Plan for Reducing Forces Against Change

Ideally one works on reducing the forces against change in order to affect a change. In my case I will work to reduce these forces, thereby increasing participation in the Lakeridge Tech Club. In this section I will examine strategies for reducing the forces against change that I see in my work Forces Against Change

Meets during recess twice a week, limiting time spent "outside." Last year I had a fifth grade student whose parents had given him a pedometer. He was expected to walk a certain distance over the course of the day, supplementing this distance during recess or P.E. If he had not made his distance it was expected that he would not go to Tech Club in order to go outside and run around. Physical exercise is very important for children at this age as it forms good habits for later in life. Third grade students at Lakeridge have three recesses, while fifth grade students have two (the second being ten minutes longer than that of the third and fourth grade students). Since attendance at Tech Club is always voluntary I will often send students who are not engaged out to recess. Additionally, my regular position sometimes precludes me from being able to meet on a certain day so some days Tech Club is canceled and I send the students out to enjoy recess. By limiting Tech Club to twice I week I can ensure that students are getting outside and working off some of their excess energy. While a very important consideration, I feel that limiting the disruption of Tech Club to twice a week for twenty minutes to half an hour should allow students to experience plenty of time outside at recess. The library is also open during recess and many students choose not to go outside. I see Tech Club as being a viable alternative to outside recess just as the library is, too.

A few students tend to dominate the club, turning off other students to participating. One or two students in the past have tended to put themselves in charge of the activity in which Tech Club is engaged. This occurs particularly when we are working on a stop-motion Lego film as a few students have made the films in the past and have a good working knowledge of the process. However, being bossed around by their peers is never fun for any student, and oftentimes students feel that they do not need to participate because they perceive that the bossiness indicates that there is nothing for them to do. I am aware of the domination by some students and will oftentimes reassign them to a different position that affords them an opportunity to participate but lessens their ability to command other students. Additionally, I have in the past gone to particular students who I would like to see participate in an activity and personally invited them to come to Tech Club. This empowers them to participate and makes them feel important. I intend this year to continue to monitor the interactions of all Tech Club participants and to ensure that everyone feels that they are participating and feel a part of the process. Additionally, I intend to put the "bossy" students into mentorship roles where they might not be working on the particular activity in which Tech Club is engaged but rather helping other students to gain the same skills of which the mentors have already proven themselves capable. Again, there are several students who have become quite talented with stop-motion film making. By placing them in leadership roles, such as directing a film or working the stop-motion software, they are still able to participate but allow the other students to have the hands-on task of animating or filming. This empowers everyone who is involved in a project and channels the "bossiness" into a positive, cooperative experience.

Area where club meets is often used by other programs. In the past we have used the space occupied by the Occupational Therapy program at Lakeridge. Since we meet during recess there is seldom a conflict with using the space. The room is removed from the classroom areas so excess noise is seldom an issue, and with a white board, television, and plenty of space available it is an ideal location in which to meet. However, when we begin working on stop-motion films, which might require set to be built and left in place because we are unable to complete filming in one session, I have typically moved the location to my tiny office. It is not an ideal location but it serves. Additionally, at the end of the school year I discarded a large shelf of old video tapes no longer used in video production at Lakeridge. This has freed up an area in the computer lab that we can also use to meet. Sometimes kindergarten through second grade classes are scheduled for the lab during the time we meet. If we require use of computers there are mobile laptop carts that can be used. Additionally, I have been able to arrange with the A.M. kindergarten teacher to use her room when the OT room was being used. People at Lakeridge are flexible and for this reason I feel that I can continue to find a place for Tech Club to meet that serves our varied needs.

Limited funding available from the district. Tech Club is a supplementary position with a limited budget used to pay the faculty advisor. For this reason there are no funds available to purchase new software or hardware. All the monies go towards paying for the advisor's time. Last year I wrote a grant proposal to the Lakeridge PTA to fund the purchase of the software and hardware that we needed to produce a comic book for new students. Budgetary shortfalls can be remedied by writing grant proposals to the PTA or to the Mercer Island School's Foundation, a parent organization founded to provide monies for district-approved programs that the district is unable to fund. These two sources should cover any budgetary shortfalls that I might encounter.

