TavaresCapstone

Phase IV: Implementation of Solution

Description of Student Intervention Group

The learning environment for the six students chosen to take part in this technology-based math intervention program (herein referred to as "the program") consists of students who have Individual Education Program (IEP) requirements. The mandated requirements as outlined on their particular IEP’s influenced the implementation of this project. As a result, several students were pulled from class for speech therapy and had to take part in the project at times during the school day different from the outlined schedule, but still fulfilled the required time for project implementation. Nonetheless, all students met the required time of 75 minutes per week.

Preparation of Environment

The equipment needed to successfully complete implementation of this technology based solution:

Desktop computers: Six desktop computers are centrally located in the classroom in close proximity to a teacher for monitoring purposes. Each computer has a 19 inch monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, and an icon on the desktop linked to the web page students will use.
Smartboard: A Smarboard is used to introduce the website program.

Handouts and other materials

Access to the Internet: Each computer is hard wired into the school’s network and uses either Internet Explorer or Chrome browsers with firewall filtering software.
http://mrstavaresmath.weebly.com: Website specifically designed as the hub of subject technology-based resources for ease of navigation. Students use this website to locate resource links and videos with lesson activities.
Multiplication.com printed pre-test for multiplication (one given at the onset of the program and another for post-program implementation)
25-question quiz handouts (one per week),
My Fact Check Progress Graph for keeping track of progress and predictor future successes

Resources to Support Instructional Practice and Learning Activities

Access by students with disabilities

The six students taking part in this math intervention program all have various forms of learning and physical disabilities. Technology offers access and engagement for these students through assistive technologies, which are specialized products which level the playing field by overcoming an impairment or deficit to make it possible to be successful and independent (Roblyer & Doering, p. 18). Several measures were taken in the creation of the resources website to assist students with accessing the different forms of lesson activities. A screen-cast was made and placed on the front page of the website so all students can listen to and watch a demonstration explaining how to use the website and its resources. Each student has a set of headphones which help students isolate themselves in a class of twenty two others and concentrate on the lessons. They also hear the verbal prompts throughout the online lessons. One student uses an enlarged keyboard to make the computer equally accessible even with a physical disability which affects his hands. A ClearView document camera is available for students with visual impairments. It works by enlarging the image on a screen so students with visual disabilities have equal access to pencil and paper quizzes and tests. A classroom Smart Board is used to introduce the website and lesson materials to students.

Privacy and Safety Issues

Prior to start of the program the pupils reviewed the school's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) located in their Code of Conduct book which is distributed to students and parents at the beginning of each year. This AUP form is signed by students and parents and outlines the school and county's expectations of appropriate and safe internet behaviors. Roblyer and Doering (2013) explains the importance of highlighted school policy and also stated, "schools have also been put on notice to supervise carefully all student use of the Internet and to install filtering software to prevent access to objectionable materials" (p. 19). Along with a discussion of the school's internet use policy, all computers in the school have been outfitted with firewall software to limit the possibility of students coming into contact with unsafe materials. While students use computers for this program, a teacher monitors their work and remains in close contact. Students are prohibited from visiting any website not approved and specifically identified on the math intervention website. When students are using the computers they are constantly monitored by either myself, the special education teacher, or the media center teacher. The web resource links contain no advertisements and no opportunities for students to share information through email or any other form.

Prior Planning Requirements

Trouble Shooting: In order to avoid technology problems the following steps were taken:

· An icon was placed on the desktop of each classroom computer used for the intervention.

· Other teachers needed to help with the implementation were consulted and agreed ahead of time to support the program.

· Alternative computer stations were located in the school’s media center and were reserved for the duration of the project to be substituted in case the classroom computers malfunctioned.

· Parents were notified of the project and encouraged to support their students' efforts by allowing them to practice using the website at home as part of routine homework.

· Websites which emphasize learning multiplication facts were located, and those determined to be acceptable were linked to one resource called a PearlTree so students could easily access the website and located the linked resources with ease.

· Step by step instructions were created as a printable document and presented to any substitute teacher. In the event I was absent the program could continue as planned.

Data Collection Plan

The success of this technology solution will be determined by comparing data collected prior to the start of the intervention with data collected after the program study is completed. The learning expectations are outlined in the objectives in Phase II of this Capstone Project.

1) Pretest to determine the baseline knowledge level.

2) 75 minutes of technology-based online learning per week followed by a 25 question quiz.

3) Students track their own progress weekly on a bar graph chart.

