WPP Part D - Findings and Implications

Let’s start with the problem:

My school is very fortunate to have SMART Boards in every classroom grade K-5; however, due to staff changes and limited professional develop time devoted to SMART Boards, these boards are often only used to project images and worksheets. The “interactive” portion of “interactive whiteboard” is just not there. My goals were to create and implement professional development opportunities to make the staff feel a little more comfortable with the SMART Board technology and provide guidance on using the SMART Board as a interactive tool within the classroom.

The solution and Implementation:

My solution for this problem was to “pre-assess” the staff to determine needs, create and implement one mini-workshop regarding introduction to the SMART Board and related resources, and provide the staff with information to guide their continued learning. My hope was that this mini-workshop would lead to additional sessions at the staff’s interest. So, did my project get implemented as planned. I would have to say yes, the bulk of my project was able to be implemented with positive comments for additional information and sessions from staff.

The implementation of the mini PD session focused the two top “vote” getters from the preassessment survey - Use of the Gallery and Importing media AND using the SMART Board to support  UDL principles. The staff were engaged in the lesson and were asking thoughtful questions. When questions were asked, some staff offered to answered them for me which I felt was a great way to have staff connect and get to know each other’s strengths with using the SMART Board.

TPACK:

Throughout this session, I incorporated TPACK while teaching the staff - simply by modeling the session similar to an interactive lesson I would do with students. The technology portion was obviously the use of the SMART Board as well as providing the staff with some websites for guided research if they chose to pursue that. I structured the lesson to incorporate screenshots, videos of some of the topics, as well as text descriptions. I invited staff to come up to board to follow the steps to “create a slide” by adding photo or video.

To review:

Technology - using the SMART Board as an interactive tool; however, use of Google Forms, PollEverywhere, and You Tube also demonstrated the use of tech tools within a lesson even though they were not the tech focus

Pedagogy - staff were engaged and taught using lesson built within SMART Notebook software that incorporated text, pictures, videos, real classroom examples, hands on time with the SMART Board, and websites provided for guided extension

Content - staff were given some control of the content covered by having the opportunity to fill out the pre-survey. Also by providing the screencast and videos, it provided the staff opportunities to review and explore the content on their own

Knowledge - the session provided time for questions which for some staff was review, it gave staff the opportunity to share and demonstrate skills with the SMART Board that they already have to staff who may no be as comfortable

For the future, I will be working on a bring your Q &A session as well as creating a session that will lend itself to a more authentic learning experience.

If I were to do a similar project, I think I would make surer that the time line was appropriate for the activity and possibly hold leveled sessions so the teacher who need extra help on the 'technical end' can get what they need, while the emebbers and response question makers can learn together. 

Although the Wicked Problem project was not totally sollved, I feel the implementation made some staff start to think about their own practices and helped begin the conversation on how we can increase student interaction with the SMARTBoards. Since the session, I have witnessed a teacher allowing the students up to board to write answers on the worksheet. Although this wasn’t exactly the most ideal interactive activity, the students were getting a chance to get up and touch the board. However, just today, that same teacher went into the gallery, found the dice, imported them into a slide, and had the student coming to board to 'roll' dice, create a number sentence, then create the reversal. Seeing this was evidence of success for me!

The screencast of my Wicked Problem Project. I did the presentation within Keynote, then used Screencast-O-Matic to create the screencast as it was too long for jing. Once the screencast was complete, I published it to You Tube. 

WPP Part C - Implementation

This podcast/vodcast describes the implementation phase of my Wicked Problem Project regarding SMART Board use within the classroom.




SMART Board pre-training survey displayed below. Results can be found here.

WPP Part B - Application of TPACK

Application of TPACK within my Wicked Problem Project

The technology I chose for the WPP was developing teacher skills in using the SMART Board (interactive whiteboard) as a student interactive tool. WIthin my building, almost all classroom are equipped with a SMART Board; however, students are not having the same experiences using the board from classroom to classroom or grade to grade. The methods that I chose to implement are directly related to what I see as being needed to support the teachers in making this transition. The "direct" mini-workshop approach is needed for the teachers who need to the visual of the SMART Board in use. I wanted the teachers to feel a little more in control of the sessions and planning; therefore I incorporated the use of a survey to poll them on there needs and what they want to learn. I also used this tool as a way for the staff to reflect and assess on their strengths with using the SMART Board.

