Inquiry Project

Running head: Technology Use in the Elementary Curriculum
Inquiry Project: Technology Use in the Elementary Curriculum
Julie Dawson and Katie Hardy
James Madison University
In partial fulfillment of requirements for the Masters of Arts in Elementary Education
December 9, 2016
Dr. Holly McCartney

TECHNOLOGY USE IN THE ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM
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Introduction
As graduate students in Elementary Education at a state university in Virginia, we will be
completing qualitative research within the field of Education. One issue that has been a topic of
interest for both of us throughout our years of education is technology in the classroom. We
would like to research and observe ways that technology is used to teach different subject in the
classroom and understand how teachers and students feel about its use. Technology and its use
in the classroom seems to be an ongoing problem and debate throughout the country. The main
concern is whether or not technology in the classroom is a valuable tool for students regarding
their education and growth in many different levels. We found an abundance of literature on our
topic, have narrowed our focus, and developed our research questions.
The main question for our research will be:
In what ways is technology used as an instructional tool across the content areas
of math, literacy, science and social studies in an elementary classroom
Sub questions we will also consider are:
How do teachers and students feel about using technology in the different
subjects?
We intend to use both of our placements to compare and discover just how much
technology is used in the classroom and the direct benefits and reasoning behind it. We were
lucky enough to grow up in a stage of life where we watched technology bloom and take over so
many different parts of our lives. The students that we will be working with in our classroom will
not be the same type of students we were when we were in school. They will have grown up in a
different age when technology was all around them from the start. It is important for us to keep
this in mind and use this as a helpful tool in working with students and figuring out what is best
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for their education. Both of us are in the beginning stages of our journeys as teachers. We have
taken many education classes up to this point in our lives and have clearly developed our own
theories on teaching from the impact of theorists before us. Vygotsky's ideas on scaffolding and
the zone of proximal development have helped us in beginning our research. Vygotsky proposed
in Mind and Society, that in order for a student to learn a concept or skill, the concept or skill had
to be within what he called the students zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978). The
zone of proximal development is a theory used to determine what a student is capable of
learning. If a concept or skill is something that a student could do with the help of a more
knowledgeable other, then that concept or skill is something they could perform on their own
after learning it with support. Vygotsky called the support that students receive in order to learn
scaffolding. The goal is to focus instruction on a level that is just a step above what the student is
capable of on their own without support. With support or scaffolding, the student can learn the
concept or skill and practice with their supportive mentor or more knowledgeable other until they
are comfortable to do it on their own.Vygotskys theory can be very beneficial in helping
teachers to plan out their instruction. It helps them to think through the knowledge and skills that
their students are expected to master and determine the order in which to teach those things.
These ideas have helped us in planning and gathering ideas for our own research. Technology
can be a great tool used to challenge students in higher level thinking. We must first know our
students and connect with them on a deeper level to ever fully be able to be a successful teacher.
One of our first steps is understanding that these students are born into an era of technology and
we need to figure out the best ways to use this in our own classroom.
We are doing this project because we both have a common interest and goal in how to
best help the students in our classroom. Research that we have read so far has shown the
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incredible benefits to using technology in the classroom, regarding academic improvement,
better understanding, higher class participation, and social growth between students. These are
all positive attributes any classroom would aspire to have. We are also curious to see if there are
a negative aspects of incorporating technology into the classroom, like any time or risk issues
with using the technology itself (Zipke, 2012). Now we would like to take this research into our
own hands and figure out what teachers and students are doing in the classroom when it comes to
incorporating technology into the elementary curriculum. Although we are researching what
technology is used within different subjects, our personal goals are to ultimately see the effects
on teachers and students from using the technology. We would like to figure out what works best
for what students and why? What works best for what subjects and why? What does not work
and why? How could we best incorporate this into our own classroom one day? If a school is not
able to afford certain technology what do they use instead? There are many different factors and
questions that will stem from our own research, but our ultimate goal is always how to have the
most positive impact on our students learning and growth. We are interested to see how we are
able to bring together our research from our different practicum placements to see how much the
differences in the age of our students, location, teachers, and school systems effects any
differences in our research.
As a teacher, you can never stop learning. Each and every day your students will teach
you almost as much as you teach them. That is why it is important to continue teacher research
throughout your lifetime. This is just the start for us, however our research will be very
significant to us and other teachers in general. Whether or not technology has a major impact on
your life, it is important to know how much of an impact it has on the lives of your students and
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future students. The amount of classrooms with SmartBoards that sit in a classroom untouched is
the reason we would like to continue our research. There are plenty of resources out there for
teachers to become educated on how to correctly use technology in the classroom and it is a
waste for those who do not take advantage of this. Overall, we would like to help our students
and our future students the best way we can. We realize we live in a world of technology and we
want to be prepared as best as we can to incorporate these ideas into our classroom. Researching
how and what technology is used in the classroom today will be a great start to our lives as
teachers and continuing our teacher research.
Literature Review
Since the advent of computers in the mid 1970s, educators have extensively discussed the
potential they have for helping to improve student learning (Hew & Brush, 2007). But computers
are not the only technological options open to educators. Schools have recently experienced an
increase in the types of information and communication technologies available. Most schools
currently have high speed Internet access as well as other digital equipment such as printers,
video projectors, digital whiteboards, iPads, iPods, and smartphones. These expanded technology
options have transformed the educational landscape (Robinson, Mckenna, & Conradi, 2012).
Research has indicated that technology can increase student motivation, attitude, engagement,
and self-confidence, while improving organization and study skills. World-wide teachers are
struggling to find the most effective ways to integrate technology into their instruction.
Hutchison and Reinking (2011) in their survey of 1,441 United States educators found a
significant gap between teachers perceptions of the importance of integrating technology and
their classroom use of these skills. Hew and Brush (2007) in their meta-analysis of 48 studies on
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technology integration classified the identified barriers to integration into five main categories:
resources, knowledge and skills, institutional attitudes and beliefs, assessments, and culture.
In another study, three hundred and ten students enrolled in online classes in the graduate
studies in the education department at a small private liberal arts institution in the southeast were
invited to complete an anonymous survey regarding their technology usage, and the barriers and
benefits K-12 teachers and students experienced when using educational technology. Analysis of
demographic information revealed most respondents taught in the areas of reading and/or
language arts. Nearly two-thirds identified they taught in STEM classes (math and science) while
fewer than 10% taught elective classes. With regard to technology utilized in the classroom, most
respondents indicated they used a computer (100%) and digital projector (89%) at least weekly
with most indicating they used a computer interactive whiteboard (56%), digital camera (48%) or
iPad (47%) at least once a month. Nearly three fourth of the respondents indicated they never
used text messaging in their classrooms and half indicated they never used smart phones in their
instructional delivery. Increased student engagement was the most frequently perceived benefit
of incorporating technology. About half of the respondents indicated that the use of technology
increased student engagement. A quarter of the respondents indicated the benefit of increased
student understanding. The remaining quarter of responses were split between technology
providing a method for differentiation, an opportunity to work on researching skills, and
providing more current content information (Carver, 2016).
Overall, the results indicated that first order barriers, such as technology availability, are
still major concerns that impact both student and teacher use. Equipment availability, more than
any other factor, seemed to have the greatest impact on whether technology was incorporated
into classroom instruction. Teacher knowledge and skill, although a concern, was not the
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teachers first consideration. The major reason teachers chose to use technology was because
they felt it resulted in increased student engagement. Some of the same factors that impacted
whether students used the computer were evident in the decision whether teachers used
technology. Equipment availability, instructional time schedules, and curricular concerns were
all concerns that impacted both teacher and student technology usage. Teachers in Carvers study
more frequently viewed technology as a tool for increasing student engagement and
understanding rather than for the higher order skills of research and evaluation thus supporting
Hutchinson and Reinkings (2011) findings that teacher are not using technology as frequently
for evaluating information (Carver, 2016). Increasingly students are reading and writing with the
new technologies when outside of school (Johnson, Adams & Cummins, 2012) and to varying
degrees in their classroom as well. The Common Core standards integrate technology into both
its reading and writing standards (National Governors Association, 2010). Still there is debate
about technology use in classroom teaching.
Technology in Schools Today
There are many things to keep in mind when incorporating technology into schools. The
concerns discussed earlier, equipment availability, instructional time schedules, and curricular
concerns are valid, and should be addressed when technology is used in schools. However, to
possibly address these concerns, there are different types, or levels, of technology use that can be
incorporated into schools. Some of the common strategies for integrating technology into the
classroom, include bring your own device (BYOD), blended learning, flipping the classroom,
and online learning (Delgado, Wardlow, McKnight, & OMalley, 2015). Bring your own device
provides a classroom or school environment where every student brings a personally owned
digital device to school to use for academic purposes (Delgado, et. al., 2015, p. 402). Blended
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learning includes learning that takes place both in face-to-face sessions and sessions held online.
A flipped classroom is an educational model where students do most of the learning at home,
usually through guided online modules and use of technology, while classroom time is dedicated
to reinforcing ideas and reviewing content that was learned outside of the classroom. Online
learning is a classroom environment where content instruction is completed entirely through
online means, whether through a learning management system (LMS) or other means. These four
environments are created to utilize the technology that is available today; however, any kind of
technology integration can be helpful. Studies have found that approximately 97% of K-12
teachers now have one or more computers in the classroom every day and also have access to
additional technological devices, the ratio of students-to-computer has decreased from 11 to 1 to
1.7 to 1 in the classroom every day, and approximately, 93% of computers in K-12 classrooms
have access to the Internet every day (Delgado, et al., 2015).
When it comes to integrating technology into the classroom, it is important to remember
that technology is a tool. Murphy, DePasquale and McNamara state that technology