4) Teacher compiled a spreadsheet to record and track progress.

5) Weekly updates and learning behaviors recorded.

6) Post-assessment to determine growth in knowledge and if students met the program objectives.

Additionally, once the program began, informal assessments were taken as students worked on the computers. As the students practiced using Power Point presentations, the teacher asked them questions before clicking to see the answer. This helped to determine each students learning progress.

Data was collected once per week from the weekly quiz. This information was used to determine the student’s growth. Students created a graph to display this progress.

Finally, data was collected on the post-assessment which was a 40-question test with randomly placed basic multiplication questions to which students were asked to provide the correct product for each.

Program Summary

Instructional Issue

Technology Based Solution

Major Outcome

Assessment Measure

Objective Statement

Data Collected

Measurable Success

Students lack basic mathematic skills including math fact recall with automaticity and math fact fluency.

Students will accurately answer basic multiplication facts without the use of a calculation device (calculator) and will use computer based software programs which focus on one multiplication fact at a time; beginning with the multiplication facts for one and proceeding to the facts of twelve in an incremental fashion. The program will provide instantaneous feedback for correct and incorrect answers. The students will practice these online activities in class for 75 minutes each week.

Students will be able to correctly solve basic multiplication facts for one factor at a time (for instance all factors for one from 1 – 12.

The students will write the correct answer for 25 basic multiplication facts on a weekly paper and pencil formative assessment type quiz without the use of a calculation device, timed for two-minutes, and progressing by one fact family at a time.

By completing the weekly online activities the students will demonstrate their ability to compute multiplication problems by correctly answering 25 multiplication questions on a paper and pencil quiz given weekly in order to exercise the skills of multiplication with 95% accuracy.

After taking part in the online lessons on basic multiplication practice, students will take a weekly quiz and this data will be used to determine the strength of the program.

The students who answer the questions on each quiz with 95% accuracy will be considered to be making adequate progress.

Student’s inability to memorize basic multiplication facts contributes to low classroom quiz and test scores.

While using online computer based intervention programs the students will interact with avatars which will guide them to explanations regarding correct answers to basic multiplication problems, allowing for greater understanding. Once a wrong answer is chosen, an avatar acts as a coach who explains the reasons for the correct answers. The student is then given the opportunity to change to the correct answer.

Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of basic multiplication facts by correctly solving multiplication factors from 1 through 12.

On a summative assessment with forty questions the students will accurately answer basic multiplication facts from 1 through 12 without a calculation device, within 5 minutes, and with 90% accuracy on a final exam.

At the conclusion of the computer based intervention program the students will be able to demonstrate their ability to compute multiplication problems of basic multiplication facts from 1 through 12 with automaticity as demonstrated on a 40 question paper and pencil final exam and with accuracy of 90%.

After the term of online lessons and multiplication practice is complete the students will repeat the pre-test as a 40-question, paper and pencil post-test. After correcting the test this data will be used to determine the program success by comparing the results to the pre-test.

Those students who answer the forty-questions correctly on the post-test with 90% accuracy will prove the technology intervention program successfully influenced learning in positive and measurable way.

Students' lack of motivation to practice multiplication facts contributes to a) less practice time, b) a decreased understanding of multiplication, and c) progress toward learning basic facts.

While using online computer based programs the students will interact with animated games and video presentations which will increase the student’s engagement in the process of memorizing multiplication facts in a fun and visually stimulating way.

Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of basic multiplication facts by creating a multiplication facts graph entitled “My Fact Check Progress Graph” to chart their progress and make predictions about future performance.

On a formative self-check assessment with columns and rows, the students will accurately collect their own data from graded weekly quizzes and chart their progress in a log with 100% accuracy.

At the conclusion of each weekly quiz, given as part of a technology-based intervention program, the students will create a graph charting their growth and progress toward their ability to compute multiplication problems of basic multiplication facts from 1 through 12 with automaticity as demonstrated on a 25 question paper and pencil quiz given weekly.

After each quiz the students will create a colorful bar graph to show their learning growth and learning predictions. Students will be able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses by examining this data and to reflect on their improvements.

Once the project is completed the students will have a visual representation of their learning growth to share with administrators and with parents.

Activity Summary

Date

Activities

Summary of Observations

April 1: Monday

Lesson introduction and pre-assessment: The students were given a forty question multiplication test on basic multiplication facts randomly distributed. This online assessment changes the order of the questions with each log-in so each test is unique. Each test was graded by the teacher and used to determine the six students in greatest need of remediation and who were then chosen to take part in the math intervention program.

