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Here is the trascript to this Podcast.  It was created using the auto-type function (microphone) on the iPad's keyboard.  It only records for 30 second increments so I had to stay on task while playing the podcast.
There is a very short video describing the "making of" the podcast and the transcript.



Podcast Transcript

Hello this is my podcast for week six discussing the continuation of my action research I'm using participants from anywhere I can find.  Teachers staff and work with children and who also work with technology. The concept is they would have a certain question, something that they would like to know about the technology that you're using something probably specific.  They would email it to me and fill out a short survey and then once that's completed, I would make a screencast of there problem… a customized screencast specifically focusing on the issue and then I would send it to them.  They would watch.  I hope it would help. They would fill out a short survey on my website and I could use that to ascertain whether not a screencast would be an effective method for professional development and fixing issues that teachers that might have in a quick and efficient way so they could get back to teaching. Well, what's been occurring is absolutely nothing.

It turns out I'm not getting any participants. The first thing that occurred is that I had to go through the research accountability department at our district and found out that it would take about three weeks for that to get approved. Well that would really kind of make it very difficult for me to stay on task and continue our assignment necessary for the class.  So I figure well there's a lot of different avanues out there so I will touch on other staff that work with students that are not in the Fairbanks North Star Burough School District. That being said, I'm not bitter and I'm not upset about that because I do believe that research and accountability should weigh heavily on what we do. They need to make sure that the research isn't…well let me just say in a positive manner that it is it's effective and it's not going to inhibit anything that is going on in the classroom and its ethical. So that's fair, but what's happening is I'm not really getting any participants really anywhere that I'm looking I put the word out through some through emails and groups and I heard interest offhand but when it comes down to it, I think there's a certain shyness.  They might feel a bit of pensiveness.  They simply really don't want to reach out on this and I could possibly understand. It could be they are finding information they need via the internet and YouTube which has millions of these tutorials.

So it might just be the whole concept of a quick screencast tutorial is great by design but not necessary because the wheels already have been invented. It's already been done so I'm not really afraid to use this as my research and maybe I can follow up and say “I'm hearing you”. Maybe the information that you need is already out there readily available and answers your question. Why email me and feel you're putting me out when it's already been done and I can truly understand that. I might feel the same way if I was on the other side. So this is kind of what I'm looking at.  This is where I'm at. I have not made a screen cast.  I have (made some) for a couple teachers but not within the research because there was no survey.  There is no data collected. I just did it because they asked me to. It was good practice so it always good practice and mean yes of course is humbling but I understand it as well and makes perfect sense. Okay, so where do I go from here? Well, I’m going to continue trying. I figure I still have a little bit of time and might have to cut redesign some of my timeframe on getting this done but I believe that's okay and I'll keep an open mind and to know that this is a part of the research this is not just, “oh man, I messed up I must have written this wrong” and I could definitely look at this is a means of writing this better the next time.  So when I redo the research program, how can I be more explicit in designing something like this to where I get results of people feel more comfortable. Being more open and I think having better directions I think it was a little confusing maybe when I was explaining how it would start and I think that's that happened because I didn't fully understand as well I had a concept but the delivery was always pretty hazy my head. That's probably because this is all new.  I didn't have a classroom that I was used to so for seven years I had a classroom so this my first year I don't have a classroom teaching teachers or modeling for them and seeing how that goes. it is been wonderful and I really truly enjoy it but there's much that I don't fully understand about that the nuances of being an instructional technology teacher. It's fascinating and it's humbling and it's frustrating and it's definitely a learning experience.  I’m going to continue trying.  I got the website on my teaching website make my district website that built and I need to put better links I need to get the word out and let people know this is a research project.  I would love participants I want to know how effective this is.  Maybe if I if I have it better presented I suppose I would get more participants but even if I don't these have to be results. There has to be something there that I can really take from all of us and go… “Screencast is a great idea, now how can I get the ones that are already built and already well-developed out to the teacher quickly and show them how to use screencasts so they're effective and I think that could be a wonderful outcome to all of this so that's what I'm hoping to take away from it and I hope that I could present it in a way that make sense in the whole final project and of course at this time I'm going to straight up ask if there's anyone listening to this and is willing to take the survey, go to my website at: www.thelearningcube.weebly.com  and also if you have any suggestions on how I can kind of present this and incorporate this into my final project, I would love that so really thanks for listening to this podcast.

