Wicked Problem Project: Part A - Descritption of a Need or Opportunity

1.     What is the important educational need that you are seeking to address? This element is fundamental in this project. Since we have limited time, energy, and resources, cool technology without a clear sense of why it matters or what we gain by it is of little value in the educational setting.

In my middle school, a huge educational need is continuing to educate students who are truant.  Often times this is not any fault of their own-they would prefer to be at school instead of staying at home to take care of younger siblings or having no ride to get to school because there is no one able or willing to take them that particular day.  I think there are numerous ways that this issue can be addressed for students who miss school.  This would also assist students who are simply sick or out of town on a family emergency.

2.     How you plan to address this educational issue with technology?  You need to make a clear and convincing case that your proposed solution will make a real impact on the issue you identify, and that your proposed approach is a reasonable approach given its costs and possible alternatives.

Most of my students, although from a lower socioeconomic background, have access to the Internet.  I believe there are many different educational technology tools I can use to help with this issue.  I already have a website where I can upload notes for students to use and would like to incorporate this heavily into my classroom.  I would like to incorporate the use of vodcasts where students can view the “lecture” portion of any lesson as well as watch myself and students go through examples and class discussions.  In the article The Flipped Classroom Model: A Full Picture it is stated that, “One of the major, evidence-based advantages of the use of videos is that learners have control over the media with the ability to review parts that are misunderstood, which need further reinforcement, and/or those parts that are of particular interest.”  Although many see the flipped model as an innovative way to reach more students’ needs, there are those who see it as just another passing fad.   According to Kyle Stokes in How YouTube Is Changing The Classroom, there is opposition by some educators.  In the article, Frank Nochese, an educational blogger and science teacher, stated, “[Nochese]...worries the model poses an ‘equity issue’ as not every student has the Internet at home.”  However, Troy Cockrum, a teacher at St. Thomas Aquinis in Indianapolis, Indiana who uses the flipped model, makes the argument that any student without Internet access would have access to the lecture DVDs.  This is also the approach I would take having students with limited or no Internet access at home. The research backing this idea is scarce, but I am willing to be a part of those teachers who try this new model and gather data on its credibility.

3.     Logistics of solution: For example…

a.     What is the scope? (e.g., when and where will tool be used and for how long? Who all will use it?)

This use of this technology can be used on a daily basis.  It takes no more than 10 minutes to upload the video and create a vodcast once a lesson has been recorded.  Any student that is absent from school whether due to illness, family emergency or truancy would have daily access.

4.     Relevant research and resources (from the Internet and elsewhere) including reports on the closest effort you can find to what you are planning to do as well as ideas and materials you may be able to build upon in your own effort.  Your description should include:

a.     The results of your search (What resources may help guide your project? What resources may help in the implementation of your project?)

b.    What you learned from performing this search. For example, which search engines did you use? What strategies did you use? What helped or hindered your search? How would you search again next time?

Below are several resources I found while conducting research into helping absent students to stay on top of their education while out of school.  My search began by using Google and Google Scholar.  Google Scholar would have been wonderful, but each article I found that appeared interesting needed log-in information which I do not have.  When searching “helping absent students with assignments” most of what I found were classroom management ideas such as using folders, planners, and manila folders.  This information was not really helpful for what I am trying to do. I then searched using the phrase “absent students and technology” which fostered little applicable information.  Continuing to use Google, I searched using “success with vodcasts in the classroom.”  This phrase of words compiled a ton of new information that I will be able to use during the implementation of this project.  I tried several other search engines including Yahoo and Bing, and the results from Google were the same.  http://www.cbdconsulting.com/techlearn/21ct/flippedclassrooms/  Excellent site with video from TED creator. http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-flipped-classroom-model-a-full-picture/    Flipped classroom model-excellent diagrams http://www.zdnet.com/blog/education/iste-take-home-message-2-the-flipped-classroom-makes-sense/4633  Thoughts from a freelance writer and consultant in the educational technology field. http://stateimpact.npr.org/indiana/2011/10/12/how-youtube-is-changing-the-classroom/  How YouTube is changing the classroom.  http://educationnext.org/the-flipped-classroom/  Overview of the Flipped Classroom http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/517  Flipping for Beginners http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-best-practices-andrew-miller  Five Important Steps to a Successful Flipped Classroom http://annmic.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/flipping-the-classroom/  Excellent video from two of the most popular teachers using a flipped classroom. http://videoconference.edublogs.org/tag/vodcast/  Great site that helps teachers learn podcasting and vodcasting

5.     A plan for the portion you will implement during this course and the portion you will implement after this course completes.

During the time of this course, I will only be able to implement uploading class notes with audio instructions due to the little time we have left in school.  I would like to incorporate articles, videos and games for students to use as well, but it is not possible to add this portion until the the start of next school year.  After this course completes, I will be in conversation with my principal about “flipping the classroom” and how she can support me with a possible subscription to Camtasia Studio.  I have teammates who also want to use this next school year.  I would like to begin the school year by having the lecture videos used from the first week of school.  This will also be beneficial to students who begin the school year late.  The first set of vodcasts will be my classroom expectations.  The second portion I would like to incorporate would be online tutoring/review for the MEAP and test taking strategies using either Skype or other tutoring tool.  This would then lead into weekly study sessions with students who need a little more small group instruction or support.

6.     How would you know you were successful?

I will know I have been successful by the increase of completed student work.  I can keep this data as part of a grading spreadsheet which will also allow me to compare this year’s 7th graders to next year’s 8th graders. This will also be shared with students on a bi-weekly basis.  I discovered this year that sharing data with students really catches their interest.  I will also see a jump in student participation in class because they will walk into my class with questions and discussion topics.  I will be able to track this and keep my data through a simple speadsheet set up as a “homework” check (students will be required to keep a lecture question/discussion journal.  Student success will be seen in all students, even those students who have absences, because they have had access to all class information that they can review over and over until they reach mastery level.  They will be required to keep their journals and join me for an online session for discussion.

Here is a link to my Wicked Problem Project: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hLDEZwoHGYCXuD6oSWESvwHCLd22ZMrVcOz-U5ltxpk/edit