3rd Potential Area of Inquiry: After School Technology Program



Promoting Technology Integration

Cole Bielak

University of Colorado at Denver

IT 6720: Research in Information and Learning Technologies Spring 2009

Introduction

As a licensed teacher in Jefferson County Schools I am endorsed to teach grades kindergarten through 6th grade. I began my career in Jefferson County Schools teaching 6th grade in an elementary setting. However, after only one year of teaching in an elementary school, I found my calling as a 6th grade math teacher at Evergreen Middle School. This transformation from elementary to middle school took place due to my passion for working with children in an extra-curricular setting.

I am blessed to have found a home at Evergreen Middle School for many reasons. One of the most important reasons being the after school sports program that EMS offers throughout the school year. Ram Ahead sports is held in highest regards throughout the Evergreen community. This program has opened many doors for students in Evergreen by offering them a chance to dabble in sports that are not often found at other middle schools. Activities that are offered in the program range from rock climbing to advanced archery. The program does a wonderful job covering a full spectrum of sports however, an extra curricular program should demand more that just physical education. Supplementary after school classes dealing with technology are non-existent in my middle school. This seems to be an issue considering that Evergreen Middle School is a leader when it comes to technology integration in Jeffco Schools. How is it that students at Evergreen Middle School are expected to be proficient in the use of technology when there seems to be limited opportunities outside of the classroom for them to excel?

Evergreen is host to one of only three middle schools in Jefferson County School District. The student population is quite large with grade levels sixth through eighth holding over six hundred students on average. Demographics in the Evergreen area include the upper end of the socioeconomic spectrum. However, just under 10% of the student population receives free and reduced lunch. One positive thing about our demographics is the tremendous amount of parent support that we receive from the community. Without a doubt, parent involvement and an excellent teaching staff can be credited for the success of students at Evergreen Middle.

With over one hundred thousand dollars recently spent on hardware and software alone, teachers and students at Evergreen Middle School are really excited about the new additions. Each classroom has been equipped with new hardware that includes a SMART Board, document camera and laptop. Essentially, our classrooms at EMS have transformed into places of 21st century learning overnight. After much discussion with teachers who are considered technology leaders at EMS, it became obvious that the initial use of this recently purchased technology will subside over time. Many teachers, including myself worry that students will not use the schools technology to its fullest potential. Historically, it seems to be the case that whenever the “brand new” effect and initial applications of technology settle down, use of the equipment begins to decline. Both the SMART Board and document camera have way too many uses between them for this factor to ever take place. Especially if there is a program that is pushing each piece of software to its fullest potential. I believe that Ram-Ahead sports is the perfect home for an after school technology program to help promote 21st century learning at Evergreen Middle School.

As I near the end of my degree in Technology Integration, I feel that it is my duty to act as coordinator for an after school technology program. As coordinator for this program I will help create the curriculum as well help instruct the courses. The focus of an after school tech program includes promoting awareness of shareware technology and its uses, and building students interest in the technology and peripherals surrounding them. Most importantly, the greatest outcome of this program will be creating core curriculum for future generations to build on. Many students in my building are extremely tech savvy. However, there seems to be some students who lack basic computer skills. An afternoon tech program could teach topics such as blogging, internet safety and computer etiquette, which in turn could help students become exited, and more comfortable when working in class.

Research Questions

What new computer programs and applications can I offer students to prepare them as 21st century learners and future professionals?

What programs can be put into place that will help my students identify the many ways technology can be exciting, and most importantly applicable for use within projects in the classroom?

How do I continue to receive additional hardware and software to supplement the needs of this program?

What assessment tools are most beneficial when helping measure the success of each individual participant?