applications should be among the many tools at teachers disposal to offer children meaningful
learning opportunities (2003, p. 2). Some of the technology applications they describe include
encouraging students to complete research, using multimedia presentations and word processing
applications, and teaching students how to use different kinds of technologies (Murphy, et al.,
2003). Technology integration and use can benefit many students in the general classroom, as
long as it is used in developmentally appropriate ways and used correctly.
In a general education classroom, students can have a wide range of abilities and
disabilities and it is up to the classroom teacher to meet the needs of all of his or her students.
Technology can be a tool that can help meet the needs of some of those students. For example,
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Beal-Alvarez and Cannon found in their study that different kinds of technology are used to
reach students that are deaf or hard of hearing from as young as preschool age (2015). Some of
the technology that was used included animation, videos, and close-captioning all multimedia
that is shown to students. One finding Beal-Alvarez and Cannon noted was that students were
exposed to more text when everything they viewed was closed captioned, and it also helped with
their reading comprehension (2015). Another study focused on students with special needs. In a
Canadian study by Johnson, special education teachers were asked how they felt about using
iPads in their classrooms, with the students aging from 5-13 years of age (2013). The overall
findings in her study were that teachers had positive experiences when their students used iPads,
especially noting that using the iPads held childrens attention, and that students found learning
to be fun. Johnson also notes that the teachers who were technology-savvy, or more confident in
using technology had more success with using iPads in their classrooms (2013). Both of these
studies show how technology can be beneficial to meet needs of different students, in addition to
the students that can be found in a general education classroom.
Technology can be used in content areas that teachers are responsible for teaching their
students. One of the many pressures teachers face is helping their students achieve high test
scores in mathematics and reading, and studies have found that teaching these content areas with
technology as a tool provides positive results. McDermott and Gormley discovered different
ways technology can be incorporated in reading lesson to make them more engaging and help
increase childrens digital literacy skills (2016). McDermott and Gormley researched including
SMARTboards for displaying multimedia and interactive lessons, and students using individual
devices for differentiated activities; students were exposed to and interacted with different kinds
of technology, which were used as a tool to help teach reading content. In another study by
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Linder (2012) found that teachers were using interactive whiteboards in mathematics lessons for
young children (PreK-3rd grades). Linder stressed that the interactive whiteboard should be used
to introduce a topic, to stimulate discussion, or to connect math concepts to real-world
situations (2012, p. 28). Other technologies that she recommends to use for mathematics
instruction include virtual manipulatives and webquests. (Linder, 2012).
Technology can also be used when teaching science and social studies content, however,
there isnt as much research dedicated to these two subjects, which can be due to the
overwhelming focus on reading and mathematics due to standardized testing. The application of
technology in these subjects are more limited, like using SMARTboards to display pictures or
related videos (Lucey, Shifflet, & Weilbahcer, 2014). One study found that while analyzing
elementary school teachers using SMARTboards and manipulatives in their science classrooms,
only 7% of the teachers have received some level of training in using the SMARTboard (Martin,
Shaw Jr., & Daughenbaugh, 2014).
When used correctly and appropriately, incorporating and using technology in the
elementary classroom can have a positive impact (Murphy, et al., 2003). However, there are a
some disadvantages that come with incorporating technology, like taking instructional time to
use the hardware and the risk of students damaging the technology itself (Zipke, 2012). Also,
there are some concerns with how non-interactive technology can impact a childs
development and even lead to a rise in childhood obesity and other health problems (Fred Rogers
& NAEYC, 2012). Just like with any tool or teaching practice, it is important to know the
positives and negatives of said tool or practice, and technology is no exception. It is also
important for teachers to make informed choices that maximize learning opportunities for
children while managing screen time and mediating the potential for misuse and overuse of
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screen media (Fred Rogers & NAEYC, 2012, p. 3). Living in the digital age that we are a part
of today, incorporating technology into todays classrooms can help engage and teach students
and help educate a generation of students that are being raised by the technology around them.
Methods
Participants
The two main researchers in this study are both graduate students in the elementary
education program at a state university in a town located in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
We have combined field experiences in kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grade. We also
both had the opportunity to have a month long practicum in the primary schools in a small town
in Northern Ireland the summer we began the graduate portion of our program. For this research
question, we are placed in elementary schools surrounding the university in second grade
classrooms. One school is very diverse in a city near the university and many students that come
to this school are from low-income families. The classroom itself is made up of hispanic and
children from middle eastern countries who have immigrated to this area who all speak English.
The second school is in a rural town outside of the university, and is made up of students who
come from middle to low income families; the majority of the class is caucasian and there are no
English Language Learners.
For this inquiry project, we worked with many people to collect our data. First of all, we
observed and interviewed the students in our classrooms. Because they are minors, we obtained
permission through a release form that was given to their parents explaining the purpose of our
project . We also worked with the teachers in our classrooms, and other teachers and in the
schools.
Collecting Data
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For this inquiry project, we collected data on how the teachers and students use
technology in the classrooms in which we are placed. The methods that we used to collect data
include observations, interviews, and documentation. We used qualitative methods to collect
data, and triangulated the data by using multiple sources to compare the data we collect and
cross-check for similarities and themes (Mills, 2007). By using multiple methods, it also helped
establish our credibility and validity of our research. Some of the strategies that we used for
collecting data came from what Guba (1981) suggested to use for establishing credibility, like
prolonged participation at the study site (our classrooms) and doing member checks with each
other throughout the semester (Mills, 2007).
Qualitative methods best fit teacher research, and are best for our research questions,
because they rely on non numerical data such as words and pictures and deal more with how
research that looks to understand certain phenomena or people (Johnson & Christensen, 2012,
p. 33). The type of data that can be used with qualitative methods can easily be found in a
classroom: observations, interviews, field notes, photos, videos, etc. Qualitative data can also be
easily turned into written narratives and analyzed and is data that can be used to help understand
the research question or problem (Castle, 2012).While quantitative data requires more controlled
conditions and environments, qualitative research takes place in more natural environments,
which would easily be the classrooms in which we are placed. Qualitative research is used to
study human behavior, which teachers would generally be doing since teachers are always
looking for ways to make learning easier for a specific group of humans: the children in their
classrooms. We, as preservice teachers, will practice using qualitative methods for our inquiry
question.
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Data gained through observations can be the most important data in a teacher research
study because it may help determine whether an approach is being studied is successful or
unsuccessful (Castle, 2012, p. 73). As preservice teachers, we observed many things in the
classroom, but for this research question we paid particular attention to how technology is being
used in the classroom by both students and teachers. We took detailed notes on the observations
we made, whether it be as a passive observer or as we participated in the classroom with
technology. Another strategy that Castle suggests for making observations in the classroom is to
use recording devices such as audio recorders and video cameras the advantage to these
devices is that they provide a record of observations that objectively captures what happened in
such a way that the recordings can be viewed as many times as necessary which was helpful
when it comes time to analyze the data (2012, p. 78).
In addition to observing in classrooms, we conducted interviews with students and
teachers. Patton describes that the main purpose of an interview is to find out what is in and on
someone elses mind and to allow us to enter into the other persons perspective (2002, p.
341). Conducting interviews was helpful to hear the teacher and student perspectives on using
technology in the classroom. What we have found in our research could be similar or different to
what teachers actually believe, and students may have a completely different perspective on
using technology than their teachers. Because we interviewed students in addition to teachers and
other adults, there are a couple of things we had to keep in mind: first, that the setting of where
the interview takes place is comfortable for the child, with few distractions and privacy, and
secondly, encourage children to give thoughtful answers, but not to push them too hard and end
the interview if a child is not interested or forthcoming in responding (Castle, 2012, p. 79). We
used questionnaires with teachers throughout the schools. Castle mentions that it is a good idea
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to include a catch all question so that we get as much information as possible and dont miss
anything important in our interview (2012, p. 82). Our interview questions included questions
about experiences, opinions, feelings, or knowledge about using technology in the classroom
(Merriam, 2009).
We also collected documents that already exist in the classroom. Castle mentions that a
good question for a teacher researcher to ask is what documents are currently available that
might be analyzed to help answer the research question (2012, p. 90). For our purposes, some
existing documents include audio recordings from interviews, field notes, lesson plans that
incorporate technology, test scores from programs like REFLEX, and pictures.
Organizing and Analyzing the Data
As we collected our data throughout the semester, we planned on analyzing the data by
categories or themes. Castle (2012) describes this as breaking the data down to smaller groups,
finding connections and similarities or differences amongst the data that will help us better
understand our research question about technology. She also stresses the importance of labeling
data as we collect it, whether it be by the data, the activity taking place, or the information from a
specific child or adult that we obtained the data from.
We organized our data first by the type of data we had: observations, interviews, and
documents. Next, we coded some our data by looking for keywords like fun and learning
and also by what kinds of technologies were being used and for what purpose in the classroom
(Mills, 2007, p. 124). When it came to analyzing interviews, we followed Mills idea, which
involves a careful reading of the transcript to identify broad themes that emerge from the data
that will help answer your research questions (2007, p. 126). In addition to coding the
individual types of data, we analyzed all our data through the process of triangulation, which is
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the process of using multiple sources, or types of data for assertions or themes that we find
(Castle, 2012). By triangulating all the data we collected, we found some common themes about
technology from both classrooms.
Findings
Based on the data we have collected, the students in our classroom are exposed to a wide
variety of technology in their classrooms. Unfortunately, the use of this technology is limited on
what they can do. Meaning, most students in our classroom use the same app or website each
day. Both our classrooms are lucky enough to have iPads, SMARTboards, and computers, as
well as computer lab time for the whole class. One classroom is allowed to go to the computer
lab twice a week for 30-45 minutes, whereas the other classroom is only allowed to go to the
computer lab once a week. When we triangulated our data, we discovered a few themes that
emerged, based on student interviews, observations, and teacher surveys.
Repeated Technology with Literacy and Mathematics Instruction