School uses a single computer platform, limiting students' exposure to alternate operating systems. The Mercer Island School District uses Macintosh computers and Mac OS for grades kindergarten through eight. The high school is a mixed-platform environment with PCs running Windows XP the dominant installation, with Macs rounding out the journalism, publications, and Chinese departments. Mac OS X is built upon a UNIX core. While elementary students are not yet proficient enough to take full advantage of the UNIX underpinnings, the setup that I have designed and implemented for Lakeridge does take advantage of the power and flexibility offered by a UNIX-based operating system. With much of the software and curriculum support materials migrating away from desktop applications to web-based programs, the operating system of the computer matters less as time progresses. The standard "productivity suite" that students in K-8 use is Microsoft Office, whose counterpart on the PC platform functions identically and with which documents can be exchanged with no translation issues. By exposing elementary students to the fundamental operation of the computer and making them aware of the desktop metaphor; how to open documents stored on a server and save the same document back to a server; and how to complete such tasks web browsing and copying and pasting text, students are well prepared to use any operating system as their basic uses are almost identical at this point in time. Instead of worrying that students are not using Microsoft's operating system, by far the dominant operating system for now, I would prefer to build a student's confidence and skill in basic computer terminology and use, which can be transferred to any operating system, be it Linux, Mac OS, or Windows.

Open only to third through fifth grade students. Younger siblings of third through fifth graders are often very jealous of their older brothers or sisters who get to participate in Tech Club. However, their recess times are different than the third through fifth grade classes. Oftentimes their computer skills are not yet honed enough to make participating in Tech Club feasible. While these limitations due hamper their participation, in many respects this "carrot" is good bait to encourage students to wait for their chance to participate in Tech Club when they reach third grade. Perhaps by having third grade students present some of Tech Club's activities as the school year draws to a close we can build anticipation of and excitement in the program, thereby increasing participation in subsequent years.

Recruitment and retention of girls has been difficult in a field dominated by boys. Girls sometimes perceive Tech Club as being something only boys are interested in. However, both the Director of Technology and the Network Engineer for the district are both women. A girls-only Tech Club meeting hosted by these two women might showcase career opportunities in high tech. I also intend to arrange with the school counselor, who runs a girl's lunch group, to engage in a project with girls only that captures their imagination and hopefully yields increased participation in the Tech Club program. Last year's comic book project attracted the attention of many girls who wanted to be photographed with Elroy the lion. Similarly, the digital picture frame is popular with girls as well, who enjoy seeing pictures of their peers. I intend this year to launch a podcast about issues and ideas at Lakeridge in which girls might enjoy participating. By better crafting (and advertising) activities that seem less technology-oriented but that do take advantage of technology, like digital photography, I might better be able to encourage female students to participate in Tech Club.

While the forces against change are formidable in my Action Research Project, I feel that all of them are surmountable. By working hard, paying close attention to the actions and reactions of the students, and by tailoring the activities to better meet the interests of all students, I feel that I can lower the forces against change and meet my goal of increasing students participation in the Lakeridge Tech Club.

Planning My Action Research Cycles

PURPOSE: The purpose of my Action Research is to increase participation in Tech Club.

SITUATION: While Tech Club is a well-attended and popular activity for students in grades three through five, participation by girls and marginalized students at the school is lower than that of boys.

CYCLE ONE

RESEARCH QUESTION ONE: If I make Tech Club projects more "technology transparent" and concentrate more on projects with artistic objectives, will girls' participation increase?

BACKGROUND RESEARCH: The resources that I have considered include:

- Hanor's "Concepts and strategies learned from girls' interactions with computers"

- Bhargava, Kirova-Petrova, and McNair's "Computers, gender bias, and young children"

- Hartshorn's "Girls take charge of technology"

- Thomas and Keller's "The Brownie brigade"

I have learned from these researchers that girls favor an aesthetic approach to computer use; that collaboration and the relationships such work builds are oftentimes more important than the computer use itself for girls; and the importance for girls of non-judgmental, supportive time spent using computers to foster understanding and comfort. While girls still face formidable challenges in their access to equitable computer use, the examples set by the teachers with whom they work and the support they receive for their accomplishments is an important motivator and reinforcer of a girl's perception of her computer literacy.

