Running head:  CAPSTONE PROJECT PROCESS

Capstone Project Process:

Integrating  Instructional Technologies with Multiple Intelligences in Mind

Maggie Leivas

ETC 695: Educational Technology Capstone

Northern Arizona University

March 12, 2007
Abstract

            The author reflects on the process of creating her capstone project, a requirement for the Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. The process began in the spring of 2006 when the author first began formulating possibilities for projects. The project really began to take shape in the fall of 2006 and became a reality as she implemented it in the beginning months of 2007. The author’s capstone project consists of staff development sessions, accompanying class implementation assistance, and an online resource website.

Integrating Technology with Multiple Intelligences in Mind

Introduction

            This project reflects my ongoing desire to inspire teachers to integrate technologies and provide the assistance needed to help make that integration a reality. When I received my first classroom computer in the mid 80s, I took to that technology like a “duck to water”. Similarly, in the early 1990’s when I first learned of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, I immediately took hold of the concept because it matched my thinking and that of thousands of other classroom teachers. Linking these two facets of education was a natural move for me.

            Through the years, I became the “go-to” person when colleagues had questions or concerns about the emerging computer technologies. As I forged ahead with my own technological research and learning, I became aware that I could help with two of the obstacles teachers face in integrating technology into their curricula: staff development and follow-up implementation support. When Northern Arizona University offered the new online master’s degree program in Educational Technology, I saw it as a perfect fit.

            Another perfect fit for me was the requirement of a comprehensive capstone project that would demonstrate my advanced learning and skills while providing teachers at my school with much needed technology staff development and classroom support. After many months of study, research, thought, and work, this project became a reality in the early months of 2007.

Development

            In the spring of 2006, I began considering various ideas for a technology project that would not only meet the requirements for Northern Arizona University’s Educational Technology Capstone class but also, and more importantly, benefit teachers and students at Parker High School. Through that spring and following summer, I mulled various ideas around in my head – most often considering a teacher support website.

            After I enrolled in ETC 695, I learned more about the requirements for the course. We viewed projects from previous classes and shared ideas with one another. As I considered various possibilities, I began to think of a site that would offer teachers’ information and resources on learning theories and instructional technology. Recognizing that topic to be too broad, I narrowed it down to multiple intelligences and instructional technologies. At one point, after a suggestion from our ETC 695 instructor, Dr Laura Sujo de Montes, I spent a couple of days discussing the possibility of teaming up with a classmate, Dawn Bovingdon. Dawn and I were very interested in collaborating, but ultimately we decided that the distance between us would make collaboration too difficult and time-consuming.

            With direction from Dr. Sujo de Montes, I realized that I would need more than just a teacher resource website. I settled on coordinating and providing staff development in multiple intelligences and instructional technologies, providing teacher classroom support as needed for implementation, following up with surveys and video recorded interviews with students and teachers, and culminating in a non-linear staff development website where users can find supporting information about integrating technology with multiple intelligences in mind.

            I submitted my proposal for Dr. Becky Willis and Mr. Shadow Armfield to review and received their approval. By the beginning of November, I learned that my project was ready to begin the implementation.

Implementation

Prep Talks      

            I have three titles at Parker High School: Librarian, Testing Coordinator, and Instructional Specialist. As instructional specialist, I coordinate the weekly professional development sessions for teachers. We believe that teachers benefit from training provided by other teachers as well as the instructional specialist so we encourage teachers to facilitate some of the professional development offered. Each Wednesday, with some exceptions, I coordinate these Prep Talks, 30-minute sessions during teachers’ planning periods. Since this staff development routine was already in place, I decided to work part of my project into that format.

            In November, I offered two professional development sessions: An Introduction to Multiple Intelligences and Using Gale Student Resource Center, and Mr. Jim Cleere, PHS art teacher, provided a session titled Using Student-Created DVDs. The teachers responded positively to the sessions and several began implementation. I assisted in the computer lab as needed and began my video interviews.

