. I hope to come up with some findings that are somewhat widely relevant and applicable.

The Lynch School themes of social justice, diversity, constructing knowledge, and collaboration are intertwined with my student teaching and research. I will address how my specific research question applies to each of the key themes. In terms of social justice, all students should have access to technology. They should have the opportunity to benefit from advancements in technology. The hi-tech industry has made vast sums of money from businesses and consumers. I would like to see some of that money and effort directed towards future generations. Schools are a wonderful investment.

Technology is a useful tool for accommodating diverse learners and diverse learning styles. There is a broad range of accessibility-focused technology such as screen reading software and ergonomic hardware that allow students with special needs to become more involved. Often times, technology acts as a motivational factor. Many computer programs adapt to a student’s level or pace, and can therefore be used for varied instruction.

If technology is used in a meaningful way, it should be helping students construct knowledge. This is one reason why some researchers are against skills games that drill students on facts. While software can be used to aid in memorization, I would like to focus on learning of conceptual information. Plenty of software exists which follows a more constructivist approach. The way it is used also plays a big role on the nature of learning.

Finally, collaboration plays a key role in making this project excel. Technology tools can be used for teachers to collaborate with each other. Classrooms can collaborate across the country using the internet. Students can work together to solve problems together and learn from each other. Since the four themes of social justices, diversity, constructing knowledge, and collaboration are essential to ensuring that all students are learning, each will play a part in my research.

All of this background information will inform my research by helping me to anticipate problems and create contingency plans. The themes will help focus my research and provide a framework for evaluating student learning in my classroom. Prior knowledge has taught me the invaluable qualities of patience, creativity, flexibility, and perseverance. I will keep these qualities in mind as I pursue my research.