WPP Part D

My Wicked Problem Project was to implement Khan Academy and Study Island into the classroom.  For this blog post, Part D we were to reflect upon and evaluate the solution that we applied in Part C, the implementation.  Prior to reading this you should have already read my WPP Part C, if you have not, I recommend doing so.  My project  did not get implemented as planned because I do not have a job right now.  So unfortunately, I was unable to apply my WPP to use.   

In my part C blog, I had focused on the different ways to implement Study Island into the classroom with also using Khan Academy within SI (Study Island).  Since I cannot really reflect upon and evaluate this solution, my blog will be focusing on the implications that I will consider for future “wicked problems.”    Though I was not able to have my own real evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice I did find some research about the schools in Massachusetts.  If you click here you will see the summative adequate yearly progress of all the public schools in Massachusetts using SI in their curriculum and not using SI.  This was for the school year of 2005-2006.  You will notice that the schools using SI outdid the schools that weren’t using SI in having a higher score in the aggregate Reading/ELA AYP and the aggregate Math AYP in 2006.  “The schools that used Study Island came from large and small districts and from urban, suburban, and rural locations.” –uxbridgeschools.com  Obviously, implementing SI does make a difference no matter what school size, what district, what location you come from. 

Since I myself wasn’t able to really put this wicked project into practice I am not too sure what approaches I would do differently. I think it would all have to depend upon the results and success of the implementation. But with doing the research it seems that using SI is very effective in the classroom.  In the future when coming across a wicked problem,  I would definitely make sure I know the program/tool inside and out before applying it into the classroom.  I used SI few times in my classroom before I had moved, but I wasn’t really familiar with it.  I was just testing it out because our school had a free trail for a year.  Now after doing this WPP, I feel like I have learned so much more about SI.  One thing I would change especially when implementing any technology resource into the classroom is to make sure that you understand the program, know its potential, know the drawbacks, think about questions that students may have when using it, how to walk the student through the steps, know what could go wrong, have a backup plan, etc.  I would think these things could count as lessons learned that would help benefit others who would like to implement something like this into their classroom.  

I am working towards my MAET so I can be that “techy” teacher, the one who teaches her students to become 21^st century learners.   I plan to spread the word and concept of the importance and benefits technology in the classroom.  As well as  applying the TPACK system into my school building and help my future employees with the integration process.  I want my employees as well as my students to become comfortable and confident when using technology.  As educators, we will continue to run into “wicked problems.”  This is part of education, it is always changing, trying to make things better for our students.  With that comes the learning which never ends. We change things based upon state standards, results of tests, student's engagement, if things went smoothly, the pitfalls we run into, the overall picture, etc.  It is vital that when we do change that we think of TECHNOLOGY. Technology is ever-changing, it's resources surround us.  We have to adapt to it in our classroom and use it because that is what our students will be doing in the real-world which is what we are preparing them for. Our lives revolve around technology and it is now time we start teaching that way too.