RESEARCH QUESTION TWO: If I chose Tech Club project topics that capitalize on marginalized students' interests and prior computer literacy, will these students be more likely to participate?

BACKGROUND RESEARCH: The resources I have considered include:

- Goldsmith and LeBlanc's "Use of technology interventions for children with autism"

- Lewis, Trushell, and Woods' "Effects of ICT group work on interactions and social acceptance of a primary pupil with Asperger's Syndrome"

I have learned from these researchers that students with Asperger's Syndrome are attracted to technology and that technology use in small group setting with definite goals is beneficial for these students. Additionally, much of the insight and knowledge I gained from researching girls use of technology helps to inform my work in this area as it involves taking a more aesthetic, collaborative approach to computer instruction and use.

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE: I am a Technology Specialist at an elementary school where three years ago I started a Tech Club. As a Technology Specialist I do not have too much direct instructional interaction with students, as it is not a certificated position. However, I am able on a typical day to assist students as they use the computers in the computer lab or in a classroom. Running Tech Club allows me to create a learning environment where elementary students are able to experiment with technology in a non-judgmental, non-evaluated setting. They work collaboratively and in multi-age groups on long-term projects with final products that showcase their creativity and abilities to use technology to express their imaginations. I serve as a facilitator for these students, offering knowledge and experience with the computers as well as support as they learn to use the tools on their own and in ways that I could not have imagined.

MY ACTIONS (Cycle 1): How can I modify the projects in which Tech Club is engaged to increase participation by girls and marginalized students, like those with Asperger's Syndrome? I started by conducting a series of information sessions for students to showcase the past projects Tech Club had completed. Students were able to watch a promotional film clip that other students had made to highlight their films. They were allowed to look at photos taken last you wand displayed on a number of portable media players. They paged through a comic book we had created last year. The response was very favorable and I had about twenty five students come to our first meeting.

I decided to use digital cameras as Tech Club's first project because it is a very accessible technology, even for people who might not have used a computer, or even a digital camera, before. Additionally, I felt that a project involving digital cameras would place more emphasis on the photographs the students were taking, rather than the technology itself, an important consideration when trying to attract girls to a technology project. The research I conducted indicated that girls are more interested in the collaborative process and the final product than the technology itself. The digital camera would be a perfect, unobtrusive technology that would engage the girls and might offer more opportunities for them to participate.

ARTIFACTS COLLECTED: I have collected the following items to help me to assess the level of participation in Tech Club:

- parent permission forms for me to conduct research and for student's work to be posted to a web page

- photographs taken by about twenty five original participants in Tech Club

- sign up sheets for students to have dedicated fifteen minute blocks of time to use the digital cameras

- photographs taken by each of the students during their fiteen minute blocks and edited on a computer

Additionally, as the project reaches its conclusion I will have:

- short biographies written by the students about their peers' use of cameras and the subjects that interest them and inspire their photography

- four different web pages of selected works by each "computer and camera" group that showcases their best efforts and explores their growth as photographers and which students can use to share their work with their parents and the wider community

- four different portable media viewers that the students will have learned to load with their own photos that they have used specialized software tools to convert for use on the player

- photographic documentation of a "gallery" event where the students share their photography, via a laptop and LCD projector as well as the aforementioned media players, with their peers and teachers

