1. Mock Action Research Proposal Presentation Heather Boyden

2. Area-Of-Focus Statement The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of technology (I-pad) helps with organizational skills? Specifically, does using a Scan application for eliminating paperwork help with enhancing motivation, completion of assignments, and grades?

3. Related Literature After reviewing and educating myself on how students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders have an impact on organizational skills, I have found that the use of assistive technology (AT) can greatly enhance these skills. Goldberg (2015) states, “ADHD or no ADHD, organization isn't easy for kids. But for children with attention deficit disorder, organizing, prioritizing and managing time are especially challenging” (para 1). My daughter currently uses an I-pad daily, so I will be able to add a scanning application to help with eliminating paperwork.managing time “The use of technology to enhance learning is an effective approach for many children. Additionally, students with LD often experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities (strengths) to work around their disabilities (challenges). AT tools combine the best of both of these practices” (Stanberry, Raskind, 2009, para 2).. “In the school setting, problems with organization manifest as lost or misplaced homework assignments, disorganized bookbag, locker, and binder systems for managing materials, and problems in adequately planning to complete homework” (Langberg, Becker, Epstein, Vaughn, & Girio-Herrera, 2013, p. 1001). According to Stanberry & Raskind (2009), “AT doesn't cure or eliminate learning difficulties, but it can help your child reach her potential because it allows her to capitalize on her strengths and bypass areas of difficulty” (para 4).

4. Defining The Variables I will be working with my 14-year-old daughter, who just became a Freshman in High School. She has a Non-Verbal Learning Disability that prevents her from having the skills to organize. These skills are crucial to her academic success in high school. Without them, she will fail. I needed to propose an intervention that would help her organize to the best of her ability. My daughter currently has an IEP and the use of an I-pad has been utilized in her education plan. I want to utilize this I- pad even more, so that she can scan all of her paperwork into it. By adding a scanning application to her I-pad she will be able to scan all paperwork into a folder. She will then be able to add a folder for each class, so she will have access to all necessary paperwork for each class. It is important that each one of her teacher are on board with this intervention. By having the email addresses of each teacher, she will be able to send all of her completed work electronically. This will reduce the amount of paperwork that she is introduced to daily. All the necessary documents will be stored in her I-pad, so that she will always be able to access them.

5. Research Questions Can the I-pad be used to help eliminate paperwork? Does scanning the paperwork into the I-pad create any difficulties? Will the use of technology for organizing increase?

6. Description Of Intervention or Innovation My daughter is a special education student who has an IEP in place. I will need to add the use of a scanning application to the accommodations necessary to perform the intervention. I will have to set up an appointment with the Special Education Director to add this to her plan. Once this plan is in place, I can speak with each one of my daughters teacher to implement the process. Each teacher will add their email addresses into the I-pad, so that my daughter can access all of her paperwork electronically. This should not take more than a few days to implement. The next process will include finding the appropriate application that will allow her to scan all of her paperwork into her I-pad. One of the applications that is being investigated is call Scan Cam and this is a free application that allows for the necessary component that we need. I want to interview my daughter to see how much she knows about her I-pad and what things she likes and dislikes about it. I also want to work with her on this new application to make sure that she understands the whole process.

7. Data Collection I plan to collect data through interviews, observations, and hand-on participation. I need to first understand how much my daughter knows about the I-pad and how she uses it to help aide in her learning. I need to watch her as she goes through her daily process and also help her add the necessary information that she will need for her intervention. At the end of the few weeks, she will be receiving her first quarter grades. Her grades will be part of the quantitative data that I will use to show if the intervention is successful or not.

8. Data Considerations One of the toughest jobs that I have is separating emotions from actual results. I need to do what I can to ensure that this intervention follows all the proper procedures, so I can get an accurate result. I have to step out of my role as a mom and become a researcher to obtain the necessary information. My own personal feeling and emotions cannot be part of this process because it can affect the overall outcome of the intervention. I want this intervention to be successful, so I need to put all of my own thoughts and feeling aside. I will observe and be an active participant, so that this intervention can be accurately tested.

9. Data Analysis And Interpretation Once I have collected all of my data and information, I will be able to see if this intervention has benefited my daughter. In the initial interview, I was able to gather information into how much she knew about the I-pad. My daughter is very thorough in her knowledge with this assisted technological device. She is able to use it with ease and understands many of its functions. Together we investigated applications that were available for free and that could provide the scanning technology that she needed. We downloaded the Scan Cam application and we were both able to use it with ease. My daughter has begun to make folders for each one of her classes, so that she has places to put her scanned documents. She has begun to scan her loose paperwork into her I-pad. She is currently working with teachers and she scans all paperwork into her I-pad. She is able to scan her papers and complete them on her I-pad. She maintains the copies in her organized folders and has the capacity to e-mail them to her teacher’s when the need to be handed in. Next week, my daughter will be receiving her progress report and this should show an increase in her grades.

10. Action Plan Steps Step 1: Initial interview of my daughter, to get an understanding of her knowledge about the I-pad and its uses. Step 2: Talk with Special Education Director about the proposed intervention, so that it can be implemented in her IEP. Step 3: Collaborate with my daughters teachers, so that they are able to participate in the intervention. They will also be available to assist in the process. Step 4: Collaborate with my daughter and communicate and choose the best scanning application that will assist her. Step 5: Work with my daughter so that we can set up necessary folders to correspond with each class. Step 6: Observe my daughter daily and help her make sure that all papers are appropriately scanned and saved in their correct folders. Step 7: Continue the process until we receive her progress report to check if the intervention is working.

11. References Goldberg, D. (2015). School Organization Tips for Students with ADHD or Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/760.html http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/760.html Langberg, J., Becker, S., Epstein, J., Vaughn, A., & Girio-Herrera, E. (2013). Predictors of Response and Mechanisms of Change in an Organizational Skills Intervention for Students with ADHD. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 22(7), 1000-1012. doi: 10.1007/s10826-012-9662-5 Stanberry, K. & Raskind, M. (2009). Assistive Technology for Kids with Learning Disabilities: An Overview. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-technology-kids-learning-disabilities-overviewttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-technology-k