How Is Classroom Management Software Being Used

Use of Classroom Management Software1

How is Classroom Management Software Being Used

At Dade County High School?

Lori Moore

University of West Georgia

Use of Classroom Management Software1

Introduction

At Dade County High School, many teachers use technology, but some are more progressive with their technology use than others. Teachers that feel comfortable with technology know how to fight for lab time, and have a level of skills that enable them to not have to rely on technical assistance.Most teachers at Dade County High School have received technology training and been incorporating some form of technology in the classroom, however, keeping up with new advancements in technology, such as classroom management systems is more difficult in the present high school culture. Some of the classroom management features in use by more technology savvy teachers include the following:

• Students to collaborate with the teacher and with each other through secure chat and email
• Students can read and respond to discussions as a group
• Students to obtain class materials (documents, videos, web links, etc.) that are posted by the teacher for download or to print
• Assignment boxes can be set up for students to turn in their work
• Individual classes are set up with secure codes
• Teachers can post grades anonymously

Many teachers are not familiar with this software, and the teachers that are could be using more of the features. This study is designed to help determine barriers that exist that keep teachers from using this software and/or using it effectively.

Teachers will be surveyed for interest and usage of classroom management systems, then given the opportunity to learn more about classroom management system software through aprofessional learning session and can see how their peers are using this technology to make classroom management tasks more efficient and time saving. After the session, another survey and a few interviews will be given to look at opinions and efficiency. The findings for barriers that still might exist will be reported. The final goal is to report conclusions to administration and technicians in order to inform them of current barriers in order to find solutions.

The purpose of this study will be to examine the how classroom management systems can be used more effectively at a Dade County High School, Georgia. The study will utilize survey data and interviews to determine if 1) teachers currently use a classroom management system, 2) if there is teacher interest and perceived benefit from using a classroom management system, 3) what features of classroom management systems are currently being used with students and 4) what barriers exist that keep teachers from using classroom management software or using it effectively. The research questions in this study are:

• How are teachers using classroom management systems at DCHS?
• What barriers exist that keep classroom management systems from being used and/or used effectively?

Literature Review

The literature being examined looks at the importance of schools keeping up with technology, the role technology should play in the classroom, barriers to technology usage, and a classroom management system which incorporates many new technology elements.

Importance of Schools Keeping Up With Technology

With new advancements in technology, schoolsare under pressure to incorporate technology into classroom instruction as demonstrated in the Georgia Class Keys Teacher Assessment tool (2009). In this assessment, teachers strive and work toward “Exemplary” teaching practices. A few of the exemplary standards from Georgia Class Keys in which teachers are assessed related to technologyare:

• Engages student in activelearning through explorationand hands-on learning through projects, inquiry processes, andthe use of technology.
• Creatively uses availabletechnology resources to supportresearch-based practices thatmotivate students to higher levelsof learning.
• Use technology tools andresources to access theirknowledge, make comparisons,classify, analyze and engagingin higher-order thinking skills.
• Models and reinforces higher orderthinking skills through theuse of accessible technologytools and resources.

Billions of dollars have been spent to equip schools with the latest technology and research on the effects of the different instructional technologies, and student achievement has been slow and lacking (Cuban & Hurgadon, 2009). Thomas Friedman, in The World is Flat (2005), states that students don’t obtain a new skillset, they will not be able to compete in the workforce and jobs will be outsourced. He also states that teachers need to prepare students for jobs that don’t even exist yet, and warns that educational reform is critical.

The Role Technology Should Play in the Classroom

Many questions still exist regarding the role technology should play in the classroomsuch as how much of a difference do computers, Internet, and online tools make; what types of technology are the most effective; how much should be used and what strategies are most effective; what types of training are needed; and whether and to what extent do teachers believe technology is effective. For these answers, research studies are reporting mixed conclusions, making these issues more complex and administrative decisions difficult. The Georgia Department of Education (GADOE)mandates technology usage in schools as part of curriculum standards as stated on its website:

We are pleased to announce the release of over 400 new GPS aligned performance tasks showcasing the integration of the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) for K-8 mathematics, social studies, science, and English language arts that will assist teachers in providing students with performance based tasks designed to improve their college and career readiness and 21st century skills.

