EDD/581 Action Research Proposal

EDD/581 Action Research Proposal Elizabeth Andrews Action Research Proposal

Problem Statement • The Problem is the underutilization of E. O Smith’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy within the visual arts classroom. Upon narrowing of the problem, an intervention will be implemented. Action Research Proposal

Problem Description Edwin O. Smith high school is a regional school of approximately 1400 students. This school has recently adopted a bring-your-own-device policy to integrate 21st century technology into the school and its’ classrooms while cutting down on the costs of purchasing new technological media. Since the employment of this policy the visual arts depart has yet to use student’s personal devices and their capabilities as instructional aids. This may be due to reasons such as lack of training, limited knowledge of the use of technological and social media in classroom, or concerns over student online behavior. I have decided to address this issue as I feel that the BYOD policy holds great potential for the visual arts classroom. I believe that if managed appropriately BYOD can help students achieve higher levels of understanding and performance within my content area. Action Research Proposal

Purpose of the Project • The purpose of this project will be to study the impact of integrating BYOD has on student performance in a visual arts class at Edwin O. Smith high school. Action Research Proposal

Writer’s Role Personal devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones have become more accessible, creating new opportunities for both educators and students to experience class content in a new and interactive way. As a life long learner I have found that my use of personal devices have aided me in the advancement of my own knowledge of academic and personal interests. It is my belief that this form of technology can have similar effects on my students. Allowing students to use their own devices may increase student success in the classroom as it provides opportunities to interact with my students in a new, individualized, and engaging way. Action Research Proposal

Problem Documentation The following survey is being conducted to gather information regarding E. O. Smith’s use of the bring-your-own-device policy and it’s impact on students’ academic knowledge and performance. The data from this survey will provide insight into the opinions and experiences educators at E. O. Smith have in reference to their use of the BYOD policy. The survey will help to verify a number of points related to the use of the BYOD policy at E. O. Smith and if applications are being successfully including the impacts student devices may have on their academic performance. The major elements explored in this survey are: • The impacts of the use of personal & student devices in class activities, planning, and curriculum. • The level of utilization of E. O. Smith’s BYOD policy. • The utilization of online media (applications and social media such as Pinterest). • Educator’s opinions in regards to the level of support they have received to best integrate the BYOD policy in their teaching practices (training and technology). Action Research Proposal

Survey • Do you regularly integrate students’ personal electronic into your weekly lesson plans? • Yes • No • Do you use applications and/or other online media when planning units of study? • Yes • No • Have you used social media (i.e. blogs, Pinterest, Instagram) as a way to develop student understanding? • Yes • No • Do you believe student knowledge and understand may be increased through online and social media? • Yes • No • Do you believe that technological applications such as Pinterest have educational value in the classroom? • Yes • No • Do you believe that the bring-your-own-device policy positively impacts the learning environment in the classroom? • Yes • No • Do you feel you have enough knowledge and/or training to effectively use technology and applications as teaching tools through students’ personal devices? • Yes • No • Do your students have access to technological devices in the classroom if they do not have one of their own? • Yes • No • Do you believe allowing students to access their devices will become a classroom management issue in your classroom? • Yes • No • Are you interested in professional development regarding the use of technological applications as teaching and learning tools? • Yes • No Action Research Proposal

Literature Review Authors of the Study Title Purpose Pertinent findings to support my project Action Research Proposal

Literature Review Continued Authors of the Study Title Purpose Pertinent findings to support my project Action Research Proposal

Action Goal • The goal of the intervention is to increase student achievement through implementing the Bring-your-own-Device policy in E. O. Smith’s painting program. Both students and the classroom teacher will address this intervention through the use of the social media application “Pinterest”. Action Research Proposal

Selected Solutions • Collect student grade from previous (semester 1) Painting 1 courses. Specifically the grades from the same assessments the current painting 1 course population will be taking during the study process. This will help create a set of baseline data for student achievement and knowledge. • Distribute the faculty survey through a Survey Monkey link in an email. • Collect, organize, and review data from the surveys. This data will provide insight to the staff’s perceptions and experiences with the specific areas of this study (BYOD & Pinterest as learning tools). • Interview the Painting 1 class’ population of learners that will be involved with the study. This interview should provide students’ perceptions and experiences with Pinterest and the BYOD policy. • Create a Pinterest account tailored specifically for the curriculum covered in the painting 1 course. This should include each unit, and all of its directions, rubrics, examples, and any other pertinent information associated with that unit. The account should also provide boards that extend learning beyond individual units for students to explore and build their individual artistic knowledge. Action Research Proposal

Selected Solutions • Introduce the concept of the BYOD policy to the class and communicate the specific ways it will be implemented throughout the course. This includes school and classroom rules and expectations for personal electronic devices, safety practices, and the appropriate utilization of social media. • Survey the class to make note of how many students do not have access to a personal device, depending on that number, school devices may be used in class to accommodate for their needs. The current classroom has 2 student computer and an iPad available for student use. • Present the Pinterest page I developed for the class and explain how it is set up and organized. • Have students take their devices out and guide them through the process of downloading the App “Pinterest”, setting up an account, creating boards, and “pinning” images and links to those boards. This will be done together as a group to ensure each student has done each step correctly. • Have students create a minimum of 2 boards: “Inspirations” and “Portfolio”. The inspiration board will for compiling individual research, references and artistic inspirations to aid them in their artistic processes and knowledge. The portfolio will be an area where images of their work will be posted. Action Research Proposal

