Week 1: Reflection

Thinking about the topic that I have interest in and hope to pursue as a dissertation topic I think that I pretty confident. The topic has to do with giving teachers the confidence to use technology in the classroom on a more frequent and effective manner by  giving them the essential information the need to do so more easily. As a librarian it is already my job to know and understand the curriculum of our teachers, it is also my responsibility to provide technology trainings to my campus. I am knowledgeable in the students population and the needs of my teachers I think that I can create a integration resources system that would be helpful and practical to them. 

As far as literature review I have saved a number of articles in the university provided RefWorks account through out the coursework and I think that I have a good number to sustain my research ideas and means of gaining the data. The methods of gaining data would have to be interviews and surveys. Interviews because it its important to get the teachers narrative both those who use the integration system and those that do not. I may now the answers I want to ask so I can use a survey but the interviews help to supplemental the range of answers that might include responses that were missed in the survey. The findings rely very much on the attitudes and opinions of the teachers. 

I am passionate about my topic because I love working in public education. I love teaching, I love my fellow educators who put their life and soul into this profession, and I love the students we get to know each year. I know that education benefits from staying relevant but some times the weight we place on our teachers is just too much and I know that I can help. In my experience too many times the people who purchase technology for the districts do so with out much thought for the teacher. Technology is bought and purchased and sometimes goes it entire life span without being used. There seems to be some disconnect when it comes to the technology department and the curriculum departments. It is not that teachers do not want to use technology it is that you are asking them to create their lessons as well as learn about technology and find a way to implement it on their own in the very little time that they are also asked to a complete a million other responsibilities. It seems like an obvious solution to have districts integrate available technology applications and curriculum resources together but in my career I have yet to see that done. If I were not doing this for my studies I would do it anyway to benefit my teachers so yes I plan to see it through. 

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