The website also states that development is underway to also provide these and other digital resources aligned to the Georgia Professional Standards (GPS), the Common Core GPS, and assessment results through the Georgia’s Longitudinal Data System (LDS). Even though technology is mandated, it is left to the individual schools to decide how to implement that technology. David Thorburn (2004), in his research on technology integration and educational change, found barriers, such as: (a) lack of time;(b) lack of access;(c) lack of resources;(d) lack of expertise;(e) lack of support as key factors for technology development in schools. In a study by Hew and Brush (2006), these barriers were echoed again, along with the fact that teacher’s attitudes and perceptions can affect willingness to use technology in inventive ways. In the article “Why do teachers not practice what they believe regarding technology integration?”, Chao-Hsiu Chen (2008) categorizes the reasons for inconsistency between teacher’s use of technology as: (a) the influence of external factors;(b) teachers’ limited or improper theoretical understanding;(c) teachers’ other conflicting beliefs.

Barriers to Technology Usage

In Rosen’s Rewired (2011), he dedicates Chapter 8 toconcerns, worries, and barriers of technology use. The author writes of two educators’ with various views in which but both encounter barriers to technology with conflicting beliefs. One teacher is concerned with students not being able to use a card catalog because they only know how to research on the Internet and another would love to “tap into the students’ love of social networks and set up some learning options, but the administrators, parents and even other teachers keep screaming that it is not safe.” Rosen acknowledges that the most serious threat is bullying, but directs the reader to a comprehensive report by the Internet Safety Technical Task Force from Harvard University (2008) that states that other Internet threats are minimal, such as sexual solicitation of children. Giving merit to teachers’ worry about Internet threats to students, the report stated that no single technology could totally keep students safe even with site blockers.

In a dissertation by Cavucci (2009) and other articles, the barrier of lack of teacher training and knowledge is a common issue. Cavucci (2009) states that through teacher conversations, it was apparent that the instructors using the labs were those who received training in technology and education. The study showed that teachers would engage in additional computer technology training if the opportunity was offered to them. Reinhart, Thomas, and Toriskie (2010) take it one step further, stating that not only do teachers need training, but the training needs to be more specific to age and subject versus general use of technology. Hugh and Brush (2006) state that not knowing basic computer terminology and language contributes to the lack of technology usage and contribution of technology integration. They stated that “teachers need to have a technology-supported-pedagogy knowledge and skills base, which they can draw upon when planning to integrate technology into their teaching.”

Another major barrier related to professional learning is time. Again, in multiple studies, such as Hew and Brush (2006), state that an institutional limitation of time for professional learning hampers teaching technology to teachers. In small high schools, common planning is hard to schedule, and teachers are not able to share technology knowledge as freely. Hew and Brush (2006) stated that, “without access to adequate hardware and software, there is little opportunity for teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum.” Cavucci’s (2009) study found that lack of computers in the school buildings was the largest barrier and that updating technology equipment should be a priority.” Even though there are differences in which barrier is most difficult to get across, barriers to teacher’s use of technology in the classroom exist.

New Technologies and Classroom Management Systems

New Web tools are available to help teachers get beyond those barriers that exist. Using technology in the classroom for research, typing papers, and creating presentations has become common practice, but teachers now have the opportunity now to incorporate many types of newer technologies in the classroom, including advanced technologies, such as classroom management software, Web 3.0 (interactive-type) programs, and programs that allow group participation (flexible grouping) online. According to the SearchCIO website, a classroom management system, also known as a course management system or learning management system, is defined as a way to allow a teacher to create and deliver content, monitor student participation, and assess student performance. The classroom management system may also provide students with the ability to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, video conferencing, and discussion forums.

At this point in public education, few dispute that technology helps communication with parents, effectiveness of planning and grading, lesson preparation, etc. Classroom management systems, such as Edmodo (2012), offer secure, cost-free social network options for students and class management tools for teachers.

In late 2008, Nic Borg and Jeff O'Hara, creators of Edmodo, believed there was a need to evolve school environments to reflect the connected world in which we live, and set out to create a tool that closed the gap between how students live their lives and how they learn in school.

