Overcoming Research Challenges

This week I worked with my site supervisor on the implementation and concerns surrounding my Action Research Plan.  

My Action Research Plan is centered on our district B.Y.O.T. (Bring Your Own Technology) program.I’m investigating the ability, and consequences, of students bringing their personal technology devices to the classroom to help with research and general application assignments. The other part of the study is to evaluate if a campus computer lab open after-school, from 7pm – 9 pm provides more opportunities for students to use current, innovative technology to complete classroom assignments and be better prepared to function in today’s technology-dependent world.

The possible problems that I’ve discussed with my site supervisor are:

1.Technology Connections:

I assume we have all experienced the frustration of slow or non-responsive technology.Strong “signals” are required to make B.Y.O.T work in the classroom and could make a planned lesson very difficult to carry out if they don’t work in the middle of a concrete building with few windows. I plan to address this issue by planning a B.Y.O.T lesson with several components. The first 2-3 steps of the lesson will be simple enough that if the connections aren’t working than they’ll be easily completed in a campus lab or after the problems are resolved.

2.Parent Communication:

Parents need to be made aware of the reasons, benefits, and requirements of students using a campus computer lab in the evening.Student newsletters are often lost and never make it home so the concern is how to convey the information that can make this research plan a success. I will use my classroom website as a resource to share the campus computer lab’s points of success, as well as, our school parent call-out system.

3.3. Teacher Volunteers:

If this Action Research Plan proves to be helpful in the eyes of the school and district, then another obstacle to overcome would be how to staff the lab on a regular basis with teacher volunteers.My plan at the moment is to staff our lab myself every day for one week but that would obviously be difficult to do on a regular basis.I would have to present this idea to the faculty at a school meeting and work on getting them to buy-in to the program and volunteer their valuable family and personal time.I will ask my school principal, and site supervisor, for some time to talk to the staff at a faculty meeting and then initially enlist the help of one or two close friends.

I will look at this as a learning opportunity in problem-solving, communicating with parents, and developing skills in motivating my peers. Most importantly, I’m hoping that this helps our students as much as possible.