The Decision Has Been Made

The decision has been made. I am going with a mixed montage of Prezi as the presentation platform, Voki, an animation program, JPEG pictures to illustrate visually the point I was trying to make, and text. The difficult thing about  utilizing new technology is the learning curve involved with learning new software.  Its so ironic being that my action plan has been about getting teachers to use new technology and the resistance that is often encountered. I want to stand tall and tell you I am not one of those teacher. Since I have never used Prezi before there was a learning curve involved, but I worked through it and I will continue to do so.  That ultimately is what makes teachers successful technology integrators. There willingness to see the value in technology and be willing to go through the painful part to expand their abilities.  But, this is not about me.. So off we go. Check it out when you get a chance.

 http://prezi.com/xowjnqlrs19v/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Last Minute Changes and Final Presentations

What a semester! Following the progress and the growth of a project for a few months has been an interesting experience. Learning the process in how to do an action research study has given me the skills to create one in the future. Wether it be for school or for my thesis project, I feel I am ready to go and can product an excellent study.

The culmination of this assignment went thought various versions. To present this project, is just as important as the study itself, you want to present it in a way where it is clean, neat, easy to digest information and one they can come back to. Originally I was working on a Powtoons video for my Web 2.0 demonstration. By going though the video, i quickly decided to switch gears to a Prezi. The Prezi allowed me to put more graphs, charts and pictures into the presentation. I thought it looked a lot cleaner.

The final project has come together, with the Prezi, the Action Research write-up and chronicling my progress on this blog, It gave me a perspective to see the value of action research. The study allows the person conducting the research and the person reading to gain new insight on any given topic. When done well, people will learn form it and grow as a professional.

Web 2.0

I stepped outside by comfort zone and took a risk and did a prezi.   I never did a prezi so I am relieved that I can do it.  I was nervous and it took me a couple hours to do it.  I was going to do a power point but I decided to step outside and do it.

Finished Web 2.0 Presentation

Web 2.0 Presentations

In choosing a web 2.0 tool for my presentation, I was reluctant to use Prezi as it's replacing PowerPoint as the new go-to tool. I also was interested in using other tools that I was less familiar with. One problem with using a tool that you're less familiar with is the time it takes to learn the features and how to use of them. I spent some time playing around with Powtoon, Visme, and StoryboardThat. After a while, I realized I was spending too much time selecting a tool to use. Eventually, I settled on Visme because I had the most success when testing it out. There were a few hiccups, but I managed to work through those.

Web 2.0

It is always a daunting task to describe what you are working on. This seems amplified when that discussion is supposed to be visually engaging and captivating.  The audience shouldn't simply undertand the action plan. They should be rivited to it like they are at some action film. For me, the question has been, where do I start. Which platform is the best for getting my point across in an engaging way. It was my fear that the wrong platform that would be less enagaing to use but easy for me to work with would act to diminsh the point of my action, which is teachers using technology. Therefore, it had to be a combination of snazzy graphics, eye catching navigation and be cutting edge. The first technology I had to cut off my list was a powerpoint presentation. There is not a platform more flat and disinteresting than powerpoint. At this point in educational history, I think we have all been powerpointed to death (hence the term "death by powerpoint). So, I knew right away to scratch that off the list. Prezi is newer, has some interesting navigation but its graphics are just ok. It might work so I wont table it completely yet. "Storyoard That" seemed like a winner but I am not sure of the learning curve involved in using it. It has some interesting possibilities. Go Animate a web based animation solution looked very cool and i will begin playing with it but still not sure which way to go. Stay tuned and I will let you know which one I choose.

Final Tweaks: A Plan Not Yet Fully Realized.

Finally, I am at the point where I am down to final Tweak's. I next can look forward to my Web 2.0 presentation to make my plan more marketable and break it down for those interested in implementation. Looking back, it was a wild ride. Defining and re-defining what the project objectives are, as I came to understand what I was truly after. The literature guided me. But the data gathering and statistics also played a role in defining how best to measure outcomes. The process is organic in that it grows and changes with the conditions under which are presented.  I have picked up so much learning. A new way to view an old problem and a professional contact in the field to boot. I have been asked to send my plan to Smart but I might wait to do that. Mainly so that I can gather genuine data. It is my true belief that this plan will continue to grow and change as I learn more about teachers and how and why they chose to implement technology.  Additionally, as technologies change and augment,  I hop to learn which will be the ones that effectively work to close the achievement gap within our schools.

Web 2.0 Idea

In brainstorming my web 2.0 selection, I found this video made with PawToon. It's pretty cool.

Setting A Timeline For Analyzing Data

As I complete the analyzing the data setting up a time table is very important..   Setting up an incremental  time table allows the examiner to evaluate the effectiveness of online learning plans and to make  any changes or adjustments before extensive periods of time have passed. 

Analying Data

In the homestretch on the Action Research Plan.  When analyzing the data the research questions are being re-examined.  At this step I am finding that the main purpose is to re-assessing the  research questions.  Through this research I am reflecting what purpose do I get out of how my data will answer my research questions.

The Value in Sharing Results

Ideally, the findings and conclusions that we make in our action research align with the affirmative answer to our research questions. But, there's also value in sharing findings even if they are not the desired outcomes. Sharing results allows action research teams to further reflect on the problem as well as the process of conducting research. Experiences and results may benefit other educators in their attempts to improve their teaching and student learning.

Applying Data

I am at the stage to apply data and how to interpret the data.    To measure data is effective and getting to answering your research questions.   To finally get at that step makes the research worthwhile.

Applying the Data....The Buy In

Your action research is now complete. You complied all the data, wrote a conclusion, but how do you get people to buy in to what your saying. Its all about the presentation. You want people believe what your selling. A good video, poster, PowerPoint, Prezi or other mediums can turn a so so report into something great. Great service at a restaurant can make just OK food a reason to return. The same for a presentation. Talking to many teachers, they don't like the idea of the flipped classroom. The most common answers are, its too much work, or they want to ensure that students understand the work. Doing new work at home is too much responsibility for the average student. Well, after the surveying students, that have worked through a flipped classroom, they feel they get more out if it. In addition, as a teacher who does this, it creates a more rewarding teacher experience. Don't believe me, check out this article.

http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/elearning/the-flipped-classroom-a-students-perspective

or this one

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/02/15/how-a-flipped-classroom-flipped-a-students-perspective/

The student perspective of a flipped classroom changes once they work though it. Most get on board very quickly. Here is a great video that shows this.

Putting It All Together! Applying the Results

The final step in any research is how to use the results. You want the reviewers of the research to be able to engage in discussions about the research. You want them to clearly see the results and how they can use that in their own classrooms. To show the results, there are many different options. I previously posted a poster.  Another way is the following video.

I like the these two ideas, because it creates a clear visual of the result of the research.

When I post my final results, I want the the viewers to to be able to clearly see the results, engage in a quality data driven discussion and look for ways to adapt this model into their own classrooms.

Applying the Results

Now that the data analysis portion of my ARPP is completed...well the rough draft anyway...it is now time to focus on applying the results. I must say that this may be a bit challenging in that there are no actual results. I'll use this part of the plan as an opportunity to reflect on how I would apply the results given certain scenarios. My research questions are:

1. Does student motivation improve as a result of the use of technology-based personalized learning?

2. Does student math proficiency improve as a result of the use of technology-based personalized learning?

 The considerations for reflection will depend on whether the data supports that student motivation and math proficiency both improve as a result of the use of technology-based personalized learning. I'll need to consider the reasons for the possible results, and how they might be used to invoke change in a school setting.