1. Integrating Technology in the 4th grade Curriculum for Reading Success
After looking at data with the SIT team I would like to take an active role with helping increase reading test scores. After looking at some different articles I developed strong ideas on how to use benchmark information to improve our student’s achievement after reading and reflecting on the article written by Alison Zmuda. In this article it discusses how the library media specialist should take on a leadership role in student achievement. She discusses how data shows that a strong school library program can affect student achievement as much as percent. After reading this, I realized that I need to make sure that I am doing all I can to help my students. The article suggests that media specialist should view the collection, analysis, and reflection on student achievement data as a primary part of their work. After reading and reflecting on these different articles I decided to meet with the 4th grade team to develop ideas for next year.
A Collaborative Project with 4th grade team and the Media Specialist
By Katie Douglas
Hurlock Elementary School, Media Specialist

2. MSA Data:
Although, MSA Data for 2010 has not been released to the public yet for this school year I was able to go on Performance Matters to analyze the data myself. Currently, does appear that we will not make AYP for Reading. Out of 207 students 70 were basic which is 34% of our population.

3. Looking at individual grades
When analyzing our problem areas it is noted that 3rd grade had an overwhelming amount of basic students. Our 4th and 5th grade had a large number of proficient students and advanced students. After breaking the scores down by grade level most of our 3rd grade students are struggling with reading and need extra help and some different teaching strategies to help them meet success.

4. 3rd grade Scores
This year our 3rd grade team did an excellent job working with them to get many problem behaviors straight. For the past several years we have struggled with behavior and this has currently been managed. Unfortunately, because of all the problems instruction has suffered and most students are below grade level in reading. As a SIT team we have planned to do many interventions and hopefully will help increase their reading levels as 4th graders. As a media specialist what can I do to help? Reading and technology is my primary focus and I wish to explore with the 4th grade team ways we can help all of the students reach success. After this has been implemented in 4th grade my goal is to do this school-wide but for the primary focus this year I would like to spend a lot of time working with 4th grade.

5. Technology Integration
Kid Blog
Read-Write-Think (Online Brochure)
Glogster
GoAnimate
Voicethread
After meeting with the 4th grade team we brainstormed ways that the media specialist could help with reading instruction. Some of this will take place in the classroom with the teacher but the majority will happen during library time. Our schedule for library time is that all students will have media for 50 minutes during one week of the month. This will allow time for projects to be completed. These teachers also took my professional development courses that were offered last year that showed how to use glogster and voicethread. When showing the team the other different technology projects that we could do for language arts these were the one that we decided to implement based on reasons of group dynamics and instructional purposes.

6. Current Research that we want to Implement
Focus on Multiple Intelligences
Differentiate Instruction
Develop Assessments
Technology for Diverse Learners
After looking at the technology we want different research to drive our instruction and after reading several articles we decided that the Multiple Intelligences will meet all the needs of our students. With utilizing the multiple intelligences in our unit plans we are guaranteed to reach all learners.
We are hoping to have another visit from Dr. Tomilson this year but we decided to look at her research on diffentiated instruction. This groups of students are either have a very high level of reading or a very low level of reading. After looking at her research not only can I reform how I develop my units by incorporating the assessment aspect but I can also use the performance matters data to develop my units.
In the library you have a lot of freedom to teach different skills. By analyzing classroom benchmarks you can look at the objectives that they have not mastered in the past benchmark and develop a unit that incorporates my technology goals and the reading objectives that the students are struggling with. Dr. Tomilson also suggests that assessment should be used at the beginning of a unit of study rather than at its completion. Through performance matters I can look at what skills the students have already mastered and choose a different topic of study.

7. Assessment Formative Summative Teacher Observation
Student Engagement
Student Survey’s
Project Rubrics
Benchmark Data
MSA Scores
DIBELS Data
During the school year we plan on using the performance matters data to help develop our classroom and library units. In the library you have a lot of freedom to teach different skills. By analyzing classroom benchmarks we can look at the objectives that they have not mastered and develop a unit that incorporates the technology goals and the reading objectives that the students are struggling with. Although, the different technology programs have been decided through our team meetings we can adjust what curriculum we want to focus on to help students achieve success. Dr. Tomilson also suggests that assessment should be used at the beginning of a unit of study rather than at its completion. During each of our technology units we are going to incorporate assessments at the beginning and the end. Through performance matters we can look at what skills the students have already mastered and choose a different topic of study.

8. NET-T Standards I. Information Access, Evaluation,
Processing and Application
II. Communication
IV. Assessment for Administration and
Instruction
V. Integrating Technology into the Curriculum and Instruction
VI. Assistive Technology
VII. Professional Growth
During the professional development aspect of this project the following National Educational Teacher Technology Objectives will be met. This will be done on a small scale with the 4th grade team and hopefully after implementation reading score will increase.

9. Staff Development
Meet after school weekly to discuss progress and plans
Explore programs together
Analyze benchmarks and future steps
We will be meeting weekly to plan what technology integration will occur with the different themes taught in Houghton Mifflin. Instruction will begin in the library by introducing the students to the technology programs and then the teachers will utilize it in the classroom. Although, I will be setting up the programs the teachers will be learning how to implement them and use them. As a team we will also analyze the benchmarks and discuss how to use them in the classroom.

10. Media Specialist Leadership Role
Set up technology programs
Train teachers for use in the classroom
Support for teachers
Help develop units and assessments
The five leadership qualities that I would like to demonstrate are honesty, always look-forward, competent, inspiring, and to have intelligences with the technology programs. I am looking forward to supporting the 4th grade team and to help develop the units and assessments.

11. Financial Support VoiceThread (Media Budget) Glogster (Ambassador)
Kidsblog and Read-Write-Think are free programs
Teachers and Media Specialist working together during school hours
PD is volunteer
Currently this year we are in a major budget crisis. We have had to place intervention teachers back in the classroom to decrease class sizes and everyone has received a decrease in their instructional budget. The wonderful thing about our idea is that all the programs are online and most free. VoiceThread has already been allotted in the media center budget and has been paid for. For students to have an individual account on VoiceThread we are using the premium version. As for Glogster the school has received a premium version for the next year because Katie Douglas, Media Specialist has become an ambassador for them to receive this program at no cost. For the professional development we have agreed to meet during school hours and afterschool one day a month to discuss the units and to learn the technology components. We have discussed that we will not ask for compensation but are doing this for our love of technology and because we want our students to have reading success.

12. Next Steps Fear not other grade level teams
Implement technology units in other grade levels after seeing the success
Offer Professional Development for these technology programs
This is the just first step of integrating technology to increase reading scores. After showing the success of our 4th grade group we hope to then use it with other grade level teams that are interested. Change is a process that happens over time.

13. Bibliography
School improvement in Maryland. (n.d.). School improvement in Maryland. Retrieved July 18, 2010, from
ISTE | NETS S. (n.d.). International society for technology in education | Home. Retrieved July 17, 2010, from
Maryland teacher technology standards. (n.d.). Maryland Teacher Technology Standards (MTTS). Retrieved July 18, 2010, from
Libraries, A. A. (1998). Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2008). Learning to Love Assessment. Educational Leadership , 8-13.
Performance matters. (2010, July). Retrieved from
Zmuda, A. (2006). Where does your authority come from? Empowering the Library Media Specialist as a True Partner in Student Achievement. School Library Monthly .