As it connects 7,800,000 students and teachers, Edmodo promotes learning to take place anytime and from anywhere with Internet access. According to the Edmodo website, the software allows teachers to post messages, discuss classroom topics, assign and grade classwork, share content and materials, and network and exchange ideas with peers. The software design allows users to check grades, assignments, and to write posts to classmates, teachers and parents. The web technology also allows teachers to post grades, materials, and assign homework to students. Students can then submit the assignments to a dropbox and view their grades for those individual assignments. Teachers can create polls, quizzes, and post topics for discussion. In an attempt to prevent outsiders from joining school networks, Edmodo provides special codes to schools and allows the teacher to give a class password to students in order for them to join a particular class.

In a research study by Laura M. O’Dwyer (2005), University of Massachusetts, teacher technology uses are examined, such as: (a) teacher use of technology for class preparation;(b) teacher use of email for professional purposes;(c) teacher-directed student use during class time;(d) teacher use of technology for delivering instruction; (e) teacher-directed student use of technology to create products such as Web pages, Web sites, Web-based publications, pictures, artwork, graphs, charts, videos, or movies. Research in these areas might bring to the forefront specific types of professional development that is needed to introduce new technologies and how they can be used most effectively.

In a study by Valerie Lopes (2008) on course management systems, several interesting discoveries were made. Lopes concluded that participants in her study felt that only part of the tools or features were used consistently. Those tools were access to course documents, the grade book, and announcements. Items not used as much were email and discussion boards. Knowing what items teachers and students use the most would help administration with future professional development planning.

Learning more about classroom management systems can help aid teachers in incorporating many different types of technology into their classrooms and to help meet expectations of “best practices” as it relates to technology usage expectations. Teachers still have the flexibility to choose what components to incorporate and use with students to maximize curriculum instruction. Knowing what barriers may exist from other teachers may help with construction of future strategies for minimizing, overcoming, or eliminating future barriers.

Methodology

A mixed methods approach will be taken in order to examine current usage, barriers, and interest related to classroom management systems. The process will initially involve approximately 40 teacher participants who will be given an online needs assessment survey to determine knowledge and interest in classroom management systems. Based on these survey results, teachers showing interest will become the remaining participants for the duration of the study and invited to attend a mini-workshop to learn about classroom management systems including advanced features for current users. At the end of the semester, asecond online surveyand possible interviews will be given to those participants to determine if 1) teachers currently use a classroom management system, 2) if there is teacher interest and perceived benefit from using a classroom management system, 3) what features of classroom management systems are currently being used with students and 4) what barriers exist that keep teachers from using classroom management software or using it effectively. The purpose of the interviews will be to further investigate issues that may emerge as the study progresses. The study will use descriptive statistics with qualitative results to add richness to the analysis of the research.

The online surveys and interviews will be secure from the public, but not anonymous. Individual survey data and interview audio recordings and data will be secure and not published with participants’ identity. Interviews will be short, no more than 10 to 20 minutes and will be audio recorded and transcribed.

All online survey results or audio recordings will remain on the primary investigators personal laptop that is password protected or on a secured virtual server to be accessed via password by the principal investigator. Any data and/or results that are printed will be locked in the office filing cabinet of the principal investigator at Dade County High School. Transcriptions will be completed by the principal investigator. No individual will be named as having contributed any certain piece of information.

Data will be kept on the password protected personal laptop computer of the principal investigator or in a locked filing cabinet in the office of the PI at Dade County High School. Data and results from the study (digital and print copies) will be destroyed after a three year period. All conversations will be kept confidential between the principal investigator and participants.

References

Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. (2008). Enhancing child safety and online technologies: Final report of the internet safety technical task force to the multi-state working group on social networking of the state attorneys general of the united states (Research Report). Retrieved from

Cavucci, L. J. (2009). An analysis of barriers and possible solutions in integrating computer technology into middle school curriculum: Findings from a mixed-method approach. (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Retrieved from

Georgia Department of Education. (2009). GeorgiaClass Keys Teacher Assessment. Retrieved from

Cuban, L. & Hurgadon, S. (2006). Oversold and underused: Computers in the classroom? Edtech Live. Podcast retrieved from