EVALUATION: I will evaluate the outcomes of my actions by comparing the photographs that the students took at the beginning of this project with those they took at the end, and asking the students to look at their work with a similarly critical eye and assess how they have developed as photographers. There will be fewer students who have produced a larger body of photographs than there were originally, when we took to the playground in a group of twenty five and took many photos, most of which lacked the sophistication and technique the later refined work demonstrates. However, by considering the depth of the body of work that the remaining participants have created I will best gauge the participation that is occuring. Additionally, I will be able to look at the number of girls who are participating, which is a significant number, and assess my actions as well. Have I created a project that encouraged girls to continue participating? Did the shift from a large group format, where even in smaller sub-groups access to the equipment was still problematic and unequal, to smaller groups of four photographers and four students assessing and editing their work on computers, make it possible for girls to better create the working relationships among their peers that they find the most enriching part of their computer use? Has digital photography showcased the talents of a student with Asperger's Syndrome, given him an outlet for his creativity and a reason to participate in group work, and to help his peers using the computer skills he possesses? How has this empowered him to better interact with his peers? I believe that these questions will be answered as I look at the final body of work that the students have produced; as I gauge the continued participation by a group of girls in seeing a project to its completion and making valuable contributions to the direction, focus, and diversity of the final product; and as I move to a the next project for Tech Club and determine how many students continue participating despite changing the subject matter and technology of the project.

Cycle Two

BACKGROUND: The first project that Tech Club engaged in this year proved to be exciting and engaging for a group of girls and a student on the Austism Spectrum. Modifications were made to the way the Club met to provide students with maximized exposure to using digital cameras and laptop computers. Students were able to create a large body of work that showed refinement of personal style and growth of knowledge in their use of a digital camera. The students' work was shared at an exhibit during recess and at a presentation at an evening pricipal's forum that focused on my Action Research and the literature review that I had conducted as part of my Action Research. Additionally, the students' photos were displayed on the digital picture frame hanging in a hallway at the school, so others may see the students work. Students who built web pages of their images received a CD of their work, along with the work of the other students. The CD also contained a link to the presentation on the digital photography project that I had prepared for the parents so they could access the information when it was convenient for them.

During Cycle One of my Action Research my actions affected girls' participation in Tech Club. Additionally, I was able to provoke and hold the interest of a student on the Autism Spectrum and get him to work with his peers on a mutually interesting project. As I moved into the next Tech Club project, podcasting, I recognized that not all projects were suited to all individual students. I emphasized at the beginning of the school year that students were welcome to come and go from Tech Club as their interests dictated. As I transitioned into the next project I realized that I would lose some students who had participated during the digital photography project. However, I also recognized that I stood to increase participation in Tech Club by other students who had seen our work on the digital photography project and who had expressed interest in joining Tech Club on seeing that we were not studying technology as much as creating through the use of technology.

The disappointing turnout at my presentation at the principal's forum caused me to include a link to the documentation on the CDs that the students took home. This allowed parents access to the information on their time and also promoted the work that we did as Tech Club. I hoped to leverage similar technologies that allowed people access the content that Tech Club was creating according to their schedule, and to work with a technology that facilitated the retrieval of the work for the end user. For that reason podcasting and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) were ideal technologies to use to promote the work that Tech Club was doing this year and to explore our community and its participants.

RESEARCH QUESTION THREE: Can I promote Tech Club's work through podcasts and RSS technologies? Will this project inspire new students to participate in Tech Club and inform parents about the benefits of constructivist, collaborative technology use?

BACKGROUND RESEARCH: The resources that I have considered include:

• Radio: An Illustrated Guide by Jessica Abel and Ira Glass

• Autism 101 class at Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA and associated reading, "Educating Children with Autism," Lord & McGee, 2003.

• Gary Stager's Educational Podcasting

• SAISD Podcasting Workshop templates

• I taught a course at the alternative high school to faculty and staff about podcasting

MY ACTIONS (Cycle Two):

• Produced in informational poster that I hung on the computer lab door. This poster explained what podcasts were and got students thinking about segment ideas

• Downloaded episodes of Radio WillowWeb podcasts and loaded them into iTunes for students to listen to during podcasting information meetings

• Informally polled students about whose parents owned an iPod, which students owned an iPod

• Individually met with students to discuss segment ideas based on SAISD templates or personalized segments, like one on the fifth grade operetta

• Wrote reminder notes to the students to provide them with the time and location of their recording sessions

• Increased reliance on students to complete the technical aspects of podcast production

• Emailed school faculty and staff, Technology Specialists, Director of Technology, and Superintendent upon release of new episodes, included directions on how to subscribe to the podcast

• Had web master post an announcement and instructions on how to subscribe to the podcast on school web site