Selected Solutions • As a class we will explore my boards to ensure that the students are able to navigate the app proficiently through their own devices. • As a homework assignment the students will pin 3 examples/ links/ videos/etc. tot heir inspirations board and send me 1 pin with a message explaining why they chose to pin it. This will help the students become comfortable with most of the capabilities of the Pinterest application and it’s features. • Introduce the first unit. The introduction for the unit will be done using Pinterest as an aid. The class before have students look up the board associated with the first unit for homework and read, watch, and examine all the materials compiled there. Explain that they should be ready to have a discussion about what they saw on the unit’s board. • Begin a conversation about what students understand and know about the unit and the assessment(s) associated with it based on their Pinterest experience the night before. Project the unit board so that the whole class can see it and clarify or expand on what they students took away from the homework experience. • Provide clarity, directions, and a demonstration for the unit’s assessment. Refer to the “pins” on the Pinterest board. Action Research Proposal

Selected Solutions • Have students use Pinterest to brainstorm what and how they would like to paint for their first assessment. Their pins should be placed into the inspirations board. • Have student fill out a planning sheet (available from myself and pinterest) before starting their project. Once they have completed this task the teacher must approve the design. • With the design approved the student may start their work. • Once the student in complete with the assignment he/she will post his/her work to their portfolio board. Students will fill out a rubric based on the level of their success and write a critique on their artwork. The students will be allowed to use their devices to help them through out the critiquing process. • Have students do an “exit slip” asking them to self-rate the usefulness/helpfulness of the Pinterest App for the assignment and how much they used the App during the project. • At the end of each unit each student will submit a project and a critique which will be graded using the department-wide rubric. The scores will be tallied and used as data to track student learning and knowledge. • Steps # 13-21 will be repeated for each project to collect and track data trends over the time period of the study. Action Research Proposal

Selected Solutions • In the final week of the study each student’s portfolio board will be reviewed. This should have at all of the assessments (paintings) they have created over the course of the study. The work in their portfolios will be a visual record of the progress each student has made (or not made) in terms of artistic understand and knowledge. (i.e. painting techniques, compositional use, color theory, and the integration of individual ideas.) • I will have each student take a short survey on their experience with using Pinterest and their personal devices in the learning environment • The data from all of these sources will be compiled and analyzed and will be supported through my personal observations of the students, their work, and their BYOD learning experiences. Action Research Proposal

Calendar Plan Action Research Proposal

Expected Outcomes • Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of painting processes and concepts. • Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of content specific language/ vocabulary. • Students will understand and apply personal technological devices to their learning needs, activities and processes for this Painting 1 course. Action Research Proposal

Measurement of Outcomes • This will be measured through a rubric that measures their level of accomplishment in 4 areas. These areas include Planning, Construction & Craftsmanship, Reflection, and Following instructions & Collaborative Learning. The grades from these rubrics will be used to measure growth in comparison to the same rubric used in a previous painting 1 class. • Content specific language and vocabulary will be assessed through students’ level of success in written and verbal critiques. Each critique will be assessed using a rubric. • Students’ level of personal device use will be monitored through a tally sheet each week. • Surveys and questionnaires will be utilized to help measure the usefulness of personal devices in the classroom. Action Research Proposal

Analysis of Results • Data collected from a previous Painting 1 course that had no integration of the bring-your-own-device policy will be used as baseline data. The baseline data will then be compared to data collected from the current Painting 1 course where the BYOD policy had been utilized through Pinterest. Because the curriculum and rubrics are the same for both of these classes that data should accurately illustrate any change to student understanding and performance caused by the integration of the BYOD policy. • Samples of student work will be collected to illustrate the level(s) of student performance and knowledge and support to the data discovered through student grades. If the solution is successful there will be a noticeable difference in the quality of the students artwork, where the current Painting 1 course’s artwork will demonstrate higher quality and skill. Action Research Proposal

Analysis of Results • Data from questionnaires, surveys, observations, and field notes will be collected and analyzed to determine the perceptions and opinions of those who may be impacted by the solutions proposed in this study. This data will help support the need for understanding and research in utilizing a BYOD policy in a visual arts classroom. • The finding of this study will be presented to the visual arts department at Edwin O. Smith High School during our Professional Learning Community meeting to both share data and receive feedback from colleagues. • With the permission of the school board the study and its’ findings will be available to staff and students through my school Moodle account. Action Research Proposal

References Cochrane, T., Antonczak, L., Keegan, H., & Narayan, V. (2014). Riding the wave of BYOD: Developing a framework for creative pedagogies. ResearchLearning Technology, 22 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.24637 Hansen, K., Nowlan, G., & Winter, C. (2012). Pinterest as a tool: Applications in academic libraries and higher education.Partnership : The Canadian Journalof Library and Information Practice and Research, 7(2), 1-11. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1318938726?accountid=458 Marcoux, E. ". (2012). Best of the best planning. Teacher Librarian, 39(4)69-71.Retrievedfrom http://search.proquest.com/docview/1012395217?accountid=458 Mondahl, M., & Razmerita, R. (2014). Social media, collaboration and social learning – a case-study of foreign language learning. the Electronic Journal of e-Learning , 12(4), 339-352. Retrieved from http:// www.ejel.org/volume12/issue4/p339 Pearce, N., & Learmonth, S. (2013, December). Learning beyond the classroom: evaluating the use of Pinterest in learning and teaching in an introductory anthropology class. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, (), 10. Retrieved from http://JIME http://jime.open.ac.uk/2013/12 Pegrum, M., Oakley, G., & Faulkner, R. (2013). Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(1), 66-81. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet Wang, A. I., Aleksander Aanesl. Elvemo, & Gamnes, V. (2014). Three social classroom applications to improve student attitudes. Education Research International, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/259128 Action Research Proposal

EDD/581 Action Research Proposal