Methods

The design of study for this project was completed through a field study lasting over 2 months. The program was provided to any student interested in learning more about the technological environment that surrounds them each day. Initially, my method of collecting data actually came from the participants themselves. Course evaluations were provided to all students who took a course in the program. These evaluations helped with the progression of courses being offered, as well as promoting new ideas for future courses in the program.

|Research Questions |Data Source 1 |Data Source 2 |Data Source 3 |

|What new computer programs and |Pre-program interest survey that|Interview with teachers in the |Post-Program survey for students|

|applications can I offer |will help determine what classes|building regarding whether or |that identifies what classes in |

|students to prepare them as 21st|are offered in the program. |not students technology use has |the program are most relevant |

|century learners and future |This survey will allow the |risen in the classroom. |and beneficial for success in |

|professionals? |students voices to be heard as | |the classroom. |

| |the curriculum for each session | | |

| |in designed. | | |

|What programs can be put into |Pre-program interest survey that|Interview with teachers in the |Post-Program survey for students|

|place that will help my students|will help determine what classes|building regarding whether or |that identifies what classes in |

|identify the many ways |are offered in the program. |not students technology use has |the program are most relevant |

|technology can be exciting, and |This survey will allow the |risen in the classroom. |and beneficial for success in |

|most importantly applicable for |students voices to be heard as | |the classroom. |

|use within projects in the |the curriculum for each session | | |

|classroom? |in designed. | | |

|How do I continue to receive |Embedded assessment for eighth |Interview with teachers in the |Post-Program survey for students|

|additional hardware and software|grade technology assessment |building regarding whether or |that identifies what classes in |

|to supplement the needs of this |scores in comparison with |not students technology use has |the program are most relevant |

|program? |previous years. |risen in the classroom. |and beneficial for success in |

| | | |the classroom. |

|What assessment tools are most |Pre-assessments to evaluate |Interview with teachers in the |Post-assessments to measure |

|beneficial when helping measure |skill levels of each |building regarding whether or |growth of each participant |

|the success of each individual |participant. |not students technology use has |within their original skill |

|participant? | |risen in the classroom. |level. |

The most valid and reliable model used when collecting data was Sagor’s comparing students to themselves approach. “Was this the type of growth I would have normally have expected from these students had I not used the innovative program? One way to answer that question would be to look at the past performance of these same students (Sagor 2000 pg.151)” Essentially, I compared my participants in the program to themselves as they performed in the classroom. This allowed me to metaphorically compare “apples to apples” when compiling my data. In order for this type of data to be reliable I needed full cooperation from my participants’ classroom teachers. I relied on the teachers for support as they helped document this data. Collection of data in the classroom happened several different ways. First, the classroom teachers completed evaluations rating the competency of their student’s technological abilities before they entered the program. Second, I needed these same classroom teachers to reevaluate the participating students after the course had subsided. This evaluation exhibited students’ ability to convey a concept through the use of technology. What I was looking for was increased technology use in the classroom from students in my program. This entailed students replacing traditional methods of informal assessment with 21st century models using the new technology they have learned through the program.

Participants

Without the collaboration and efforts of the IT Site Coordinator, Chet Andes, this project would not be possible. As a partner and collaborator in this project, Chet helped with the design and framework, as well as actually instructing some of the classes. Participants in this pilot program also included any student who completed a survey used to help guide the design of each class. Staff input was also taken into account as the program evolved.

Schedule

|February 28th |Action Research Proposal Deadline |

|March 2nd – 8th |Continue gathering and reading literature for program |

| |Networking with other schools in the district about successful |

| |technology clubs. |

|March 14th |Data collection plan due |

|March 16th – 20th |Begin collecting data from interest surveys representing the |

| |student body |

|March 16th – 20th |Meet with It coordinator and school administrators to sketch out |

| |program curriculum and software |

|April 6th – 10th |Administer pre-assessments to program participants |

|April 11th |Literature review due |

|April 13th -17th |Program courses are written and designed |

|April 20th-24th |Pilot courses are taught and evaluated |

|April 25th |Data analysis due |

|May 16th |Final action report due |

Environmental impact statement:

Even though this program is considered extracurricular and will only be offered after school, the excitement and awareness of 21st century learning will spread through out the entire school and community. This program will gain tremendous popularity as students realize how exciting, yet applicable the material is when tying it back to their core classes. A majority of the material offered in each class will carry relevant duality for students as they practice what has been learned both at home and in the classroom.