The lessons were demonstrated to all students in the class using a Smart Board. Each part of the website and online activities was viewed and discussion encouraged.

The students seemed excited about having this kind of resource to help them learn their multiplication facts. The first immediate question from several students was, “Are we allowed to use this website at home?” I was quick to tell them I strongly encourage all students to use the website outside of school and would be sending a letter to their parents which shares the website address and that ten to twenty minutes practice each evening would be helpful to them and their learning.

April 2: Tuesday

Fifteen minutes of computer time was allotted for the six students taking part in the intervention. The students took part in their first lesson activity using the computer. They practiced lessons which focused on one fact at a time and began with the fact they most needed to learn and with multiplication facts from 1 through 12. During this and all other practice time on the computers, all six students used headphones to engage in the lessons and to help block out the noise of the other students in the classroom.

The six intervention students were anxious to get started with the practice and they asked several times throughout the day if it was time to begin working on the computer. At the beginning of the project the students needed several reminders how to use the website even though they had seen the demonstration the day before. Each successfully accessed the website using the icon placed on the desktop. Each student was asked to practice their facts with the power point at least four times before using any other links to websites for practice.

April 3: Wednesday

Session 1: Fifteen minutes of computer time was given for the six intervention students. The students worked using the math intervention website by practicing their multiplication facts using powerpoint presentations. They were asked to focus on one fact at a time.

Session 2: The students were supposed to practice for 15 minutes during their Computer Laboratory class as previously arranged with the Media Specialist.

During class time the six intervention students practiced their multiplication facts for 15 minutes for session 1. However, in session 2, the media specialist who teaches in the Computer Lab was unexpectedly called out of class and her substitute was unable to administer the program during this time. During class work time, I noticed one student (CH) kept looking at another student’s monitor and was watching his practice instead of his own. He was redirected to focus on his own learning. During class practice time it was noted that one student (LW) was not using technology correctly. He started to play with the space bar and speed through the lessons without practicing. He was immediately redirected and changed this behavior to take his lesson practice seriously.

April 4: Thursday

The six intervention students taking part in the technology intervention project worked for 15 minutes using the math website.

While the 6 intervention students practiced, the teacher stood behind them and asked students to tell the answer before clicking the space bar to show the answer. It was immediately noted that most students were able to tell the correct answer to each multiplication fact. Those that could not tell the correct answer were asked to continue practicing by examining the answers and committing to memory.

April 5: Friday

All students took their first quiz since the intervention began. Before taking the quiz, they were given 20 minutes to practice their multiplication facts using flash cards and they practiced with a partner.

After the quiz, the students practiced using the technology program for 15 minutes and took part in activities which focused on the next multiplication fact they needed to learn.

The students first multiplication quiz since the intervention program began was administered. On the 25 question quiz, each of the six intervention student passed the quiz by answering the questions with 100% accuracy, exceeding the desired outcome of 90% accuracy.

A noticeable change in the confidence level of the 6 intervention students. After the success on the quiz they verbalized their confidence they would do well on the following quiz and demonstrated this confidence on their prediction bar graph as they colored in a bar which showed a high level of anticipated success.

During practice time it was noted that several students seemed distracted by the activities of students in the classroom who were watching a movie presentation about the Revolutionary War. They were asked to keep their headsets on to help them concentrate on the work at hand.

April 9: Tuesday

The six intervention students took part in just 5 minutes of the intervention project.

Just as the students were beginning their practice, an unannounced fire drill was given to the entire school. The students were not able to continue their practice upon returning to class after the fire drill.

April 10: Wednesday

Session 1: Fifteen minutes of computer time was allotted for the six students taking part in the intervention. The students took part in their lesson activities using the computer. They practiced lessons which focused on one fact at a time and began with the fact they most needed to learn and with multiplication facts from 1 through 12.

Session 2: The Media Specialist was able to administer the program and the six students taking part in the intervention practiced using the website resources for 15 minutes during their Computer Lab class.

1) The students were anxious to get started on the technology intervention and again asked several times throughout the day when they might begin. During indoor recess several of the intervention students wanted to practice during their break time (and were allowed to).

2) I received a phone call from a parent who said she was grateful to have the computer website resource to help her child learn her multiplication facts at home.