The use of the interactive whiteboard technology (IWB) creates so many classroom possibilities and allows for various presentation methods. The use of the IWB allows for opportunities to engage the recognition, strategic, and affective networks which are the principles of Universal Design for Learning. By engaging these principles, all students will be able to participate and engage in the lessons. Using the IWB to display information, such as videos, websites, photos, the recognition networks will be engaged. I find that with my students, just the mere fact that the SMART Board is larger than they are, helps them focus on the content. Developing a graphic organizer or manipulating data for a meh problem would incorporate the strategic networks. Lastly, using the IWB to create excitement over a topic or allow the topic to become "real" related to the affective network.

The pedagogical choices for the WPP create an accessible learning environment. The solution (WPP plan) utilizes various assessment and teaching strategies. The mixture of direct instruction, time for reflection, peer modeling, and model lessons allow for all individuals to be involved as well as choose which learning method would be best for them. With the direct interaction, the staff will see how the basics of the SMART Board and be able to ask questions. The survey allowed for staff to reflect on their own needs and relay needs on an anonymous basis if they chose to do that. I think this is important for some people who are interested in learning, but are afraid to say they might need help. (Yes, there are still people out there!) The peer modeling and model lesson were something that I think is necessary to truly understand how integration of an IWB can happen. I foresee these are the two sections of the plan will be the most uncomfortable for staff.

WPP PART A - Description of Need or Opportunity

The Educational Need
Within the school system today, the focus is shifting from traditional sit and listen tasks to activities that require thought, discussion, and interaction. All students are expected to make progress. Within the school system, educators are utilizing the principles of RTI (Response to Intervention), and UDL (Universal Design for Learning or AKA differentiation) to help all students reach their greatest potential. One piece of technology that is becoming more prevalent in classrooms is the interactive whiteboard (IWB).

As an intervention specialist, I get to see the education world as a teacher within my own classroom and as an observer while I am proving intervention services within the general education classroom. Within my classroom, my main job is to create a learning environment that supports the goals and objectives of my students whose academic skills range can be anywhere from 6 months (developmentally) to a student performing on grade level, but need some classwork or behavior modifications. UDL/differentiation is just a part of my classroom environment due to the range of student needs. While visiting the general education classrooms, too often I see students, unengaged in the paper/pencil lessons and wonderful technology tools being left untouched. I see students who would benefit from a slight change within the instructional strategies to incorporate a UDL principle. This has especially been the case for the past few years as our school slowly added SMART Boards to the classrooms.

As the school district begins focusing more on inquiry based learning (or PBL = problem or project based learning), I see missed opportunities for the students to get “involved” and use the technologies tools available. One of the best ways that I see students getting involved in an elementary classroom is through the use of an interactive whiteboard. Two years ago, I was lucky enough to receive a SMART Board for my classroom. Since that time, my method of instruction and student participation has changed drastically. Every chance I get, I structure lessons so that my students are the ones who are using the board. Now, it is impractical of me to think of using the SMART Board all the time. I still will use it for projection, but if a lesson can be created (or modified) to allow student manipulation of the activities, I do my best to accomplish that for the lesson. I also understand that: creating lessons takes time, structuring the lesson to incorporate student use of the SMART Board takes time, rethinking the classroom routine takes time and all of the above takes a change in the teacher mindset. However, once these routines and lesson structures are establish, some great things can occur.  A change in the current pedagogy is needed in order to meet the needs of all the learners and in order for the students to reap the full benefits of the SMART Board.

The Plan

As mentioned above, most teachers within my building have a SMART Board (with the exception of the PreK classrooms). In the past few years, the district has a history of rotating staff to different buildings resulting in new teachers to the building who have little to no experience with a SMART Board. With this change, the “new” teachers have been left unsupported with formal training of the basic “how to’s” of the SMART Board. It has been left up to the individual teachers to learn for themselves or for other teachers to step up and offer assistance.