Literature Review:

As I near the end of my fourth year teaching 6th grade at Evergreen Middle School I can admit that I am finally starting to deal with change pretty well. When I refer to change, I mean the kind of adjustment that requires me to work in a noisy construction zone, teach an entirely new content area while implementing Response to Intervention, and at the same time becoming proficient in learning to operate a 21st Century classroom. I believe that I have handled this paradigm shift rather well as I have come to embrace my new classroom that is finally up to date in terms of technology.

Every classroom at Evergreen Middle School now comes complete with a SMART Board, document camera, lap top and media player. All of this hardware is administered through a brain panel on the wall topped off with a P.A. system and mounted L.C.D. projector. The amazing part about this alteration is that the students have handled this transition better than the staff. It is almost like the students have expected this type of system to be in place long before the teachers. Since the technology upgrade has taken place, it seems like both the students and staff are settling in and becoming more comfortable with the new hardware and software. It has been satisfying to watch the teachers become more relaxed in using the new technology, but there needs to be more opportunities for students to interact with the technology on a daily basis. Students need time during daily instruction to familiarize themselves with both the hardware and software that will allow them to be successful in all content areas. Implementing a comprehensive technology program in my school will prepare students for both the classroom and professional world as they learn to master technology skills expected in the 21st Century.

Findings:

Are Schools Preparing Students for the Professional World?

Research has shown that schools are not preparing students enough in the area of technology for the working world ahead. Even the most simple of jobs today require the understanding of basic technology skills. “It simply will not be possible for schools to resist the increasing influence of computer technology in our society. The marketplace will grow increasingly insistent that schools prepare students to be the workers and consumers of a networked society. Educators and educational institutions must rise to this challenge or become increasingly irrelevant” (Ferguson 2005 pg.3). Technology has revolutionized the professional world including the entertainment industry. Without technology, especially the World Wide Web, businesses would not have been able to represent a global market. The internet has empowered businesses to internationally coincide with one another while building more productivity each year. Computers have completely modernized the working world in which we live. Without the advancement in technology driving the work place, society would cease to evolve.

How is it that we expect children to be prepared for this type of future when they are given limited opportunities to master new technology in the classroom? “It is incomprehensible that anyone today would argue that banks, hospitals, or any industry should use less technology. Most young people cannot understand arguments that schools should limit technology use. For them, use of the Internet, for example, plays a major role in their relationships with their friends, their families, and their schools.” (Valdez 2003 pg.1). It is apparent that many students have familiarized themselves with text messaging and networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Students are yearning to integrate technology into their lives in any way possible. Many of these popular social networking sites actually require skills such as uploading files, embedding videos and some html code. Theses skills are what most companies expect as an adequate level of proficiency in their workers. In many cases when kids are at home playing on the computer they are actually fine tuning many valuable skills that are supporting their education as well preparing them for a career

Does Technology In the Classroom Increase Student Achievement?

While there seems to be a plethora of anecdotal evidence claiming that technology in education is increasing student achievement, many researchers believe that there is very little scientific evidence in existence proving this theory. “Given the lack of evidence that technology increases academic achievement, it’s not surprising that some observers are asking whether the resources and time devoted to technology might produce more significant increases in academic achievement if focused on other education needs” (Foltos 2003, pg. 2). Despite many critics’ disapproving thoughts on the chance that technology does increase student achievement, new tools in the classroom have always been questioned throughout history. For instance, during the mid 1990’s when the dry erase board began replacing the chalkboard, many critics questioned this paradigm shift. Some believed that this transition from chalk to marker was absurdly expensive for something that did the same thing. However, the dry erase board has virtually taken over in every classroom to alleviate allergy conditions as well as making clean up easier. The evolution of the dry erase board is just one example of technology improving the academic experience. While there is very little scientific evidence that proves that dry erase boards increase student achievement across the board, some students have been positively affected by this technology.