After triangulating our data, one of the first things we noticed was that the students in our
classrooms are exposed to repeated technology throughout the day, focused in literacy and
numeracy.
The most beneficial app that we have noticed in both schools is the math program
REFLEX, which can be used on the computer or on the iPad. This is a paid program from the
school but can be accessed at home by using the username and password given to each student.
Each student has their own account and they can earn coins by playing games that are based on
a specific math fact they are learning. These facts increase difficulty as they are mastered. After
being able to sit with students while they play these games, we were able to observe that the
repeated number bonds, a mental picture of the relationship between a number and the parts that
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combine to make it, and instructional games allowed students to catch on fast to facts they were
not learning during regular math time. During other times throughout the day, we heard multiple
students reference that they remember that from reflex math or learned that from reflex
math.This observation demonstrates support for positive benefits.
One classroom is also fortunate enough to work with an app called MyOn, an online
digital library from Capstone books, which the students use during small group reading. The
students login into their individual account, which has a suggested list of books for them to
choose from and read. With teacher assistance, all students started with the same selection of
books, and then as the students read and took quizzes after reading, the app uses algorithms to
determine what books students should read next. During observations of this app, we noticed that
the students have much more freedom in choosing books to read. This was both a positive and a
negative because some students were able to challenge themselves, while other students hit a
frustration level. Compared to other apps, this one provided the most freedom for students as
well as the most difficulty and confusion for them. The other classroom uses an app similar to
MyOn called Tumblebooks, which lets students choose books that they can either read or have
read to them, like an audio book. They only have access to this app during literacy centers.
The data we collected showed technology being used mainly for literacy and
mathematics, which is probably due to the pressure from schools and districts for students to
perform well in those subjects. However, technology could be used in other subjects, especially
since technology can be used for instruction overall.
Using Technology for Instruction
Unfortunately the biggest downfall we noticed was that some students dont really
understand some of the rules of the games they are playing or some of the other technologies that
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these students use. Although we are there to support each student during this time, normally the
iPad apps are an individual activity for these students while teachers are in small groups, so these
students would not always be open to this sort of assistance. There will not always be an adult
that can walk through troubles with the iPad, especially since the classroom teacher was always
working with another small group.
Both classrooms also have a SMARTboard available to them, but the educational
purposes of using this technology are slim to none. The only use of this in one classroom is for
students to order their lunch or as a projector for something on the doc cam or a video online. In
another classroom, the SMARTboard is used for morning check in and brain breaks. Based on
our observations so far, it is hard to know how successful the use of SMARTboards are in our
classroom based on the lack of educational use.
Another app used in both classrooms is SeeSaw, which is a free website for students to
upload items created on an iPad that can also be shared with parents. The teacher has to approve
what gets uploaded. This is a great app for students to share what they have learned, as well as
for other students, parents, and teachers to look at other students work.
We have also seen iPads being used for instructional purposes like retelling stories. In
one of the classrooms, one of us had the opportunity to use iPads for a creativity lesson on
retelling the story about the first Thanksgiving. The students had the opportunity to use the
Puppet Pals app, which had students record a movie using scenes and puppet characters
provided by the app. Students were engaged and described how they liked using the app to help
tell their story. While working with this app, students were not tempted to move on to other apps,
which helps show how engaged they were. They also discussed with each other in their groups of
what characters they were planning on using and also gave each other tips on what to do. The
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cooperating teacher even remarked on how easy it was for the app to use, and made an
observation that students started to use the app during their free time to create their own stories.
When asked about what they liked about this app, one student, Emily, mentioned that she liked
moving my characters around and recording the video. Another student, Daniel, said he really
liked watching other peoples videos on the SMARTboard, which they were able to do after
everyone created their videos. This example helped show how technology could be used for
instruction, but it is important to keep in mind that sometimes technology is not used for
instructional purposes.
Concerns with Technology

