Michelle Marconi EDT 6070Reflection June 24, 2011

Capstone Reflection

This project has been insightful on many levels. First of all, it is amazing how much legality goes into surveying my peers. All of the IRB forms were daunting and a tad confusing at first. I am very grateful that Concordia had some of this figured out for us initially or I might not have ever completed the requirements. Once the legality part was done, it was fairly easy to come up with a needs assessment survey for my department because I have listened attentively in my PLCs. During the second half of the school year, many teachers expressed frustration over students lack of citation ethics. As freshman team leader, I was able to ascertain easily that we were all over the map with how we covered documentation within out individual classrooms and noted how our students were affected by the disparities present in that system. The end result of a lack of real focus on this skill continued to play out throughout all of high school where senior students struggled to successfully document their capstone projects. Knowing this, I devised a survey to tap into how teachers felt they were doing with the instruction of documentation skill, their comfort level with APA and MLA, and their willingness to use technology to teach this vital skill. Writing the survey was not overly difficult. What was difficult was encouraging twenty people to respond in a timely manner. It required several reminders and prompts from me to get the last few stragglers to respond. I believe this is due to the timing of the project which was happening during the last couple weeks in the school year. Plainly put, everyone was

busy with their own stuff and not too eager to put more on his or her own plate. Eventually, the final respondents posted their answers and I was able to begin analyzing the data. I believe the data analysis went well. Answers were pretty much on par with what I suspected they would be due to conversations in PLCs. I was a little surprised with how uncomfortable some teachers were with the new MLA rules being as most respondents were English teachers and as such should own those rules. All in all, though, the needs assessment survey provided me with a lot to work with during my professional development days with colleagues. The educational technology plan was a timely pursuit. What was most frustrating with this process was the need for data. What I am integrating technology with is not something that is overly tested or measured. Rather it is a problem perceived within my entire department which affects students success. In researching the topic of using technology to teach documentation skills, I found very little. Most articles discuss the issue of plagiarism with students but do not get into the specifics of documentation. So while my professional development is geared to aiding a real issue in education, there is not a lot of supporting data from this. It is much like the complaint that students just do not read when assigned to do so. Every English teacher recognizes this as an issue, but how can one measure this? It is only through the experience of being within a classroom that one can fully comprehend the gravity of this reality. I just found it frustrating to not have anything super solid on which to hang my proverbial hat. Other than that, the technology plan went fairly smoothly. I feel really good about my project because I am positive that it will improve the current system of documentation instruction at Dundee-Crown.

If I had to begin this whole process anew, I would perhaps wait to do the two classes until the fall semester. It has been challenging to get people together for professional development during the summer. This is especially true this summer as three of my participants have recently accepted positions in other districts. This is as a result of District 300 releasing 363 teachers as a contract negotiating ploy. Due to these changes, peoples schedules are booked with obligations from their new positions and that has put a crimp in when we can actually meet. I, too, am beginning next year in a new district and so I will not be at Dundee-Crown to see the full implementation of this plan in the fall. I did not feel as though it would have been appropriate to try and implement this documentation system in my new school as I have yet to learn what systems they are using. While I do still believe that our professional development has been very valuable and has definitely addressed a real needit is not in the grand manner in which I first envisioned it. A consolation is knowing that the participants who are traveling on will bring this knowledge with them and those who are remaining at Dundee-Crown will be able to serve that community as well. Overall, many students will benefit from this workshop which is always a good thing. I look forward to wrapping up this project and in continuing work in educational technology. I really believe that this entire program has been eye-opening and beneficial. I have even considered going on to obtain a doctoral degree in this program through Northern Illinois University.