Twenty-first Century technology in the classroom such as interactive white boards and document cameras are no different than the introduction of the dry erase board. These technological tools were designed to modify instruction thereby better meeting the needs of all students. While interactive white boards and document cameras may not alleviate all allergy conditions, they do help teachers differentiate their instruction as they strive to meet multiple intelligences and learning styles. "It is found that when you put the two, (inquiry based learning and true technology integration) together there's a synergy created that really boosts students' learning" (Foltos, 2003, pg. 2). Kids living in the Twenty-first Century identify with technology. It seems like second nature for most adolescence when operating any sort of gadget or apparatus that deals with technology. Students become more excited about learning when technology is implemented during instruction, naturally resulting in higher student achievement. “There is growing evidence that technology is having a positive impact on student achievement.  There was some evidence of impact in the 99/00 data.  Since then, this district has implemented a number of new initiatives that appear to be increasing that impact.  This district’s score improved from 2.0 to 2.9 on a scale of 1 to 4.  The score was determined by reviewing student impact data from the survey, observations, and focus groups and then matching those to the same rubrics that were used last year” (Foltos, 2003 pg. 4).

Student Impact

 [pic]

What Are Other School Districts Doing to Improve Students’ 21st Century Skills?

Schools districts are finding a multitude of ways to prepare their students for the future. The most popular trend found involves school districts across the nation incorporating technology into their existing curriculum. Software companies are taking advantage of this trend by providing school districts with programs that teach to both the core curriculum as well as technology standards. Three of the most prevalent software companies involving technology integration in schools include ArcView, Easytech and the popular, Microsoft. “ArcView is a complete software package that engages students and enables them to perform spatial analysis, classify data, integrate imagery, interact with the web and create their own publication-quality maps” (Arcview 2009). ArcView recognizes technology as a foundational skill to be developed in every subject area and grade, along with literacy, communication, problem solving and human relations. “Engaging and interactive, EasyTech improves student learning outcomes in core curriculum subjects while it provides students with the skills they need for success in the 21st Century”( Easytech, 2009). Easytech seems to be the most assessable and user friendly. In fact, you can create an account and start setting up students as site users in a very short amount of time. Lastly, Microsoft has realized that a large market in software now exists in secondary education. This renowned company has recently revamped their collegiate software to fit the needs of high school students as well. “Microsoft announced the expansion of the successful Microsoft DreamSpark student program to include high school students worldwide. DreamSpark, originally available only to university students, makes professional-level developer and designer tools as well as training available at no charge to students to support and advance their learning and skills through technical design, technology, math, science and engineering activities. Microsoft believes that giving people the right technology skills and the tools to translate their talent into business success is critical to stimulating the future growth of local and global economies. These programs are supported through the Microsoft Unlimited Potential program.” (Microsoft 2009). These software companies share a common goal as they strive to prepare students for the professional world ahead. Centering technology on core curriculum is the trend that these companies plan to revolutionize.

Listed below are a set of technological objectives that have been found to intertwine with all core subject areas:

|Basic Technology Skill |Documentation |

|Multimedia Presentation |

|Use presentation software to create electronic slide shows |For these three competencies, students must design a |

|and to generate overheads. |presentation which contains at least 15 slides upon which |

| |there are a variety of graphics, animation, charts, sounds, |

| |and pictures. |

|Import graphics, charts, and pictures into presentations. | |

|Connect and operate technology needed for presentations. | |

|Electronic and Internet Resources |

|Able to send and receive email messages and attachments. |Students send an email containing an attachment. |

|Able to subscribe, participate in, and search electronic |The students submit evidence of subscribing to and |

|discussion lists. |participating in ICN and Indiana’s counselor discussion |

| |list, Counselor_Talk. Students also submit evidence of |

| |searching the ICN archives on a specific topic. |

|Able to search the Internet, analyze, filter and |Students submit the results of an “advanced” Internet search|

|appropriately reject non-relevant electronic information in|on topic which contains less than 100 “hits.” |

|relation to the desired outcome. | |

|Properly cite electronic sources of information. |Students submit an annotated review of five web sites on a |

| |particular subject. The site must be properly cited, using |

| |APA style, and the annotation must contain a general review |

| |of the site and a critique/rating which includes a |

| |description of the site’s content, ease of navigation, |

| |aesthetics, and organization. |

| |  |

|Able to objectively review and informatively annotate web | |

|sites. | |

|View, download, decompress, and open documents and programs|Students are required to download an instant messaging |