• Promoted podcasts at lunch, in classrooms

• Promoted podcasts at the volunteer sign-in table in the front office with directions on how to subscribe to the podcast

• Loaded podcasts onto Juice Box media players for students to listen to for inspiration or clarification about what a podcast is

• Tracked web statistics for requests for rss.xml file

• Promoted the podcast to School Board members when they visited campus for the day

• Worked with two students on the Autism Spectrum to record segments showcasing his songwriting and singing talents

• Assisted faculty and staff in configuring iTunes to subscribe to the podcast

• Assisted community members via telephone conversations and email with subscribing to the podcast

ARTIFACTS COLLECTED:

• Copies of the templates and scripts developed by the students and me

• Record of who participated in each podcast segment

• Episodes of the podcast that Tech Club recorded and produced

• Informal conversations with faculty, administrators, and parents about the value of the podcasts in engaging students in the writing process, showcasing student talent

EVALUATION: The podcasting project is ongoing. To date I have created a project that has engaged new students in Tech Club. I am particularly proud of my work to encourage and coordinate a student with more severe Autism to participate in the recording of a podcast segment. I hope to release the episode of which the segment is part this week, and I honestly believe that this segment will change the perception that his classmates, teachers, and those who work with him have of him as an individual. Students for whom reading is a challenge have engaged this project and worked hard to produce segments about issues that interest them. As additional episodes are released new students step in to record segments. The pull technology of an rss feed is getting the podcasts into students' homes, where they and their parents are listening and learning about the individuals at our school and the work we do as a community. People are interested in Tech Club and the valuable work that we are doing.

Action Research Timeline

July 2006: After tech camp at Pepperdine, I considered whether my action research should focus on students or faculty at the elementary school where I work. I am still thinking that the focus should be on computer troubleshooting skills.

By the end of the month, I have completely revised my project plans for Tech Club. The focus has shifted to multimedia production. More importantly, I recognize the importance of increasing girls' participation in Tech Club. Also, I remain committed to getting more Autism Spectrum students involved in the program.

August 2006: I stumble across the Mattel Juice Box, a discontinued media viewer and get my hands on six of them. This will prove to be an obsession of mine for a while.

September 2006: Coinciding with an assignment on ubiquitous technology I decide to make Tech Club's first project about digital still photography.

I continue to obsess a bit about getting a tool chain working that elementary school students could use to convert their photos for the Juice Box. Persistence and some help from a nerdy parent pays off.

I work with a student from last year to promote Tech Club, and I am beseiged with requests as to when Tech Club starts. I take the opportunity to talk to third-grade classes about Tech Club and some of the projects that I hope to do with participating students. I make a special point of encouraging girls to participate when I talk to the classes.

The digital picture frame is dusted off and updated with photos the students took last year. The digital picture frame is a popular stopping point as students make their way through the hall toward the MultiPurpose Room, the Library, or the Computer Lab. By showcasing photographs taken by fellow students of the school and its community, I hope to increase participation in Tech Club and students eager to add their own photos to the frame.

I mount a major promotional tour of the school's library to promote Tech Club and answer students' questions. Turnout is amazing. Students are able to ask questions about Tech Club, get their hands on the Juice Boxes, an iPod, and a copy of the digital comic book we produced last year, and watch a promotional clip from "Mission to Mars."

My ethics statement is written, I send a letter home to parents and I submit my request to conduct research, which is approved. I develop a questionnaire for the students to inform me what they are interested in doing in Tech Club. I hope by being informed about the students' prior knowledge that I can better craft engaging activities.

Tech Club starts! Turnout is very encouraging. Students work on getting acquainted with the digital cameras and developing a critical eye. Initially I have about fifty percent participation by girls. Also, I am working with a student on the Autism Spectrum, another goal in Tech Club's increased participation.

October 2006: Participation reaches a good level. Students continue to work on their photography. They experiment with building simple web pages using the photos they took.

The ubiquitous technology project continues.

I complete my Literature Review.