The rest is unedited to so you can see how effective (or how ineffective) using the microphone function on the iPad’s keyboard can be.

I put it in iTunes I do have to converted into MP3 for really read it which is not too terrible parts so when I fully enjoyed this because somehow I I think differently right talk this is not scripted this is just me talking it when I right I get the difference does it seemsa different voice so I don't do this all the time but sometimes for this and I seem to get little bit more reflective that's why I'm not talking rather than typing so so he's coming at eight minutes nine minutes you're pretty close I don't want to lose you or talk too much so tastelessly and I'll see you next week

Akteacher3
10/19/2013 03:52:31 am

I am sorry that data collection hasn't been that easy for you, but I am glad that you have been able to be flexible, and have found away around it. Stay positive!

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Chris
10/20/2013 03:34:21 pm

I feel that the Action Research had some initial flaws regardless of being held up at the district. The tech coordinator for the district (my supervisor) shared some info. regarding the district's adoption of "Atomic Learning" which is an online database of professionally made screencasts of a large assortment of computer applications and online programs. A tiny, tiny fraction of teachers logged on. The only ones using the resource were the Instructional Technology Teachers. The license was not renewed the next year. The lack of interest from other learning groups also proves that this delivery method has not yet been adopted by many teachers.

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10/20/2013 04:12:09 am

I just looked up the FBNSB's Research and Accountability page section on internal research: http://www.k12northstar.org/sites/default/files/guidelines_for_internal_research_brochure.pdf - Is this a common thread amongst many other school districts out there? How frustrating! This would seem to infringe up on teachers' freedom of speech to just respond to questions you pose. Not to mention that good "internal research" seems like an integral part of your job after all, to get a good feel of your teachers' needs and respond in a timely, helpful fashion. I could understand a district wanting to make sure that laborious, "housekeeping", portions of a more formal research project not interfere with an employee's duties but this policy seems extremely counter-productive. And even if you were to get "approved" essentially to ask questions, research is prohibited:
* During the two weeks after the opening of school or during the two weeks prior to the closing of school,
* One week before and one week after the winter and spring vacation periods,
* Two weeks prior to and during any state-mandated or district-wide testing,
* During the first week of the second semester,
* Where there are already a number of research projects underway,
* Where a number of research projects have already been conducted.

I'm not sure about your school, but in schools that I've encountered it seems as if there are at least three rounds of testing per school year. With the "two week" prior to testing prohibition coupled with blackout weeks before and after fall and winter break as well as beginning and end of semester, how much time does that leave to do any data collection what-so-ever? A more sane policy would seem to be to mandate that you can't require others (students or staff alike) to participate.

As far as encouraging participation, how about a drawing at the end of the year for question submitters? Google-moderator style question submission? You're right, you don't want to reinvent the wheel; when you find good screencast / tutorial resources out there I would put them on a support website. Don't get discouraged, it takes a while for people to get used to new training delivery mechanisms!

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Chris
10/20/2013 03:38:54 pm

"Is this a common thread amongst many other school districts out there?"
I want to know this as well. I could make an action research proposal regarding this question!
I think you're on to something with the drawing. However, I'm not just looking for surveys. I need teachers to submit a tech issue so I can design a custom screencast. The concept is to deliver answers to teacher's issues quickly. I support teachers at three large elementary schools. Teachers ask me for help and it might be three days out until I reach their school.

Reply
10/21/2013 03:57:28 am

You could do an initial screencast that you send out w/ the link for the submission form on how to fill out the form, and send THAT along :)

My thinking for the drawing was twofold: to show off the effectiveness inherent in screencasting, and to familiarize teachers with the submission process itself. The questions submitted could be totally inane (and anonymous!) - getting the teachers to just go through the simple process / survey / help form just once is the important thing.

Chris
10/21/2013 05:28:12 am

In regards to including a screencast on participating...
Why didn't I think of that???




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    Chris Carlson

    I'm an Instructional Technology Teacher for three elementary schools in Fairbanks, AK.  I balance out the screen with a strong dose of skiing, wood chopping, and house building.  I throw the softball around in the summer and I really like taco pizza.

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