Running Head: ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION

Action Research Reflection

University of St. Mary
Jason Carter

ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION

My Topic
My area of focus statement involved the use of technology in the classroom. I am
already differentiating my assignments and grouping them into three categories;
accelerated, on-level, and lower level. Now, I am giving those different assignments
using all of the technology available to me in my classroom (my smart board and the
kids laptops. The entire graphing lesson is now done paperless. My last research was
about differentiated assignments using more technology. That worked well. After some
inspiration from fellow classmates, I decided to try using technology with my
assessments as well.
I chose to focus on technology in my classroom because I felt that the students
needed some more motivation. Kids were not scoring to the best of their abilities on their
tests. I was hoping that by sprucing them up and switching to the use of Edmodo,
students would have better attitudes about testing. Scores did go up as a result of using
technology for assessments, but I do feel the need to continue my research. The scores
only went up (just under) 4%. I feel that to adequately answer my question about
technology with assessments, I need more data.
What Next?
I plan to continue my research after this class has finished by continuing to use
Edmodo for test administration. This may be a challenge for some units, as kids have to
show their work. I plan to let them use a scratch piece of paper and number each
problem. As I get more data, I will share this information with my co-workers and I hope
to inspire other teachers in my building to follow in my footsteps.

ACTION RESEARCH REFLECTION

Meeting Student Needs

My research is meeting the needs of my students by finding a way to teach to
them rather than at them. They enjoy being on their computers, so I felt it was important
to explore the option of using their computers for assessments as I could to give them
some more keyboard time. I found a way to hopefully increase their test scores and the
students seem to hate it less than paper tests.
Standards and Framework
My research supports the USM conceptual framework because it Promote(s)
student learning utilizing assessments, technologies, and best instructional practices. I
believe that using technology in my classroom was best practice because there was an
obvious need for change. I utilize technology by administering my tests on Edmodo.
Using the laptops helps some of the lower level students complete their assignments.
The teaching standard that my research lends itself to is standard 1.c, using
student performance data as a guide for decision making. I decided to start my research
project because my homework scores were low. After my research, I collected data to
decide whether I would continue to do paperless units.
My project directly correlates with the University of St. Mary Graduate Program
Outcome number two; Candidates demonstrate knowledge of diverse learners, including
all forms of exceptionality, and create instructional opportunities that meet the needs of
all learners. Differentiating homework assignments was my way of trying to teach to all
of my learners and meet their needs. While each assignment met the same objective, the
process was fashioned in a way to help my students be successful.