Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology



Capstone Proposal: Developing Technology Based Collaboration and Communication

Lori Pangburn

July 2013

Sherri Booker, Advisor

Fall 2012 Cohort

CAPSTONE PROPOSAL

Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology

|Candidate Name: |Lori Pangburn |

|Email Address: |lori.pangburn@ |

|Advisor Name: |Sherri Booker |

|Date: |Graduating Summer 2014 |

|Capstone Title: |Developing Technology Based Collaboration and Communication |

|Is this a Capstone Project |Project |

|or Study? | |

|Client Name |McClure Middle, the Cobb County Public School in Area 5: 7th grade. |

|& |The goal of this project was to help teachers and students learn how to use Web 2.0 tools to communicate and work |

|Description |collaboratively with others in order to increase overall implementation and awareness. |

Setting /Context:

This capstone will be completed at McClure Middle School which is located in Kennesaw, GA and is part of the Cobb County School District. McClure serves approximately 1170 students consisting of 68% white, 15% black, 9% Hispanic, and 8% other throughout grade levels sixth through eighth. The subgroup population consists of 2% limited English proficient, 15% economically disadvantaged, and 12% students with disabilities. The capstone project will focus on the development of seventh grade teachers and students in preparation for the 21st Century Technology Skills Assessment administered in 2014-15.

Capstone Problem and Rationale

At McClure Middle School, the integration of technology has been utilized to enhance curriculum related learning opportunities within the classroom. After conducting a survey (Appendix A), many teachers are unaware of the technology standards and the assessment tool adopted by the state of Georgia. As a result of the 21st Century Technology Skills Assessment (Appendix B), the 2012 results demonstrated that the area of greatest weakness for students lies with the collaboration and communication standard. This capstone project serves to address McClure Middle School’s need to incorporate technology through the use of Web 2.0 tools to develop and enhance communication and collaboration. McClure Middle School embraces the role technology plays in their mission of creating an environment “where enthusiastic learning shapes individual excellence through innovation and collaboration” (McClure Middle School Leadership Team, 2008, p. 6). In a previous study, “after conducting a statistical analysis on the test scores, it was found that students who participated in collaborative learning had performed significantly better on the critical-thinking test than students who studied individually” (Sanders, 1995). In alignment with McClure’s Strategic Plan to ensure success for every student by meeting high standards of performance as measured by national and state test scores, technology will be used to engage students in collaborative experiences in order to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. Teachers are starting to use Edmodo as a communication and collaboration tool with students. However, with this new communication tool, not many teachers understand how to use it so that it will best benefit their students. Social media is a great way to improve communication and collaboration. “If conducted within a controlled environment, then social media can be a way for students and teachers to communicate effectively” (Osborne, 2012). As a result, it is a goal of this project to provide 7th grade teachers with professional development and tools needed to have successful and open communication within the classroom. Since the 21st Century Technology Assessment is administered mid-year to 8th grade students, the capstone project will focus its training on 7th grade teachers.

Objectives

• Seventh grade teachers will learn how to use various Web 2.0 tools including: Edmodo, Voicethread, Weebly, Wiki, Microsoft Word, and websites for global communication.

• Seventh grade teachers will collaboratively develop and reflect on classroom learning experiences using various Web 2.0 tools to promote collaboration among their students.

• Seventh grade teachers will promote netiquette and integrate various Web 2.0 tools into learning experiences to promote collaboration among their students.

• Seventh grade students will collaborate and communicate in the classroom using various Web 2.0 tools.

• Seventh grade students will be able identify and use various Web 2.0 tolls that can be used to collaborate and communicate with peers.

• Seventh grade students will understand the term “netiquette’ and practice netiquette when collaborating and communicating online.

