Using a 21st Century Classroom Grant to Transform Language Arts Classrooms Alice A. Christie, Ph.D. Jan Wolfgramm, M.Ed.

Gililland Middle School Tempe, AZ

Alice A. Christie, Ph.D. Jan Wolfgramm, M.Ed.

Alice, Jan, and Gililland Teachers

Professional Development

Student Participants

District Demographics 24 schools serving grades K-8 Tempe, Guadalupe, and parts of Phoenix 71% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch 50% of students are Hispanic 22% of students are English Language Learners Schools: – 16 elementary schools (Kindergarten – 5 th grade). – 4 middle schools (6 th – 8 th grade) – 2 traditional schools (Kindergarten – 8 th grade) – 1 special education preschool – 1 alternative middle school

School Demographics 864 students 208 ELL students 76% receive free or reduced lunch 67% receive free lunch Ranks lowest in district of four middle schools on numerous achievement measures

21 st Century Classroom Grant Arizona Department of Education One-to-One Laptop Initiative

Purposes of Grant To revolutionize the ways middle school students engage with academics and their peers To motivate and challenge students To prepare students for a knowledge economy that values critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills

Goals of the Grant To transform nine language arts classrooms into technology-rich learning environments that promote: – collaborative learning – problem solving – higher order thinking skills To use technology tools for language arts instruction to motivate students to engage with the curriculum and each other

Goals of the Grant To provide students with technology unavailable to them in their homes To improve student ownership in learning To engage students in dynamic and authentic learning To close the achievement gap that exists between GMS students and their peers To provide ongoing PD for teachers

Classroom Technology Interactive white board (SMART Board) Document camera Learner response devices iMac All-in-One workstation Total Cost per Classroom: $4,861 Grant: laptops per classroom

Nine Language Arts Teachers Participants

Initial Professional Development for Teachers

Principal’s Welcome

PD Personnel and Schedule Dr. Christie – One full day monthly – One-half day monthly with each grade level Ms. Wolfgramm – One full day monthly – One-half day monthly with each grade level – Daily support on individual and small-group basis

Survey Categories Attitudes Toward Technology Teaching Style Technology Skills Classroom Technology Use Level of Technology Use Workshop Strategies Effectiveness of Professional Development Self Assessment

Attitudes Toward Technology 4-point scale

Top Three Student motivation increases when technology is integrated into the curriculum. I use technology in my classroom to help support the state language arts standards. A variety of technologies are important for student learning.

Teaching Styles Still to Come

Changes in Teaching Styles Still to Come

Technology Skills 4-point scale

Technology Skills: Software 5-point scale

Technology Skills: Hardware 5-point scale

Classroom Technology Use 4-point scale

Levels of Technology Use 1=Never 2=Monthly 3=Weekly 4=Twice Weekly 5=Daily How Often Do You …

Daily Use of Hardware 1=Less than 1 hour 2=1-2 hours 3=3-4 hours 4=5 hours 5=All day

Daily Use of Software by Teachers 1=Less than 15 min. 2=15-29 min. 3=30-45 min. 4=45-59 min. 5=1-2 hours 6=More than 2 hours

Use of Software by Students per Period 1=Never 2=Less than 5 min. 3=5-9 min. 4=10-14 min. 5=15-29 min. 6=30-44 min. 7=All Period

Use of Research Tools by Students 4-point scale

Purpose of Research 4-point scale

Effectiveness of Workshop Strategies 4-point scale

Effectiveness of Instructional Elements 4-point scale

Quality of Instruction 4-point scale

Quality of Workshop Activities 4-point scale

Self Assessment I feel confident in my ability to … 4-point scale

Self Assessment 4-point scale

Collaborative Spirit