Conclusion
Significance
The most important aspect I find in successful student learning is motivation. Without a personal want to learn and grow as well as an understood and believed reason to do so, students will not put in the effort to increase their depth of knowledge and potential for future learning. Motivation gives the students a sense of excitement and goals to strive toward to enhance their scholarly abilities. In order to give my students the excitement they need, I need to heed Sparapani's advice of "approaching all students with an optimism that encourages them to learn" (2013).
The main reason for my action research was to give my students the motivation and excitement they needed in order to feel like experts in the classroom. If they are bored or frustrated, this motivation will never have a place among my students and they will never become the successful and driven students I know they can be. I want all my students to reach the same level of enthusiasm and drive, even if the achievement gaps vary. This is why I find differentiation to be so significant in every classroom. Not all students are gifted in the same areas and not all students learn at the same level. However, all students have the ability and right to find excitement in learning; they just often need guidance and direction.
I came into this project wanting to know what happens when technology is used to support differentiation in second grade mathematics because I wanted to see a change in attitude for my students' view toward math. I wanted my students to be engaged not only with one another, but with their teachers as well. I wanted to see my students interacting with one another and sharing their new ways of thinking and seeing numbers, because this is what will allow them to progress and feel like experts in mathematics. The feeling of accomplishment and excitement is so important for students and their growth and this project really allowed me to see how students can be engaged and find their own voice in the classroom.
While my research took several weeks to perform and I realize I may not have this kind of time in future classrooms, I was able to get a sense of what motivates students and allows them to feel like experts. This project has allowed me to brainstorm strong ideas that have stemmed from my research in order to encourage future students. I have found little things that work for students when supporting them in furthering their mathematical enthusiasm, motivation, and knowledge. Although there are many demands on classroom time and subjects like math, in particular, it is important to often prioritize the volume or problems to be solved. According to Hall, Meyer, and Strangman, "Differentiated instruction is a process" and the intent of differentiating any curriculum is to "maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each students where he or she is and assisting in the learning process" (2002). The results of my study indicate that carving time out to encourage students to think deeply about fewer problems can result in increased confidence and deeper understanding. Motivation and drive are keys to success and the significance of my action research is that I have found a way to excite my students, even if it may be for a brief learning moment; but those small moments will hopefully grow into monumental learning moments that enthuse my students to further their learning and academic potential.
The most important aspect I find in successful student learning is motivation. Without a personal want to learn and grow as well as an understood and believed reason to do so, students will not put in the effort to increase their depth of knowledge and potential for future learning. Motivation gives the students a sense of excitement and goals to strive toward to enhance their scholarly abilities. In order to give my students the excitement they need, I need to heed Sparapani's advice of "approaching all students with an optimism that encourages them to learn" (2013).
The main reason for my action research was to give my students the motivation and excitement they needed in order to feel like experts in the classroom. If they are bored or frustrated, this motivation will never have a place among my students and they will never become the successful and driven students I know they can be. I want all my students to reach the same level of enthusiasm and drive, even if the achievement gaps vary. This is why I find differentiation to be so significant in every classroom. Not all students are gifted in the same areas and not all students learn at the same level. However, all students have the ability and right to find excitement in learning; they just often need guidance and direction.
I came into this project wanting to know what happens when technology is used to support differentiation in second grade mathematics because I wanted to see a change in attitude for my students' view toward math. I wanted my students to be engaged not only with one another, but with their teachers as well. I wanted to see my students interacting with one another and sharing their new ways of thinking and seeing numbers, because this is what will allow them to progress and feel like experts in mathematics. The feeling of accomplishment and excitement is so important for students and their growth and this project really allowed me to see how students can be engaged and find their own voice in the classroom.
While my research took several weeks to perform and I realize I may not have this kind of time in future classrooms, I was able to get a sense of what motivates students and allows them to feel like experts. This project has allowed me to brainstorm strong ideas that have stemmed from my research in order to encourage future students. I have found little things that work for students when supporting them in furthering their mathematical enthusiasm, motivation, and knowledge. Although there are many demands on classroom time and subjects like math, in particular, it is important to often prioritize the volume or problems to be solved. According to Hall, Meyer, and Strangman, "Differentiated instruction is a process" and the intent of differentiating any curriculum is to "maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each students where he or she is and assisting in the learning process" (2002). The results of my study indicate that carving time out to encourage students to think deeply about fewer problems can result in increased confidence and deeper understanding. Motivation and drive are keys to success and the significance of my action research is that I have found a way to excite my students, even if it may be for a brief learning moment; but those small moments will hopefully grow into monumental learning moments that enthuse my students to further their learning and academic potential.
Reflections and Limitations
Going into this project, I expected technology to be a key source of differentiation for my students. I originally thought technology would be a problem-solver and I found that I was mistaken and therefore had to rearrange my action research plan. The beginning of my action research was a stressful and confusing time for me. This concept was new and I did not feel like I had a structure for what I was supposed to do. That said, I had professors, classmates, and my master teacher to really guide me through a step-by-step process that allowed me to take apart my action research ideas and place them in a sensible order to work through one thought and design at a time.