3) During the class intervention time I noticed one student was practicing the wrong fact. He was practicing his facts of 2’s and 3’s when he had been asked to focus on learning only his 2’s. He was immediately redirected and focused on only that fact.

April 11: Thursday

During lesson time, the students were closely monitored (as usual) and were asked to demonstrate the learning informally by answering the questions before retrieving the answer. Students showed they could answer most of the questions correctly as they continued to practice. It was noted that as the facts increased in difficulty, the students seemed to concentrate more fully on the lesson activities.

April 12: Friday

All students took their second quiz since the intervention began. Before taking the quiz, they were given 20 minutes to practice their multiplication facts using flash cards and they practiced with a partner.

After the quiz, the students practiced using the technology program for 15 minutes and took part in activities which focused on the next multiplication fact they needed to learn.

The student’s second multiplication quiz since the intervention program began was administered. On the 25 question quiz, each of the six intervention student passed the quiz by answering the questions with 100% accuracy, exceeding the desired outcome of 90% accuracy. The data on this second quiz showed great promise for this intervention program.

*One student (JC) was absent on Friday and took the quiz on Monday.

April 16: Tuesday

Fifteen minutes of computer time was allotted for the six students taking part in the intervention. The students took part in their lesson activities using the computer. They practiced lessons which focused on one fact at a time and began with the fact they most needed to learn and with multiplication facts from 1 through 12.

The students were very knowledgeable about how to practice their multiplication facts. They eased through the power point practice and then used other websites to practice including taking practice tests online. They demonstrated their understanding of how to concentrate on lessons and took their learning very seriously. Each successfully accessed the website using the icon placed on the desktop. *One student (JC) was pulled from the intervention project to take part in a Speech class. He was given his 15 minutes of computer based lesson during his library class time.

April 17: Wednesday

An additional 15 minutes of unscheduled practice time was given to the six intervention students when an opportunity arose during the school day.

During the second session the school was using the Computer Laboratory to administer the Science MSA test for fifth grade students. This meant that my students were required to report to the gymnasium for their specials class of the day and therefore would not have access to computers. I worked with the Media Specialist teacher and the six students taking part in the intervention were able to spend their fifteen minutes of technology intervention time on computers in the library and monitored by the schools Media Center teacher (librarian).

The regular schedule requires these six intervention students to take part in a reading intervention class. When the reading intervention teacher was absent, they were allowed further practice on their math skills. The students seemed surprised and very happy they were able to get back on the computers for practice during the fifteen minutes they normally have for a reading tier time intervention.

April 18: Thursday

For indoor recess, students practiced an additional 15 minutes on computers.

The usual procedure of questioning during practice time showed three of the six students were able to verbally answer the questions accurately and seemed anxious to prove their new found knowledge on the quiz. After successfully answering the 25 quiz questions one student offered with excitement, “This computer stuff really works!”

By now the other students in the class wanted to be able to practice their multiplication facts on the program. They were all interested in what the intervention groups was doing. As a result of their interest, I scheduled an indoor recess time in the media center where all students were able to spend 15 minutes practicing multiplication facts using the math intervention website.

It was further noted the six intervention student’s confidence seemed boosted when they were able to assist other students with accessing the program.

April 19: Friday

All students took their third quiz since the intervention began. Before taking the quiz, they were given 20 minutes to practice their multiplication facts using flash cards and they practiced with a partner.

After the quiz, the students practiced using the technology program for 15 minutes and took part in activities which focused on the next multiplication fact they needed to learn.

Post-Assessment: today, the six students taking part in the intervention program took a post-assessment. The students were given a forty-question multiplication test on basic multiplication facts randomly distributed. This online assessment changes the order of the questions with each log-in so each test is unique. Each test was graded by the teacher and used to determine a) the learning growth of the six students taking part in the intervention project, b) the success of the technology intervention as it related to the identified instructional issue and, c) if the identified lesson objectives were met using this technology intervention program.

Out of the six intervention students, five passed the quiz with 100% accuracy. One student (SW) did not pass the quiz and found the questions challenging, even after so much time was spent practicing. As the facts get more difficult it seemed more and more practice time is required.

On the post-assessment four out of the six students seemed confident in their abilities to do well and were ready for the challenge of the forty question test. However, two of the students (LW and SW) seemed overwhelmed and verbalized their frustration with words like, “I can’t do this,” and “I know I am going to fail.” After they were reminded they just need to try their best and we would be trying this test many more times this year and each time they take it, they have a new chance to show how much they have learned, they seemed to try harder.