|from Internet sites, while demonstrating an understanding |program and describe the anti-virus software that they have |

|of appropriate protocols to protect the computer from |on their computer. |

|viruses. |  |

|Able to effectively use electronic library search |Students must submit documentation of an “advanced” search |

|technology. |conducted on the ISU library electronic catalog, LUIS, and |

| |ERIC, both from the ISU library web site and through an |

| |Internet site; and, full text databases on ISU’s library |

| |Internet site which include Proquest and Inspire/EBSCO Host.|

|Able to join and participate in chat rooms. |Students participate in ISU course-related chat rooms and |

| |participate in Instant Message-type chatting. |

(Laturno 2006, pg.3) 

Data Collection:

As a sixth grade math teacher at Evergreen Middle School I only teach one sixth of the schools population. However, the technology program I delivered this spring was intended for any student in the middle school to participate. Most students at Evergreen Middle School are eager to participate in extra curricular activities. Especially, activities that will help them achieve more academically. In order to reach all grade levels sixth through eighth I used the school broadcasting system to advertise interest surveys as well as the program itself. Students were able to access my Google site and contribute their thoughts and ideas about the program. This survey helped build the foundation of the curriculum used in the first semester of the program. Students were able to visit my Google Site and answer questions, as well as offer suggestions about what the program should look like.

Many colleagues at the middle school also contributed a wealth of expertise to this technology program. Various teachers throughout the building from all content areas assisted in this process. As teachers were individually interviewed I collected viable information that was done through face to face interviews. This process was refreshing as I gained many insightful thoughts and ideas about what the program most needed. Information collected from my colleagues was all taken into account regardless of the skill level or expertise of the staff member. Each teacher answered the same set of interview questions inquiring skill level and types of technology incorporated during instruction. Once interviews were conducted the data collected was transferred into Microsoft Excel where the results became obvious.

Keeping in mind that this program has been designed to evolve with each session offered; a post survey was given for each participating student to complete. This survey was accessed through Google Sites using Google Forms to administer the survey. Students who have taken classes in the program once will most likely return or convince friends to take a class as well. Essentially, every participant was asked to complete an evaluation rating the class they attended as well as the program itself. All questions on the survey were multiple choice, with exception of the last question. This question was open ended and allowed each participant to elaborate on suggestions needed to make the class more successful. The results offered thoughts and ideas about what works best for the participants and what new classes should be offered. Students taking these classes essentially determine the direction of the program. Using Google Forms made it very easy to compare both the pre survey and the post evaluation side by side.

Data Analysis:

As an introductory program, I offered one class this spring on building wikis through Wikispaces. Participants learned how to design their own wiki space as well as embedding media and documents through html code. There were 31 students in attendance that primarily represented the 6th grade. This pilot class met 1 hour a day for an entire week. The class was a success as the kids had a lot of fun effectively using prior knowledge to build their sites.

Essentially, all of the methods I used to collect my data came in the form of an interview or survey. I found administering surveys through Pollcat and Google forms to be very easy because of user accessibility. Students mentioned how easy it was to visit my Google Site and open the link to both of my surveys. My face to face interviews resulted in a little more leg work. Finding time to meet with teachers across grade levels became a difficult task because of schedule differences. Once all interviews had been conducted I used Microsoft Excel to compile my data into chart form. Both the online surveys as well as the interviews I conducted resulted in very similar outcomes.

Originally the data from the pre survey was rather limited. As I posted the advertisement about my interest survey on the school broadcast system very few students found the time to take this survey. I guess I shouldn’t have found this surprising that middle school students weren’t going to take the extra time to take this survey. I knew that there still were many students that had very strong opinions about the creation of this program. Some of these students were either reluctant to take this survey or hadn’t seen the advertisement. To insure that I had enough participants to represent my data I met with present and former students who have a strong interest in technology. After these students had taken the survey I conducted a few follow up questions which allowed me the chance to pick their brain about technology clubs or organizations that they have meddled in. Out of 30 informal interviews only 2 of the kids interviewed participated in technology clubs outside of school. Similarly, the results of the survey also pointed to students with strong interests in technology, however very little formal experience outside of their homes. Other fascinating results in the interest survey became apparent as Google Forms allowed me to view the data in the form of a bar graph. The bar graph made it very easy to see what software programs were of most importance to the students.