Technology use in the classroom is constantly changing and evolving, and schools are
trying to adopt new technologies and policies as often as possible. However, while these changes
can have a positive impact, we collected some data from teachers and students that show that
there are some concerns with all the technology use in the classroom.
One of the pieces of data we collected came from a survey that was given to our
cooperating teachers. This survey asked for teachers to evaluate themselves on how confident
they feel about using technology and how technology is used in their classroom and school. One
teacher felt mainly confident and excited about using technology in her classroom, but had some
concerns like troubleshooting problems that occur with technology and how there is not enough
teacher support and training on how to use many of these new technologies. Her results from this
survey also coincide with some observations that were made in her classroom. There was one
day where her SMARTboard decided to stop working, and she had no idea what to do to fix it.
She ended up putting in a work request, but it took more than half the day for someone to come
in and spend another hour updating the software, which was distracting for students and resulted
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in the SMARTboard being out of use for the day. Based on the survey results from another
cooperating teacher, as well as teachers on her team, we noticed similarities in many responses.
All of the teachers surveyed at this school were females in their mid to late 30s. These teachers
were all in agreement that they were very excited about where technology was headed. They
were all confident in saying that technology was definitely beneficial to students learning in
their classrooms. Although all teachers chose different apps to work with, they all agreed that
what they used was working and were confident in their choices. There was some disagreement
between the teachers on whether or not the way they implemented this technology in the
classroom was working in regards to independent work. Some teachers agreed that they would
like to have more of an eye on what the students were doing while using this technology, while
other teachers believed it was helpful to allow the students to work alone during this time.
Overall, teachers seemed to have a confident outlook on using technology, but had their own
skepticism about certain problems they noticed in their own classroom.
As stated earlier, we also had the opportunity to interview students in addition to giving
teachers a survey. Before we interviewed these students, we had the general notion that these
students would tell us that they really like using technology in school, and would maybe even
prefer it to using anything else in school. However, we received mixed responses about the
feelings second graders had about using technology in school. Some students liked using
technology in school because they can play fun games and using technology makes some
things easier to do. Other students mentioned how they only like using technology some of the
time, and one student, Matt, made the comment that he prefers sticking to old-fashioned things
like using real physical books or writing with a pencil and paper instead of typing. When asked
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to explain that thinking, he just repeated that he likes using older things like paper and pencils
because they were sometimes easier to use.
Another thing that came up when conducting interviews with students was how they got
frustrated with using different technologies. John mentioned that when using MyOn, the quizzes
were too hard and that the books are too easy and he wanted a more challenging story.
Another student, Caroline, mentioned that when using iPads or computers, the screen could
sometimes be too bright or too dark, and that she was less willing to use the technology when she
was tired in the morning. Also, another student, Evan, mentioned how while its great that we
have all this technology, he is sometimes afraid to use it, since lots of the technology he uses in
the classroom is fragile, and could easily be broken if it fell out of his hands. This same student
also mentioned that his favorite piece of technology is a computer, since it is more stationary and
has less of a chance of me breaking it.
Fun vs. Learning