Beginning my action research project was quite a difficult task. I could not choose a topic to hone in on and develop through an entire research process and my thoughts were so quickly coming in and out of my mind. When I finally decided to delve into and elaborate upon the idea of differentiation, I still could not pinpoint a question strong enough to turn into a reasonable and logical project. Just as I felt my students were not motivated, I did not find a perfect question that motivated me to dedicate an academic year to action research. After several attempted brainstorm sessions and crumbled up papers, I finally came up with my question and sub-questions for my action research.
Right when I thought I was ready to go, I realized I did not have an idea for the actual action portion of my research. After much discussion I realized I was relying far too much on the technology aspect of my question: “What happens when technology is used to support differentiation in second grade mathematics?” During a meeting with my professor, I explained to her how I was basically going to have my students work on computers to develop their own level of mathematics that applied to them through a program called “Dreambox.” I figured technology would do it all and the computers would provide the differentiation in the classroom that my students needed to excel. After realizing I was not using technology to “support” differentiation but rather to completely provide the differentiation, I felt completely flustered and inadequate to perform an action research project. I was stuck in a robotic idea and had to way to escape it. How would I make my research manageable, measurable, and of course, meaningful?
This was the moment I decided to pick myself up and meet with my professor once again. I was determined to find out what made good action research and how I could find an appropriate project for my students that offered differentiation and the support of technology. I worked with my master teacher to find an app on the iPod that would be useful and pertain to my work and after sharing this idea with my professor, I felt a physical burden released off my shoulders as I headed into my project with a clear idea of my official action research.
A limitation with the technology came in Phase Two when my students were sharing their videos with their classmates. After listening to the students’ videos, I was so excited to hear my class share their ideas aloud. The students sounded so confident and enthusiastic in the SonicPics videos, even the more shy and reserved students! That said, I was disheartened to see that the classroom presentations were still carried by my more advanced students who are unafraid to share their ideas during classroom discussions. I came to realize that several of my students were using the technology as a crutch. It became a source of comfort for my less outspoken students because they were unafraid to present when they did not have to observe an audience while doing so. The iPod app was a tool for my students to share their findings, only they were not sharing those findings with anyone else. The audience seemed to take my shyer students and revert them to their quiet ways. I then saw that the technology was a somewhat unhealthy support for my students, as it did not strengthen their potential to present a well-developed explanation to their classmates. That said, I think this was in part due to the lack of preparation time when making the videos in the first place. Had my students had more time to reflect upon their explanations and watch their videos again with time to edit and elaborate upon them, perhaps the technology would have been used as a supplement to help my students improve their capabilities when an audience is incorporated.
I would say that my students’ videos, explanations, and presentations were a success, though as second graders, my students were new to having individual iPods in the classroom and they were still figuring out to use various applications. The time allotted to explaining the SonicPics apps felt very rushed, especially in Phase Two, and I was eventually prevented from doing a full second round of student owned math problems. I think my students would have gained a greater sense of mastery and accomplishment if their videos had been more scripted and put together in a more professional manner. That said, it would be a big challenge of collecting perception data from relatively young children who were not able to describe their experience in a manner that fully allowed me to understand their thinking because they could not yet write fluently. I would have liked to take more days to explain the app and even incorporate the app with other lessons outside of mathematics. According to Tomlinson (1999), "Teachers in differentiated classrooms use time flexibly" and unfortunately I find this as a slight discrepancy because I do not feel as though I was allowed the time flexibility I needed. It was hard to base an entire project on a video application that my students very still unfamiliar with. On the other side, it was difficult to find the time to take away from regular lessons in order to explain an iPod app to my students. While I think SonicPics is a fantastic app, I think it would need more explanation and more practice. Due to the time limitations, my students were forced to make a video with little knowledge of the app itself and I am afraid this may have affected their confidence with the presentations in Phase Two. If my students were more comfortable with their videos, perhaps they would have been more comfortable with their presentations as well. I think that increased time to work with classmates in expressing thoughts, sharing ideas, and working on their publicized videos would have helped my students to develop the motivation they need in furthering their mathematical focus and growth.
Overall, my action research project provided insight into the classroom and teaching that I would never have found without this project. Having this time devoted to a project allowed me to focus on my students on a more personal basis as I was given the opportunity to observe and listen to them while taking notes, but still having a master teacher in the room so I allowed this dedicated time for personal reflection between my students and myself. I had the opportunity to see a transformation in my class as my students were given a voice and a sense of confidence that was lacking before. I saw my students become academically independent as they worked toward a goal that was reasonable for them individually.
My action research has been a long and tough project to get through, but I have been so excited about the opportunity I have had to take the last eight months to work on one specific topic; this is a chance I will never have again. This project has given me the big picture on how I can reach for goals in the future. I have noted what works with technology and differentiation and what does not and I hope to incorporate those findings in my future classrooms.