Once I was able to contact enough teachers across the grade levels for interviews many common themes began appearing. With a total of 7 teachers interviewed from grade levels 6th through 8th I was really trying to be as consistent as possible as I asked the exact same 6 questions for each interview. Once I had compiled my data I needed a way to sort out the various responses from each teacher. I decided to use Microsoft Excel as a way to categorize each answer into a pie graph. The results from the interviews were not too surprising as many of the same buzz words were repeated during the interviews. A majority of the teachers vocalized that they were continually teaching the same lessons on things that should be standard procedure in middle school. Tasks such as saving files to the server, attaching documents to email and saving sites under the favorites menu were just a few of the tasks teachers mentioned.

Participants had an opportunity to evaluate the program and offer suggestions through a post session survey in Google Forms. A majority of the results were constructive and added some great suggestions for the Fall session. The results were positive as 28 out of 30 students indicated that it was a fun, positive learning experience. In fact these 28 students also indicated that they would recommend a friend to take any of the upcoming classes. Hopefully this means higher enrollment for the fall, which would allow additional support from interested staff members. There were a number of responses from the students that indicated learning gaming software as well as Photo Shop should be top priorities for classes offered in the fall 2010 session. More importantly the results of this survey reported that students would feel more apt to incorporate technology into independent projects if they were given the option in class.

Findings and Conclusion:

The most practical way that I found to organize my findings was by comparing my results to my original research questions. There really seemed to be two research questions that I continually found my data answering through out the process. These questions are as follows: What new computer programs and applications can I offer students to prepare them as 21st century learners and future professionals? What programs can be put into place that will help my students identify the many ways technology can be exciting, and most importantly applicable for use within projects in the classroom? These questions fist led me to my site IT coordinator to inquire about what programs and applications our school and district would support. During my literature review I also found support by reviewing what programs and applications have been successful amongst middle school students in other schools. Once I narrowed down a list of applications that both research and my district would support, all that was left to decide was the student’s opinions. Once I posed the list of applications as questions in the interest survey it was very obvious that the students had their minds made up.

What applications below would you be most interested in learning more about?

[pic]

The most obvious and disappointing piece of this interest survey was that the most educational applications such as Google Docs and SMART Board software were not as popular as I thought they would be. When given the choice to choose it was apparent that a majority of the students had no interest in taking a class that would help them create academic presentations.

As I began to start piecing together common themes that surfaced during the teacher interviews a few realizations hit me. The first realization being that the students at Evergreen Middle School may not be as tech savvy as they appear. Once the data from the interviews had been entered into a pie chart it was obvious what skills, in the teacher’s opinions, students seem to be lacking when it comes to technology.

Lessons Being Taught to Prepare Students for the Computer Lab

[pic]

The most surprising fact was that a multitude of students do not know how to save to the server. When I first saw this data it made me wonder how many student documents have been lost over the years in the computer labs. Another surprising fact in this data was that many teachers were also concerned that a majority of their students don’t know how to attach files when sending a document via e-mail. This is a very serious problem considering most projects that students work on in the computer labs are cumulative over a large span of time. Teachers also expect students to work on these projects at home during the course of the unit. Not every student in school can affoard a flash drive, resulting in email being the primary method in sending a project home to work on.

I found much of the data collected during the teacher interviews to be rather disheartening. According to my colleagues, a majority of the students in school lack technology skills required to be proficient in the 21st Century. This data from the teacher interviews definitely changes things as far as future courses go. With these findings in mind I am going to change the structure of the whole program entirely. Granted, this small chunk of data seems insignificant, however this is enough evidence to integrate a mandatory technology class. With the master schedule drastically changing the look of next year, every grade level in the middle school will be required to implement a 40 minute advisement period. The school administration is looking for ways to fill gaps in the areas of literacy, math and technology. This 40 minute period will be a perfect opportunity to rotate each advisement class through a technology awareness class. All of the skills mentioned during the interviews as well as in my research will be implemented once a week during advisement. With only offering a wiki class this spring many students expressed interest in taking additional classes in fall 2010. During the post survey that was offered students made it very clear what classes should be offered.