Another theme that emerged from our data was the juxtaposition between fun and
learning. Sometimes this line was blurred, where the technology was used as a tool and was fun
at the same time, but sometimes the data we collected fell in one column or the other.
For example, we had the opportunity to interview students about how they felt about
technology they used. When we interviewed these students, we asked the students if they thought
the technology they were using actually helped them learn. Once again, we were surprised with
how honest these students were with their answers, which boiled down to that sometimes
technology helps them learn, but there are also times where it is just for fun and games. A couple
of students mentioned how MyOn does help them choose their own books, even if they are on
the easier side. A couple of students also mentioned how the math program Reflex does help
21
them learn and master math facts. One student even gave the example of now knowing that
9+9= 18 and 20+20=40, and the student was happy to know that fact right away. When it came
to talking about Reflex, a few students did mention how they like learning the math facts, but
they like decorating their character, or avatar, more. Another student mentioned specifically how
they like Reflex because it makes math fun some people think math is so boring, but with
Reflex I like to think of it as like a game while you are learning.
These interviews supported our own observations of the students using the technology
themselves. Based on our observations, students spent almost as much time working on math
problems as they did creating a character. Since this is an individual activity for the students,
there was no stopping them if they wanted to spend all of their time during the math rotation
creating a certain character. The same problem seems to occur when students are working on
MyOn. The freedom to choose any book they would like to seems to interfere with their own
learning. Since many students complain that the suggested books are too easy for them, the
students are allowed to browse through any of the stories to select ones themselves. This leads to
students spending a good portion of their time simply searching from a book, or students are
selecting books that are way above their reading level and simply looking at pictures of things
they like. In contrast, if students were to go to the library to search for a book, the librarian
would be there to help them in the process. However, with this app, it is not easy to assist each
student. Both of these are a cause for concern. At the same time, we are still able to observe how
the freedom to select their own book leads to more enthusiasm to read, as well as games during
REFLEX math allow more student interest.
Discussion
22
After collecting and analyzing our data, we had the opportunity to connect our findings to
the literature that we have already reviewed. Mills states that contextualizing the findings in
literature is a powerful way for teacher researchers to provide support for the studys findings
(2007, p. 136). For this inquiry project, we connected many of our findings to a variety of
literature resources.
Both of our classrooms had students with IEPs, as well as students on the spectrum, but
we had no students directly involved with special education care. This means that we were not
able to compare our own study to that of Beal-Alvarez and Cannon. This would be interesting
research to follow up on because their research noted that students were exposed to more text
when everything they viewed was closed captioned, and it also helped with their reading
comprehension (2015). Although both of our teachers were fortunate enough to have
SMARTboards in their classrooms, we were not fortunate enough to observe these actually being
utilized in an educational way to benefit students learning. McDermott and Gormleys research
supports using SMARTboards for displaying multimedia and interactive lessons, and students
using individual devices for differentiated activities. This means that students were exposed to
and interacted with different kinds of technology, which were used as a tool to help teach reading
content. This is another thing that we would love to have researched or observed more of during
this time.
Our research best coincided with Carver, who found increased student engagement as the
most frequently perceived benefit of incorporating technology. About half of the respondents in
Carvers study indicated that the use of technology increased student engagement. A quarter of
the respondents indicated the benefit of increased student understanding. The remaining quarter
of responses were split between technology providing a method for differentiation, an