I adjust the scheduling of Tech Club to allow for students to have more hands-on time with the cameras and laptops. A sign up sheet is created and maintained by me. This gives students a visual reminder of when they are supposed to come to Tech Club. Of course, I do not discourage students from arriving and seeing if a camera is available. If a student misses a session, I put them back on the list to make sure they get a chance to take photos. I also stop by each student as he or she eats lunch to remind them if it is his or her particular day to take photos. This helps me to fill in gaps in the schedule and maintains participation.

Tech Club begins meeting in the Library. The OT Room where we previously met was in use one of the days that we were scheduled to meet. Moving to the Library makes Tech Club more visible, as everyone is able to see what we are working on. Additionally, it makes it easier to get students who have started a project to continue participating if we meet in the Library, where many students spend all or part of their recess.

November 2006: I meet the parents of some of the Tech Club students. They are impressed with the work their students are doing and the enthusiasm with which they speak about Tech Club.

December 2006: I spend what little time in school we have this month to work towards the conclusion of the digital photography assignment. Meeting in the library turns out to be beneficial because students who had taken photographs earlier in the term see their peers hard at work and want to finish their own work, too. The initial web pages are built, which further excites the students.

January 2007: After missing much school, we return and really work hard to reach the conclusion of the digital photography assignment.

Girls who have participated in the digital photography assignment illustrate a sheet of paper onto which we can project their images. Students going to lunch will walk by this display, which will advertise a showing on a much larger screen. The girls ask if some of their friends, other girls, might take part in the illustration even though they have not participated in Tech Club. This was a perfect opportunity to show the girls that not everything about Tech Club is computers, and to broaden participation.

Conclude cycle one of my action research. I have built a good cadre of students who are eager to continue participating in Tech Club as we start our next activity. Tech Club is now about fifty percent girls, up from zero percent last spring. Additionally, one student on the Autism Spectrum has continued to participate in Tech Club while also working on additional projects on the side. His computer skills are attracting the attention of his peers, who are curious about his work and engage him about his computer use and his projects. My actions, from having Tech Club meet in smaller groups, relocating to the Library where our work is more visible, and encouraging participation in an aesthetic exercise, have all increased participation in Tech Club and in particular participation by girls and students on the Autism Spectrum.

Start podcasting with the Tech Club.

Start cycle two of my action research. As I move into this cycle I am mindful of my actions and how I might work to encourage continued participation in Tech Club. While I wish for the group of students with whom I worked last year to continue working with me, I also want to involved more students. I feel that the podcasting project will be good because students will be able to participate at varying levels of committment. Tech Club might be able to involve students who might not otherwise participate in the Club because this project involves storytelling. Students who write poetry, short stories, or who can tell a joke might participate in a project such as this, remaining separation from the technology being used to capture their voice, edit it, and broadcast it. Again, I am working towards more transparency in technology use. Will participation in Tech Club remain steady? Will girls continue to participate and bring their friends along, too?

February 2007: Continue producing podcasts.

Work to evaluate whether participation in Tech Club by students from last semester remains steady. Work to integrate a student in the Autsim Spectrum into Tech Club. Continue to attract new members.

Begin working on ideas for different films. Start building models for stop-motion film. Start recruiting for various movie projects. Secure equipment for filming.

March 2007: Students will be working on the film.

Cycle two of my action research continues as we start our third project, film making.

Cycle two concludes. Where is Tech Club's participation now? How many additional students joined for this project? Did participation by girls remain strong? How did my efforts to integrate another student on the Autism Spectrum pay off?

Cycle three of my action research starts. In this cycle I am encouraging the students to publicize their efforts this year. In doing so, I hope to build more interest in Tech Club and to highlight the importance of such organizations in an elementary school. What can I do to help the students to showcase their talents and efforts that they have nurtured and built this year?

April 2007: As students finish their respective films they begin putting together a portfolio of their work. This might be a web site that they put together to chronicle their experiences.

Cycle three, in which we promote our work, is connected to this project.

May: Students work on concluding their films. Films are screened before the school. This is part of the promotion that goes into cycle three as I seek to build interest in Tech Club for next school year.

Cycle three reaches its conclusion.

June: end of the school year.

Work to assemble the documentation.

Work on putting together the action research report.

July: Travel to Los Angeles for the exhibition.

Graduate.

Celebrate.

Relax.

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