What courses would interest you most if offered in the fall?

[pic]

After reviewing the results from the post survey I became more optimistic about the future of this program. After all 33 students participated in the past wiki class, many students seemed to be excited about becoming more proficient in Microsoft Word and Power Point. The results from the post survey offers hope for students being able to further their skills in technology while implementing these skills in course work. With multiple courses being offered and plenty of teacher support, the program this fall should be thriving. Furthermore, with plenty of research and data to support the technology program, the future of Evergreen Middle School’s technology plan can only evolve.

Conclusion:

As I look back and reflect on the journey of this program I find it amazing how many resources I needed to tap into to lift this project off of the ground. The birth of this program really evolved with impeccable timing. With an administration pushing growth in technology as well as newly equipped classrooms the culture I work in was ready for change. Without a technological paradigm shift occurring at Evergreen Middle School I would not have received as much support and backing from my professional community on this project. This project was definitely welcomed by many people that included the ET/IL committee, staff, administration and most importantly the students. If I would have implemented this program a year earlier, I would not have received the same amount of support. Honestly, without the right timing and funding, this program would have been successful.

In order for this technology program to continue evolving, research for better practices must still take place. Students in future program need to be introduced to new computer applications as well as hardware updates. Active research needs to continue in order for Evergreen Middle School to keep up with other technology programs evolving in schools throughout the country. As technology standards are further implemented, additional literature resources will become available to build new curriculum on. As the program grows, many of these courses will most likely evolve into elective classes offered during the regularly scheduled school day. This type of system could offer more consistency as well as allow the entire student population the opportunity to participate. I believe that this program will set the standard for schools moving towards the 21st learning model. With further research and dedication from both the instructors and administration, this program will continue to prepare Evergreen Middle School students for the academic and professional world.

References

Easytech. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2009, from

Learning In the Real World. (2007). Retrieved April 1, 2009, from

Microsoft Helps Prepare Global Workforce . (2009, March 26). webwire. Retrieved April 7, 2009, from

Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning In the Classroom. (2005). NCREL. Retrieved April 1,

2009, from

Technology and Academic Acheivment. (2002, December). New Horizons Learning. Retrieved April 3,

2009, from

The Human Tendancy To Be Technical. (2007, Fall). Journal of Technology Education, 19(1). Retrieved

April 1, 2009, from

Appendix

Extra Curricular Technology Program

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your voice will help determine the outcome of this program.

[pic]

Top of Form

What courses would interest you most? Please check all that apply

• [pic]Video Editing and Creation

• [pic]Photo Shop

• [pic]Photo Story

• [pic]Google Docs

• [pic]Google Sketch-up

• [pic]SMART Board/ Notebook Software

• [pic]Gaming Software

• [pic]Other: [pic]

How long should each session last?

• [pic]1/2 an hour

• [pic]1 hour

• [pic]2 hours

How many days a week should each course meet?

• [pic]Once a week

• [pic]Twice a week

• [pic]Three days a week

How long should the program last each time it is offered?

• [pic]1 week

• [pic]2 weeks

• [pic]1 month

• [pic]6 weeks

• [pic]2 Months

When should the program be offered? What time would you be able to attend a session?

• [pic]Before school

• [pic]During electives

• [pic]After School

What computer applications are you comfortable operating.

• [pic]Microsoft Word

• [pic]Power Point

• [pic]Windows Media Player

• [pic]Windows Movie Maker

• [pic]I-Tunes

• [pic]I-Movie

• [pic]Other: [pic]

How many students should be allowed in each class?

• [pic]5

• [pic]7

• [pic]10

• [pic]12

• [pic]Other: [pic]

How much would you or your parents be willing to spend to register for a class?

• [pic]20 Dollars

• [pic]30 Dollars

• [pic]40 Dollars

• [pic]50 Dollars

[pic]

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