            In January, I provided two more sessions: Using Inspiration and Editing with MS Word. The PHS music teacher, Mrs. Kathy Openshaw, provided the session, Music in the Classroom. Again, teachers demonstrated interest in the subjects and some began immediate implementation in their classrooms. I continued offering lab assistance and documenting the students and teachers responses.

            During the month of February, due to Parent/Teacher Conferences, mandatory AIMS testing administrators training, and AIMS testing, I could only provide one professional development session: Using Charts and Graphs in MS Word facilitated by PHS computer teacher, Mr. Richard Lamb. Since I needed to complete all project implementation by March 4, 2007, I ended up being able to provide seven Prep Talks on multiple intelligences and instructional technologies and of those, I could only facilitate four rather than the five I proposed in my project proposal paper.

Early Release Differentiated Instruction

            Parker Unified School District provides teachers with collaboration and professional development time almost every Friday from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. This school year, we implemented a differentiated instruction program in which teachers attend a 5-session course that they choose from the variety of subjects offered. I facilitated a book talk on Walter McKenzie’s Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology. The class size was limited to 10 teachers as we had only 10 books to share and it filled quickly. We were able to meet twice during the project implementation period. It is surprising how many teachers are still unaware of Gardner’s theory, or if they have heard of it, they do not know much about it or they have some skewed information. I appreciated this opportunity to provide additional teachers with more knowledge and time to discuss their learning with one another. As with the prep talks, teachers responded favorably to this professional development.

Teacher Implementation

            After the prep talk sessions, many teachers implemented the instructional technologies related to multiple intelligences with their respective classes. Often teachers are reluctant to implement new strategies and technologies if they feel insecure and don’t have any support from a technology proficient assistant. For that reason, I believe that this portion of my project was essential. Since the computer labs are adjacent to the library, it worked very well for me to provide assistance as needed. I helped teachers and or students use the Gale Student Resource Center, Inspiration, uploading video and images from cameras to computers, Windows Movie Maker, Excel, MS Word track changes and insert comments, MS Word charts and graphs, and PowerPoint. I also had a number of dialogues with teachers about providing activities with multiple intelligences in mind.

            In addition to my role in assisting with teacher implementation, I was also in the perfect position for documenting teacher and student reactions to the implementations of new instructional technologies. I met with many students and teachers and videotaped samples for each of the activities I included in the resource website. These recorded sessions may be a popular aspect of the web resource and may inspire other teachers to try new technologies and strategies.

Website

            The creation of the website was absolutely the most time-consuming aspect of my project. During the development stage, I really did try to narrow my subject, but as I began to implement the plan in creating the website, I began to think that I had “created a monster.” I am not disappointed in how the site grew and developed because even though it was so work-intensive, it has the potential to provide the information and support that I wanted it to provide. And, it is structured with room to grow so that as I continue to offer teachers new ideas, I can add their ensuing class activities to the site. This site will be a great resource for prospective teachers, new teachers, and continuing teachers.

            In my proposal, I described the content that the website would entail. In the chart below, I provided the proposed content matched with the actual content.

Goals Met

            In my proposal, I included the five goals listed below and I am pleased to report that because of my project implementation, participants met each of these goals.

1.      Participants will grow in knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology.

2.      Participants will become aware of a variety of technological instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.

3.      Participants will use a variety of technology tools to provide differentiated learning experiences.

4.      Teachers will prepare technology rich lessons designed to raise cognition levels to analysis and/or knowledge utilization (Marzano’s Taxonomy)

5.      Teachers will use resource website for assistance in planning technology-rich lessons in a variety of multiple intelligence areas.

Conclusion

            I am very, very pleased with the implementation and outcome of this capstone project. PHS teachers were an important factor in the success of this project and I was instrumental in motivating them through the staff development sessions I offered or asked others to provide. In addition, because of the professional development sessions and my assistance, they were able to implement successfully what they learned in activities they designed to move their students to higher levels of thinking. Those that were a little unsure of the technology were grateful for the assistance I provided and it helped them make their implementation a reality. The resource website provides continuing assistance to current and future teachers. I am proud to share this project with anyone who is interested in integrating technology with multiple intelligences in mind.