Which way do I go?

That is the question that I had to ask myself as I began to dig deeper into my problem statement. What would be the most effective way to gain the information that would help clarify this problem statement?

My problem statement is:

I plan to determine the impact, of the integration of Web 2.0 tools, in particular blogs and wikis in classroom instruction, on standardized writing test scores of 3rd-5th grade students.

To be more specific:
Who?: 3rd-5th grade students
What?: integration of Web 2.0 tools particularly blogs and wikis in classroom instruction
Why?: impact.... on standardized writing test scores

The research questions that I developed are the following:

Does the integration of Web 2.0 tools, particularly blogs and wikis, improve standardized writing test scores?
(Quantitative, nonexperimental-secondary data analysis)

Given immediate feedback on writing, is there a difference in writing achievement between students that use Web 2.0 tools and those who do not? (Quantitative, nonexperimental-comparative)

Which Web 2.0 tools do students prefer to use as learning tools? (Quantitative, nonexperimental-survey)

Does having an online writing audience increase writing interest? (Quantitative, nonexperimental-correlational)

Does integration of Web 2.0 tools increase motivation to write? (Quantitative, nonexperimental-survey)

Does participation in collaborative writing on wikis increase writing achievement? (Qualitative, noninteractive- analytical research[concept analysis])

How does the integration of Web 2.0 tools affect students’ grammar skills? (Quantitative, nonexperimental-descriptive)

After going over the research questions that I posed, I noticed that they were mostly quantitative in nature. I feel that the overall approach for my research sould be quantitative, though, a mixed approach(explanatory) would help explain, why Web 2.0 tools impact writing scores for the group of students in question (McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, 2008).

That takes care of that fork in the road or does it?

References

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson

What should we do to improve writing?

I teach in a K-5 school in New Jersey. Every year at our school district's convocation, we hear about the achievement of our students on standardized test. Each year writing is an area of concern. Students are having difficulty writing proficiently on these state mandated tests and in the classroom. Some see texting and participation on social networking websites as a cause for the decline of writing among students today. I tend to focus on the benefits of the integration of technology in the classroom. Students truly enjoy technology, why not use it as a tool.

I usually see students who show a lack of interest in writing or do not see a reason to write. I think that by incorporating the use blogs and wikis in classroom instruction students will have an audience to write to other than just the teacher. Students will take pride in seeing their work "published". They will also get feedback from others that, is not as threatening as a teacher's corrections. Students can also help each other and learn from others mistakes. Cooperative and collaborative learning are seen as truly beneficial for today's students. With this in mind, I move forward with my plan. We can't just keep doing things the same old way because it is not working.

I plan to determine the impact, of the integration of Web 2.0 tools, in particular blogs and wikis in classroom instruction, on standardized writing test scores of 3rd-5th grade students.

To be more specific:
Who?:  3rd-5th grade students
What?:  integration of Web 2.0 tools particularly blogs and wikis in classroom instruction
Why?:   impact.... on standardized writing test scores

I look forward to the journey that I will embark upon. I may be surprised at what I learn, but it will be new knowledge that can only help me become a better educator.

Reflection on EDUC-6711

Eight weeks have come and gone in a flash. What I thought I knew or didn't know is no longer the same, yet some things remain the same. I now move forward with a new set of tools at my disposal. I also leave with a better understanding of some strategies that in the past just made sense to me, such as Paivio's Dual Coding Theory. It only made sense to me to use any tools available that would give a student exposure to images that would strengthen connections made during the learning the experience (Laureate Education Inc., 2008). I did not get to this chapter of my life in the direct route of going to college to study to be an educator, so my experiences have been more of on the job training rather than a classroom setting.

I still feel that I want to focus on helping students build their knowledge through construction of artifacts and concrete experiences. Project-based learning is a strategy that I want to incorporate into my everyday instructional practice. Project=-based learning emphasizes a student-centered learning environment and artifact creation as part of the learning outcome (Orey, 2001). The technology tool that I have learned about during this course, that has inspired me the most is VoiceThread. I can think of some ways to use this tool in the classroom to guide, inspire, educate my students. One of the clear benefits is the ability for struggling writers to share their ideas about a picture prompt verbally. This will help those struggling writers to build confidence in their story telling. This confidence will then lead to confidence writing stories. I first need to explain the benefits of the service to the technology department within my school district, because the site is block by a district wide web filter. The next tool that I will incorporate into my instructional practice is Kidspiration software. The software can bu used by my students to create concept maps to demonstrate knowledge that they have acquire during the learning process.

Two long-term goals that I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration are the use of cooperative learning through the use of technology with students from around the world and creation and maintenance of a classroom website by my students. First I must learn how to best prepare my students to work with others in the virtual world. This is a skill that they will need to succeed in the fast-paced virtual workplace  (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007).  The skills that are necessary to work cooperatively within a classroom would have to be extended to working with a person or persons in the virtual world. Social skills and communication skills must be developed to interact in an positive and appropriate manner with people that you may never meet physically. My second long term goal would require the creation of an after school or lunchtime program where I could teach students how to create and maintain a website. Students would take ownership of their website and see the need to improve their own writing. When they realize that others will be visiting the classroom website that they are in charge of, they will be more careful to make sure that it is great. After the first group completes their own classroom website they could help to teach the other students that show an interest in web design. The students will become the teachers an truly understand the process of website creation.

All in all I look forward to guiding my students further into the 21st century by engaging them in activities that will help them develop their critical thinking skills, while bringing their own style and creativity to the classroom. 

References

Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theory [Motion Picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M.(Ed.). Emerging Perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K.(2007) Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, Va. ASCD