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Implementation of document cameras and other technologies at Monte Gardens Elementary, Concord, CA

A Project Presented to the Faculty of the College of Education

By Megan Gerdts

Touro University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTERS OF ARTS

In

Educational Technology

By

Megan Gerdts

May, 2010

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Abstract

Our lives have been transformed by new technology and it is no surprise that technology is

quickly making its way into the classroom. Teachers are using document cameras, computers,

LCD projectors, and digital cameras to teach students. With this influx of technology has risen

the problem of a lack of professional development and training. Many teachers lack the skills and

desire to effectively use technology in preparing and delivering standards-based lessons. Monte

Gardens Elementary, a school in Concord, California with which the researcher is very familiar,

recently purchased document cameras and LCD projectors for all of its teachers. This

implementation project provided the training and staff development required for the Monte

Gardens’ staff to successfully use the technology in delivering effective, engaging, standards-

based lessons.

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Chapter 1

With the 21st century, came many new technologies for both personal and educational

use. Parents used to check the mailbox for correspondence from a high-school friend; they now

check their electronic mail on a cellular telephone. Students used to come home from school and

play outdoors in the dirt with neighborhood friends; they now play video and computer games

indoors with their friends. Teachers used to write on chalkboards and use ditto machines, but are

now using document cameras, projectors, and computers as tools in teaching their students. We

now live in a technology-rich society.

As technology rapidly entered our society, it trickled into schools at a slower pace. As an

elementary teacher at a middle-class, suburban school, the researcher saw the trickle gain

momentum as grant money poured into the school’s coffers this year. The principal at Monte

Gardens Elementary decided that document cameras and LCD projectors would be the best use

of the money. She felt that these technologies were something that the majority of teachers

would use with proper training and staff development. Research also supports the idea that

students learn more when the concepts are presented using appropriate technology (Taylor, Casto

& Walls, 2007).

Pusey, Sadera & Kenton (2007) found that successful technology integration includes

coaching and instruction as well as technical support. As the document cameras and projectors

arrived, the staff was trained on the basics of using the document cameras and LCD projectors.

This process was much less difficult than what the researcher anticipated. The new technology

was met with enthusiasm instead of grumbling. The next step is to do more in-depth training

with the staff introducing all of the components and functions of the document cameras. This

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project will focus on looking into document camera use as well as how to properly integrate

technology into the elementary classroom. Staff was trained on how the Internet can enhance

their teaching as well. The goal of this project is to research best practices and to train the staff

how to effectively integrate technology into their teaching. The Monte Gardens principal often

tells the staff to work smarter, not harder. Technology, with proper staff development, can aid in

this endeavor.

Statement of the Problem

While each teacher has a laptop, LCD projector, and document camera at Monte Gardens

Elementary, there has been little instruction on integration. The training done thus far has been

centered on technicalities such as proper cooling of the lamp and dust mitigation. Teachers have

been exposed to the possibilities of the document cameras, but have had no formal instruction on

best practices.

Successful implementation of technology is partially determined by the staff members’

perceptions of the technology itself, their experience with computers, as well as their

understanding of the technology coordinator’s job (Mueller, Wood, Willoughby, Ross, Specht,

2008; Pusey, Sadera, Kenton, 2007). In the researcher’s target district, Mt. Diablo Unified, the

technology coordinator is the liaison between the school site and the district. The coordinator is

also responsible for training staff and providing minor technical support at the school site.

The goal of this project is to research best practices with implementation, create and carry

out an effective technology implementation plan. This plan will include a reference guide as well

as trainings that support effective teaching with technology.

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Background and Need

While there are many factors that affect the implementation of new teaching practices

involving technology, a few stood out that impact the staff at Monte Gardens Elementary. These

factors include teachers’ attitudes toward technology, teachers’ experience with technology, and

the perceptions of the technology coordinator’s role in training and staff development.

Baek, Jung, and Kim (2006) stated that the factor in implementation that had the biggest

impact on teachers’ adoption of technology was the idea that someone in higher authority was

requiring it (2006). This implied that many teachers decide to use technology based on someone

telling them that they were required to use it, rather than truly believing that using technology

can be an effective method for delivering curricula (Baek et al., 2006). This attitude toward

technology does not foster positive outcomes or successful integration. A couple of years ago,

each teacher at Monte Gardens received a laptop because the district required all attendance be

taken online using a new program bought by the district. Although taking attendance online was

a very simple process, it was met with a large amount of resistance from the staff. There is a

large amount of data available to teachers using the online program, but many teachers were

resistant to the change.

The second factor that affects integration levels is the teachers’ experiences with

computers (Mueller et al., 2008). Mueller et al. discovered that the most important factor for

determining if an elementary school teacher was going to be a high integrator was whether

he/she had positive experiences with computers in the past. Although the researcher could not

change people’s prior experiences with computers, she was determined to make technology

integration a positive experience from that point forward. Age also tends to be a factor – older

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teachers appear to integrate technology less than younger teachers (Eteokleous, 2007), however,

years of teaching experience had little impact (Mueller et al., 2008). That seems to be a

dichotomy because teachers who have been teaching for more years, have to be older. Mueller et

al. (2008) mentioned that perhaps the newer teachers, who had pre-service training in

technology, are busy organizing and managing their classrooms, leaving little time for

technology integration. Whatever the reason, there is room for improvement.