This educational technology wicked problem needs to be address by starting with teachers beginning to feel comfortable with the technology that has been afforded to them. Teachers need time to evaluate how they can incorporate the SMART Board as well as time to discuss appropriate use as an interactive board versus a projection screen. Teachers also need to reflect on how the incorporation will impact the current pedagogy of the classroom.

In Embedding interactive whiteboards in teaching and learning: The process of change in pedagogic practice (2008), the authors identified a three stages of pedagogic change when incorporating an IWB.

Stage 1 -  teachers fitting new technologies into established pedagogies;

Stage 2 - teachers engaging in collaborative exploration of the new opportunities offered by the technologies; 

Stage 3 -  teachers using the IWB skillfully and intuitively in way that extend or transform their established pedagogic practices.

With that summary as framework, I will be addressed these stages of needed changes within my building. Creation and implementation of meaningful professional development opportunities that allow staff to see the pedagogic stage they are in and give them the tools to go to the next stage. I also think it is important to instruct the students on what type of tool the SMART Board is and how they are to interactive with it in a meaningful way. My plan for address this wicked problem was constructed by using the aforementioned paper by Lewin, Somekh, and Steadman (2008) as well as the Derek Kaufaman’s article from Distance Learning (Vol. 6, Iss. 2) How Does the Use of Interactive Whiteboards Affect Teaching and Learning? (Both resources were retrieved from http://er.lib.msu.edu/.)

The Implementation

There will be a couple stages of implementation that will need to take place in order to work on a solution to this wicked problem . First, I will gather information and review journal articles regarding IWB use with elementary students. I will research various school district implementation ideas for IWB as well suggestions made my the SMART company in order to compare findings. Next, I will survey staff to see where they see is the greatest need when utilizing the SMART Board. Third, I will create timeline for implementation. This is an example of what the implementation could look like:

• Create and implement one mini-workshop regarding introduction to SMART Board. Attendees will be pre-assessed and what they would like to learn in the class, possible incorporating leveled groups or pairing teachers who can help each other
• Create and implement one “how to” lesson for the students within at least one general education classroom.
• Demonstrate at least one “model” lesson on using the SMART Board either in my special education classroom OR within the general education classroom.
• Create one screencast explaining how to search SMART Exchange website for pre-made SMART Board lessons.
• About 4 weeks after mini-workshop, set aside part of a morning to have people come share a lesson that they created or downloaded from SMART Exchange OR I will set aside time to observe his/her lesson within the classroom setting.

Additional Resources
http://david-r-wetzel.suite101.com/6-strategies-for-using-a-smart-board-in-class-a115550 - 6 Strategies for Using a Smart Board in Class
http://www.edutopia.org/interactive-whiteboards-technology-success - Technology Combined with Good Teaching Leads to Success
http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/IPs/ip25-1/BSRLM-IP-25-1-14.pdf (paper) - PRESENTATION AND PEDAGOGY: THE EFFECTIVE USE OF INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS IN MATHEMATICS LESSONS
http://www.jstor.org/pss/30032677 (abstract) THE IMPACT OF IWB ON TEACHER-PUPIL INTERACTIONS IN NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY STRATEGIES
http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=interactive+whiteboards+in+the+classroom&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart - Google Scholar Search Results
see MSU library research for addition documention

Was the project successful? How will I know?
Well, the long term effects may not been visible for a while as it will take teachers a while to feel comfortable with the pedagogic change not to mention the comfort level of using technology. Some paperwork items that would help me assess the success of the project:

• compile feedback from staff to see if/what information presented was helpful
• track how many users used the exchange screencast
• compile information from sharing session or lesson notes from classroom observation

Additionally, some visible short term results I hope to see from this implementation are:

• positive feedback from mini-workshop
• teachers share with me an activity they have done or invite me into the classroom to show me what they have done
• how many teachers attend the sharing session and have something NEW to share
• lastly, and most important....student’s are seen accessing the SMART Board for an appropriate learning experiences!