Progress of Action Research Project

Action Research Project Title: Is technology being used effectively in the classroom?
 Blog URL: http://noelsresearch.blogspot.com/
 Number of AR Project Documented Hours: 5 hours
 AR Project Summary (at least 250 words): I am doing my AR project on the effective use of technology in the classroom. What does it look like? What does it NOT look like? How can we use these tools better to help enhance our student’s experience? I am strictly looking at how the new iPad carts are being used on our campus. So far, I have set up 4 different classroom observations, I have completed 2 of those. I have had 2 teachers in each subject (social studies and math) complete 2 identical lessons. One teacher used technology, and the other teacher did not. I am taking their scores from those lessons, and comparing them. I am looking at their lesson plans for each lesson, and looking at how they decided to use their technology. Were they just “surfing the web”? Were they utilizing the technology in a way that would require a different way of learning the material than could have been provided without the technology? I will compare each teacher within their subject, and then compare the two subjects and their utilization of the technology to see which way produced better results. Next week, I will be observing the two math teachers. Last Spring, I observed the two Social Studies teachers. After getting all the data gathered, I will be on my way to analyzing what I’ve found, and coming to a conclusion. Do we use technology in a way that actually enhances learning? Or is it just a resource to “google” information on the topic we are teaching?