23
opportunity to work on researching skills, and providing more current content information
(Carver, 2016). This related to our research because we saw the same type of increase in student
engagement as well as student understanding.
Linder stressed that the interactive whiteboard should be used to introduce a topic, to
stimulate discussion, or to connect math concepts to real-world situations (2012, p. 28). The
connection of math concepts to real-world situations was seen in both of our classrooms as a way
technology was used to help students better visualize and understand mathematics. Other
technologies that Linder recommends to use for mathematics instruction include virtual
manipulatives and webquests (Linder, 2012). Although unrelated to technology, manipulatives
were seen as a helpful tool in both classrooms.
Zipke noted how there are a some disadvantages that come with incorporating
technology, like taking instructional time to use the hardware and the risk of students damaging
the technology itself (Zipke, 2012). These were both seen in the classroom because the teacher
had to take the time to explain how to use the technology each day during her instructional time.
This used up time that she could have been teaching content, on teaching how to use an iPad.
There was also one iPad that ended up being dropped by a student and shattered the screen. This
is only added cost for the school that could have been avoided.
An additional study found that while analyzing elementary school teachers using
SMARTboards and manipulatives in their science classrooms, only 7% of the teachers had
received some level of training in using the SMARTboard (Martin, Shaw Jr., & Daughenbaugh,
2014). One of our cooperating teachers made the point to say that she wished she had more
training on the use of the SMARTboard. Another cooperating teacher said that the district held
training sessions, but she had never made it to any of them. Both of these are a cause for concern
24
and emphasize Martins point on the lack of training that many teachers receive in using this
technology, although many teachers have them and use them.
Another study also mentioned how there was not as much of a focus on using or
incorporating technology within the content areas of science and social studies (Lucey, Shifflet,
& Weilbahcer, 2014). We found in our classrooms that there was a much larger emphasis on
literacy and mathematics, through the use of apps like REFLEX and MyOn. SMARTboards were
used to display content or videos for science and social studies, and sometimes there were
scenarios where content was taught through technology, like with Puppet Pals on the iPads, but it
was noticeably less than mathematics and literacy.
Connecting our findings to the literature was very valuable to us for this inquiry project.
It helped show us how our findings in our classrooms were valid, and helped support the ideas
and assertions made in the literature we read. Also, connecting our findings to the literature
provided us with some new questions and comments as we finished our inquiry project.
Conclusion and Implications
The completion of our inquiry project has many implications for our future as teachers.
Most importantly it makes us want to strive to continue with research of any type that will help
us throughout our careers. The results from this specific research have impacted us because we
now know what to do and not to do with technology in the classroom. We were lucky to observe
two teachers who were able to use technology throughout the day and see the positives and
negatives to the way they used it. We were also able to get insight from both students and
teachers that was most helpful in helping us gather on data. Moving forward into our student
teaching placements and future classrooms, this research helps us to understand ways to
25
incorporate technology in our classroom, what not to do, as well as give us ideas of other ways
we can use technology.
When reflecting on our research, we came across many questions that we still had
unanswered, as well as many new questions that arose from our research. Since we were only
able to witness a small amount of apps being used on the iPads, as well as computers, we still
have many questions regarding what else is out there for students to use and how this technology
helps them? Although we found plenty of research to help answer this question in our literature
review, there is still more we would like to know on this topic. Based on our research, another
question that arose was thinking about teacher/student interaction in regards to technology. Most
of our interviews and observations with students showed a lack of interest based on the easiness
of the activity. This did not match with the teachers mainly positive reviews of this technology.
We wonder how much teachers actually ask students how they are using this technology and
how much the students would benefit from this interaction. Overall, this research was very
helpful in our continued learning about technology in the classroom.