Going into this project, I expected technology to be a key source of differentiation for my students. I originally thought technology would be a problem-solver and I found that I was mistaken and therefore had to rearrange my action research plan. The beginning of my action research was a stressful and confusing time for me. This concept was new and I did not feel like I had a structure for what I was supposed to do. That said, I had professors, classmates, and my master teacher to really guide me through a step-by-step process that allowed me to take apart my action research ideas and place them in a sensible order to work through one thought and design at a time.
Beginning my action research project was quite a difficult task. I could not choose a topic to hone in on and develop through an entire research process and my thoughts were so quickly coming in and out of my mind. When I finally decided to delve into and elaborate upon the idea of differentiation, I still could not pinpoint a question strong enough to turn into a reasonable and logical project. Just as I felt my students were not motivated, I did not find a perfect question that motivated me to dedicate an academic year to action research. After several attempted brainstorm sessions and crumbled up papers, I finally came up with my question and sub-questions for my action research.
Right when I thought I was ready to go, I realized I did not have an idea for the actual action portion of my research. After much discussion I realized I was relying far too much on the technology aspect of my question: “What happens when technology is used to support differentiation in second grade mathematics?” During a meeting with my professor, I explained to her how I was basically going to have my students work on computers to develop their own level of mathematics that applied to them through a program called “Dreambox.” I figured technology would do it all and the computers would provide the differentiation in the classroom that my students needed to excel. After realizing I was not using technology to “support” differentiation but rather to completely provide the differentiation, I felt completely flustered and inadequate to perform an action research project. I was stuck in a robotic idea and had to way to escape it. How would I make my research manageable, measurable, and of course, meaningful?
This was the moment I decided to pick myself up and meet with my professor once again. I was determined to find out what made good action research and how I could find an appropriate project for my students that offered differentiation and the support of technology. I worked with my master teacher to find an app on the iPod that would be useful and pertain to my work and after sharing this idea with my professor, I felt a physical burden released off my shoulders as I headed into my project with a clear idea of my official action research.
A limitation with the technology came in Phase Two when my students were sharing their videos with their classmates. After listening to the students’ videos, I was so excited to hear my class share their ideas aloud. The students sounded so confident and enthusiastic in the SonicPics videos, even the more shy and reserved students! That said, I was disheartened to see that the classroom presentations were still carried by my more advanced students who are unafraid to share their ideas during classroom discussions. I came to realize that several of my students were using the technology as a crutch. It became a source of comfort for my less outspoken students because they were unafraid to present when they did not have to observe an audience while doing so. The iPod app was a tool for my students to share their findings, only they were not sharing those findings with anyone else. The audience seemed to take my shyer students and revert them to their quiet ways. I then saw that the technology was a somewhat unhealthy support for my students, as it did not strengthen their potential to present a well-developed explanation to their classmates. That said, I think this was in part due to the lack of preparation time when making the videos in the first place. Had my students had more time to reflect upon their explanations and watch their videos again with time to edit and elaborate upon them, perhaps the technology would have been used as a supplement to help my students improve their capabilities when an audience is incorporated.
I would say that my students’ videos, explanations, and presentations were a success, though as second graders, my students were new to having individual iPods in the classroom and they were still figuring out to use various applications. The time allotted to explaining the SonicPics apps felt very rushed, especially in Phase Two, and I was eventually prevented from doing a full second round of student owned math problems. I think my students would have gained a greater sense of mastery and accomplishment if their videos had been more scripted and put together in a more professional manner. That said, it would be a big challenge of collecting perception data from relatively young children who were not able to describe their experience in a manner that fully allowed me to understand their thinking because they could not yet write fluently. I would have liked to take more days to explain the app and even incorporate the app with other lessons outside of mathematics. According to Tomlinson (1999), "Teachers in differentiated classrooms use time flexibly" and unfortunately I find this as a slight discrepancy because I do not feel as though I was allowed the time flexibility I needed. It was hard to base an entire project on a video application that my students very still unfamiliar with. On the other side, it was difficult to find the time to take away from regular lessons in order to explain an iPod app to my students. While I think SonicPics is a fantastic app, I think it would need more explanation and more practice. Due to the time limitations, my students were forced to make a video with little knowledge of the app itself and I am afraid this may have affected their confidence with the presentations in Phase Two. If my students were more comfortable with their videos, perhaps they would have been more comfortable with their presentations as well. I think that increased time to work with classmates in expressing thoughts, sharing ideas, and working on their publicized videos would have helped my students to develop the motivation they need in furthering their mathematical focus and growth.
Overall, my action research project provided insight into the classroom and teaching that I would never have found without this project. Having this time devoted to a project allowed me to focus on my students on a more personal basis as I was given the opportunity to observe and listen to them while taking notes, but still having a master teacher in the room so I allowed this dedicated time for personal reflection between my students and myself. I had the opportunity to see a transformation in my class as my students were given a voice and a sense of confidence that was lacking before. I saw my students become academically independent as they worked toward a goal that was reasonable for them individually.
My action research has been a long and tough project to get through, but I have been so excited about the opportunity I have had to take the last eight months to work on one specific topic; this is a chance I will never have again. This project has given me the big picture on how I can reach for goals in the future. I have noted what works with technology and differentiation and what does not and I hope to incorporate those findings in my future classrooms.