Research Questions

My problem statement is:

I want to learn whether or not K-5 students who are given technology based language arts interventions have a higher level of academic success than those students who receive traditional language arts interventions without the use of technology.Who: Kindergarten through Fifth Grade StudentsWhat: technology based language arts interventionsWhy: to discover whether technology based language arts interventions are more effective than traditional language arts interventions.

Some questions that I have in regards to my research topic are:
-How will I measure the academic success of both groups of students?
-What measure will I use to compare my data?
-Are there traditional language arts interventions that have been used that are more effective than technology based language arts interventions?
- How frequent and for how long are both groups of students receiving intervention time?
-Who is conducting the research and how large are the groups of students?
-Are both groups equally English speaking or English language learners?


My research problem will yield quantitative questions because I am dealing with the aspect of measuring academic success. As I have quickly learned in education, things are always changing and effective strategies, theories, and methods of how to teach best are constantly evolving. I am open to the idea that I may not necessarily come to a concrete conclusion as I explore the literature out there and the data in regards to technology based language arts intervention programs. I do however have a specific intervention program that I will be researching (Earobics) so I hope to conclude whether or not this particular intervention program is more beneficial than traditional intervention programs.

Technology Based Language Arts Intervention Programs Vs. Traditional Language Arts Intervention Programs

As I first began this assignment my research topic was one that immediately popped into my head and was one that pertained directly to my role as a kindergarten teacher. I am extremely interested in the issue of retention in kindergarten and its effects on students in later years. It was easy for my to come up with the research topic, however, the challenge came when I was required to add a technology component to this area of study. As I searched for this link to marry the two topics, I discovered that I was breaking too far away from the topic that I was originally so passionate about and decided to search for a new topic for research. Well, this new path has led me again down a road that excites me and that I find quite interesting and relevant in this ever growing, technologically advanced time in education.

As an educator, it is important for me to be involved in programs that support my student’s learning and that are effective tools for student development. My school has recently adopted a technology based language arts intervention program designed for those students who are performing below their expected grade level benchmark. The program systematically teaches the critical phonological awareness, auditory processing, and introductory phonics skills required for learning to read and spell. It also develops general cognitive skills that support learning, such as attention and memory. In addition to addressing all of the previous skills, it also teaches language processing skills that are critical for extracting meaning from spoken language and written text.

This intervention program supports components of the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) act and I feel strongly that I should educate myself more on whether or not these programs indeed are effective and are making a large impact on the young students in my school.
I am looking forward to what I may discover about technology based language arts intervention programs and their role in student success.

Here is my problem statement:

I want to learn whether or not K-5 students who are given technology based language arts interventions have a higher level of academic success than those students who receive traditional language arts interventions without the use of technology.

Who: Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Students

What: technology based language arts interventions

Why: to discover whether technology based language arts interventions are more effective than traditional language arts interventions.

If anyone has any information or input on this topic of research or experience with language arts interventions, technology based or not, I would greatly appreciate your insight or suggestions in this area of study!

Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology Relection

Upon reflection of this course, I remember my first application and how it required me to explain what my personal theory of education was. I am also reminded of the feeling I had when I thought to myself that I do not really have just one theory. I have learned, however, throughout this course that it is suitable to combine several theories and create what I think is the best process of instruction and learning for my students and for me as a teacher. I feel confident in my theories and feel better equipped having learned about all of the theories behind how students learn and how I can better assist and facilitate for my students. I today’s classroom, access to various forms of technology and web tools is vital in order to prepare my students to become 21st century learners. Technology creates a very engaging environment that students are interested in and they feel more power to construct their own learning. Upon completion of this course I truly feel more educated on the different ways in which we learn and how to best accommodate for my students in these ways. I feel as thought the most important thing I can do as a teacher is to utilize as many resources as I have to engage students in a variety of ways using a combination of senses. One technology tool that has been introduced to me throughout this course was Virtual Field Trips. I instantaneously loved this tool and was completely unaware of its existence prior to this course. I love this tool and feel as though it is a great way to create visual and auditory representations of many experiences that we may not otherwise get to have. This is an especially helpful tool to use with young students such as my kindergarteners because they are instantly engaged when they see pictures and on top of that, sound. I use these field trips often and I show them on the class SMARTboard. This way it is not only engaging visual and auditory learners, but tactile learners too. I am also going to be sharing a virtual field trip idea with my team for learning about the first thanksgiving and the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people. For the first time we will all be utilizing this excellent tool and allowing our students to travel back to that time period and really experience what it may have been like for them. In addition to virtual field trips I really enjoy utilizing Voice Threads. Both of these tools allow students to be engaged visually and with their hearing. These tools both keep students engaged and they assist students in constructing their own learning.