26
References
Beal-Alvarez, J. S., & Cannon, J. E. (2015). Captions, whiteboards, animation, and videos:
Technology improves access. Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education, 16, 4-9.
Retrieved from https://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc-center/our-resources/
odyssey-magazine/odyssey-2015-issue.html
Carver, L. B. (2016). Teacher perception of barriers and benefits in K-12 technology usage. The
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 15(1), 110-116. Retrieved from
http://www.tojet.net/articles/v15i1/15111.pdf
Castle, K., (2012). Early childhood teacher research: From questions to results. New York,NY:
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Delgado, A. J., Wardlow, L., McKnight, K., & O'Malley, K. (2015). Educational technology: A
review of the integration, resources, and effectiveness of technology in K-12 classrooms.
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 14, 397-416. Retrieved from
http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol14/JITEv14ResearchP397-416Delgado1829.pdf
Johnson, G. M. (2013). Using tablet computers with elementary school students with special
needs: The practices and perceptions of special education teachers and teacher assistants.
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 39(4), 1-12. Retrieved from
http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/767/381
Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2012). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed
approaches (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Retrieved from
http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upm-data/38123_Chapter2.pdf
27
Linder, S. (2012). Interactive whiteboards in early childhood mathematics: strategies for
effective implementation in pre-k-grade 3. Young Children, 67(3). 26-35. Retrieved from
http://echd430-f13-love.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/InteractiveWhiteboard.pdf
Lucey, T., Shifflet, R., & Weilbacher, G. (2014). Patterns of early childhood, elementary, and
middle-level social studies teaching: An interpretation of Illinois social studies teachers
practices and beliefs. The Social Studies, 105(6), 283-290.
Doi: 10.1080/00377996.2014.945641
Martin, S. F., Shaw Jr., E. L., & Daughenbaugh, L. (2014). Using smart boards and
manipulatives in the elementary science classroom. Techtrends, 58(3), 90-96. Retrieved
from http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11528-014-0756-3
McDermott, P., & Gormley, K. A. (2016). Teachers' use of technology in elementary reading
lessons. Reading Psychology, 37(1), 121-146. doi:10.1080/02702711.2015.1009592
Merriam, S. B. (2002). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mills, G. (2007). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Murphy, K., DePasquale, R., & McNamara, E. (2003). Meaningful connections: Using
technology in primary classrooms. Young Children, 58(6), 12-18. Retrieved from
https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200311/TechInPrimaryClassrooms.pdf
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), & Fred Rogers Center for
Early Learning and Children's Media. (2012). Technology and interactive media as tools in
early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8., 1-15.
28
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Interaction Between Learning and Development. (2nd ed.) From: Mind and
Society (79-91). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zipke, M. (2012). Teachers thoughts on e-readers in the elementary school classroom Education
Information Technologies (18). 421-441. Doi: 1007/s10639-012-9188-x
Appendix
Appendix A: Consent form from one classroom