Deliverables

• Edmodo Presentation/Edmodo Student Examples

• Voicethread Presentation/Voicethread student Examples

• Weebly Presentation/Weebly Student Examples

• Wiki PresentationWiki Student Example

• Microsoft Word Presentation/Microsoft Word Student Example

• Websites for Global Communication Presentation

Standards

PSC/ISTE NETS-C

• Standard 1: Visionary Leadership (Element 1.1, 1.2. and 1.4)

• Standard 2: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (Element 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6)

• Standard 3: Digital Learning Environments (Element 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 and 3.7)

• Standard 4: Digital Citizenship and Responsibility (Element 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3)

• Standard 5: Professional Learning and Program Evaluation (Element 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3)

• Standard 6: Candidate Professional Growth and Development (Element 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3)

PSC/ISTE NETS-T

• Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity (Element 1.3 and 1.4)

• Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital Age Learning and Assessments (Element 2.1)

• Standard 3: Model Digital Age Work and Learning (Element: 3.1, 3.2.and 3.3)

• Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility (Element 4.1, 4.3, and 4.4)

• Standard 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership (Element 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4)

PSC/ISTE NETS-S

• Standard 2: Communication and Collaboration (Element 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4)

• Standard 5: Digital Citizenship (Element 5.1 and 5.2)

Capstone Description

During the course of the 2013-2014 school year, professional development classes will be held that will focus on using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom to promote student collaboration and communication. The professional development sessions will be held during common planning time twice a month. Teachers will utilize their county appointed laptop to access Web 2.0 tools.

Teachers will be shown how Edmodo, Voicethread, Microsoft Word, Weebly, Wikis, and educational websites for promoting global interaction can be used collaboratively with their students. Teachers will engage in partnerships to develop activities using the assigned Web 2.0 tool that will have to be completed in their classroom and reflected upon before the next professional learning date where they will be given the opportunity to share their experience and work sample. During the professional development classes, teachers will have the opportunity to share what they have created or have been using in their own class as related to the sessions, and give information and tips about what worked and didn’t work. A question and answer session will be provided for peer feedback on the activities presented.

Timeline for Project

|August 2013 | 7th grade students will complete a technology survey |

| |Train 7th grade teachers on Edmodo basics. |

|September |Integrate technology with students focusing on Edmodo for communication and peer responses. Develop netiquette |

| |checklist and rubrics for student communication expectations. |

|October |Integrate technology with students focusing on Voice Thread for communication. |

| |Follow-up meeting with teachers, train on peer editing using Microsoft Word features. |

|November |Integrate technology with students focusing on Microsoft Word for Peer editing collaboration. |

| |Follow-up meeting with teachers, train on Weebly for creating collaborative websites. |

|January |Integrate technology with students focusing on Weebly to generate collaborative websites. |

| |Follow-up meeting with teachers, train on Wikis. |

|March |Integrate technology with students focusing on Wikis to work collaboratively on a document. |

| |Follow-up meeting with teachers, train on accessing global interaction |

| |opportunities. |

|April |Integrate technology with students focusing on communicating globally. |

|May |All 7th grade teachers and students will complete a technology survey; results will be analyzed and compared to |

| |data from initial survey. |

Evaluation Plan

The evaluation plan has two parts: a teacher focused assessment and a student focused assessment. The first part will focus on the impact the professional development sessions will have on teacher’s use of the collaboration tools. Teachers will retake the initial technology survey provided (Appendix A). This secondary set of data will be compared to the initial data collected at the onset of the program and used to determine the overall effectiveness of the professional development sessions. The second component, the students focused assessment, will be used to determine how far students have come from the initial survey given in August of 2013 (Appendix C). Students will take a multiple choice survey at the beginning of the school term and then again at the end of the school term. This survey serves to probe their abilities and knowledge of collaboration through technology. Both sets of data will be analyzed for growth indicating that the professional development provided to the teachers had a positive effect on the students. Achievement in both of these groups will indicate a successful Capstone Project. This data will be shared with the staff of McClure Middle School inspiring the development of a new technology goal.

References

McClure Middle School Leadership Team, (2008). School strategic plan. Retrieved March from



Osborne, C. (2012). The pros and cons of social media classrooms. Retrieved from



classrooms/15132

Sanders, Mark. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology

Education, 7 (1).

Appendix A

Teacher Technology Survey

Appendix B

21st Century Technology Skills Assessment Results for the 2012-2013 Term

Appendix C

Student Technology Survey

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