The third factor, which works against the implementation of technology, is the teachers’

misunderstanding of the technology coordinator’s role. Many teachers believe that the person is

there only for technical support and do not use him/her as a resource for integration ideas and

lessons. This leads to a lack of movement toward integration because teachers are not pursuing

new opportunities or methods with the technology coordinator (Pusey et al., 2007).

While it appears that there are many factors working against successful integration of

technology, the research provides some clear avenues that we need to explore. Mueller et al.

suggest that we need to differentiate our professional development, realizing that some people

will gain more from it than others. Secondly, teachers need positive reinforcement and to be

successful when they practice using technology. Lastly, as the hindrances to integration begin to

crumble, we need to start building on the foundations that are being laid (Mueller et al., 2007).

As we have looked into technology integration, much of the focus has been on the

classroom teacher. Most of the research on technology integration focuses on what the teachers

need to do. Hew and Brush (2007) suggest that future research focus on variables at the school

site or district level since most policies and technology-related decisions are made at those levels

rather than at the classroom level.

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After learning what research-based, effective technology implementation was, it was

clear that developing training based on the needs of each teacher at Monte Gardens, was going to

be most effective. Successful teachers differentiate for the different learning styles and

comprehension levels of their students. This is how the researcher approached staff training. It

was important to include a reference guide for those teachers who had difficulties remembering

steps in a process, so that was incorporated into the project as well.

Purpose of Project

As technology becomes an integral part of society and education, we must include

training in how to best integrate it. Technology offers so much, yet most teachers are unaware of

the great things that can be accomplished using technology. At Monte Gardens Elementary,

teachers are excited about the possibilities with document cameras and projectors.

In order to properly train and meet the needs of all teachers, the technology coordinator,

who is also the researcher for this project, will create an implementation plan and carry it out.

The purpose of this plan will be to educate the staff on proper use of the technology as well as

best practices in effectively teaching using technology. Teachers will see model lessons and

given an opportunity to plan their own lessons. We will visit educational websites and discuss

their benefits and uses in the classroom. Teachers will leave the training with a reference manual

outlining the topics covered and highlighting items that are more complex.

Objectives

In order for technology to be properly integrated, staff must be trained in best practices as

it relates to the specific technology being used. This project will have three components a)

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creation of a reference manual for staff; b) training in basic technology use; c) ongoing

workshops relating to specific topics or needs of the staff.

The reference manual will be a fast way for teachers to remember how to set up a specific

lesson as well as websites that are useful for elementary teachers. The website list will be added

to as needed.

In addition, the teachers will receive training in the use of the technologies available to

them. Specifically, teachers will learn how to use document cameras and projectors effectively,

as well as the Internet. The teachers will be exposed to lessons involving both technologies and

time will be given for teachers to apply what they have learned.

Lastly, teachers will be given the opportunity to attend workshops with specific topics

such as how to use certain software, web 2.0 applications, blogs, saving images using the

document camera, and many more. The topics of these modules will be determined by the needs

of the staff.

Specific Outcomes of this Project:

Staff will know how to use the technologies at Monte Gardens Elementary.

Staff will integrate technology into lessons as it is appropriate.

Students will be exposed to more technology-enriched lessons.

Staff will use the technology coordinator as a resource for both integration questions

and technological support.

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Summary

Monte Gardens Elementary School purchased document cameras and projectors for each

of their teachers. Now, the staff needs training and lesson plan ideas to properly integrate this

technology into the curriculum. This project will help the teachers at Monte Gardens become

comfortable with and effectively use the technology in their teaching.

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References

Baek, Y., Jung, J., Kim, B. (2008). What makes teachers use technology in the classroom? Exploring the factors affecting the facilitation of technology with a Korean sample. Computers and Education, 50, 224-234.

Brown, D., Warschauer, M. (2006). From the University to the Elementary Classroom: Students’ Experiences in Learning to Integrate Technology in Instruction. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14(3), 599-621.

Eteokleous, N. (2008). Evaluating computer technology integration in a centralized school system. Computers and Education, 51, 669-686.

Hew, K., Brush, T. (2006). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Education Technology Research Development, 55, 223-252.

Muller, J., Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Ross, C., Specht, J. (2008). Indentifying discriminating variables between teachers who fully integrate computers and teachers with limited integration. Computers and Education, 51, 1523-1537.

Straub, E. (2009, June). Understanding Technology Adoption: Theory and Future Directions for Informal Learning. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 625-650.

Taylor, L., Casto, D., Walls, R. (2007). Learning with versus without technology in elementary and secondary school. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 798-811.