29
Dear Parent or Guardian,
I am placed in your childs classroom this semester as part of my James Madison University
teacher education program. I will be completing my inquiry project as a requirement for my
teaching license and graduate degree. The purpose of my project is to see how technology is used
in the classroom and how students and teachers feel about using them in school.
The results of this project, possibly including pictures and/or video, will only be shared with my
JMU professor and classroom. The school name and childrens names will remain confidential.
I am seeking your permission to include video or photos of your child during my time in your
childs classroom. If you have any questions, you may contact me or Mrs. Eckenrode at school
or by email at hardykh@dukes.jmu.edu or seckenrode@rockingham.k12.va.us. My supervisor,
Holly McCartney, is also available at mccarthb@jmu.edu.
Please complete the form below and return it to Mrs. Eckenrode or me by
October 5th, 2016 (10/5/16).
Thank you,
Katie Hardy, Mrs. Eckenrode
John Wayland ES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parental Consent Form
Please return by October 5th, 2016
I, _____________________________, give consent for my child, ___________________, to be:
(Parent/Guardians Name) (Childs Name)
(Check all that apply)
Photographed
30
Videotaped
None of the above
during Katie Hardys inquiry project and for reflection on her own teaching. All recording and
filming will be used for educational purposes only. Names of students and the school will be
kept confidential.
____________________________________ _________________________
(Parent/Guardian Signature) (Date)
I am interested in receiving a summary of the project.
Revised FA16
Appendix B: Summary
This inquiry project was an opportunity for us, as pre-service teachers, to practice using
teacher research skills in an elementary classroom. For this project, we asked the question In
what ways is technology used as an instructional tool across the content areas of math, literacy,
science, and social studies in an elementary classroom? We also had a sub-question of How do
teachers and students feel about using technology in different subjects? Before setting foot in
our classrooms, we conducted a literature review to see what kind of research was already
published about technology in the classroom, and it help guide us in what kind of data we wanted
to collect. Throughout our time in the classroom, we collected data using a variety of methods,
including observations, documents, and interviews with teachers and students.

31
We found that data we collected could be organized into four categories: fun vs.
learning, concerns with technology, uses for instruction, and repeated technology use in
math and literacy. In fun vs. learning, we found that students were more engaged when using
technology, but sometimes the technology that was used didnt really have a strong instructional
purpose. There were some concerns with using technology, from breaking or damaging hardware
to not having enough training to use specific technologies. We also learned that there are
different kinds of technologies being used, like computers, SMARTboards, and iPads. And
finally, we saw that technology was used mainly in the content areas of mathematics and
literacy, since there is more pressure for students to do well in those academic areas.
From this inquiry project, we gathered some different ways of how to incorporate
technology into our future classrooms. We also thought of some future questions that we could
keep in mind for our future classroom like how to encourage students to use technology and what
other ways are there for incorporating technology that we havent had the opportunity to see yet.
Overall, this was a neat project for us to take on, and we feel more comfortable completing
teacher research in our future classrooms!
Appendix C- Student Interview Questions
1. Do you like using technology in school?

2. What is your favorite piece of technology to use and why?
3. Do you think using the technology helps you learn? Why or why not?
4. Anything else you want to tell me about technology?

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Running head: Technology Use in the Elementary Curriculum

Inquiry Project: Technology Use in the Elementary Curriculum

Julie Dawson and Katie Hardy

James Madison University

In partial fulfillment of requirements for the Masters of Arts in Elementary Education

Dr. Holly McCartney

As graduate students in Elementary Education at a state university in Virginia, we will be

The main question for our research will be:

of math, literacy, science and social studies in an elementary classroom

Sub questions we will also consider are:

zone of proximal development is a theory used to determine what a student is capable of

are comfortable to do it on their own.Vygotskys theory can be very beneficial in helping

differences in our research.

teachers and continuing our teacher research.

providing a method for differentiation, an opportunity to work on researching skills, and

providing more current content information (Carver, 2016).

about technology use in classroom teaching.

Technology in Schools Today

learning is a classroom environment where content instruction is completed entirely through

additional technological devices, the ratio of students-to-computer has decreased from 11 to 1 to

have access to the Internet every day (Delgado, et al., 2015).

When it comes to integrating technology into the classroom, it is important to remember

long as it is used in developmentally appropriate ways and used correctly.

the students that can be found in a general education classroom.

to introduce a topic, to stimulate discussion, or to connect math concepts to real-world

instruction include virtual manipulatives and webquests. (Linder, 2012).

Shaw Jr., & Daughenbaugh, 2014).

English Language Learners.

include observations, interviews, and documentation. We used qualitative methods to collect

other throughout the semester (Mills, 2007).

we made, whether it be as a passive observer or as we participated in the classroom with

when it comes time to analyze the data (2012, p. 78).

In addition to observing in classrooms, we conducted interviews with students and

Organizing and Analyzing the Data

specific child or adult that we obtained the data from.

technology from both classrooms.

emerged, based on student interviews, observations, and teacher surveys.

Repeated Technology with Literacy and Mathematics Instruction

math.This observation demonstrates support for positive benefits.

since technology can be used for instruction overall.

Using Technology for Instruction

working with another small group.

classroom based on the lack of educational use.

Concerns with Technology

skepticism about certain problems they noticed in their own classroom.

because they were sometimes easier to use.

has less of a chance of me breaking it.

Fun vs. Learning

Reflex I like to think of it as like a game while you are learning.

REFLEX math allow more student interest.

of responses were split between technology providing a method for differentiation, an

engagement as well as student understanding.

manipulatives and webquests (Linder, 2012). Although unrelated to technology, manipulatives

were seen as a helpful tool in both classrooms.

technology, although many teachers have them and use them.

was noticeably less than mathematics and literacy.

Conclusion and Implications

we can use technology.

helpful in our continued learning about technology in the classroom.

Retrieved from https://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc-center/our-resources/

Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 15(1), 110-116. Retrieved from

Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

I, ___________, give consent for my child, _, to be: