Part D- Findings and Implications

My Wicked project of having students use Google Notebook as an alternate way to take notes outside of the classroom has continued to change along the way. I attempted to implement the two major components that are crucial for this to be a success 1. Have students register and open their school gmail accounts and 2. Have students learn how to create, and share a Google Doc (I was hoping that this would make the transition to using Google Notebook easier). Both of these components were implemented successfully to the majority of the 70 sophomores that took part in my project implementation. However this implementation did not have its bumps in the road. Many had difficulties using Google Docs (understanding and remembering how to share and who to share with) This lead me to the executive decision to abandon my original plan of using Google Notebook as the online note taking forum, to simply just using Google Docs. After realizing that it would be a lot less confusing to my students considering I had introduced them to using Google Docs. Trying to justify why I would have them use Google Notebook instead just did not seem like the most logical thing.

The problem of practice that I was addressing in my Wicked project, was that students were not able to listen to my lectures, take notes, look at visuals and comprehend the content exclusively in the classroom. The idea of giving my students access to my lectures (audio and video) online, and have them take notes through an online application was one way that I decided would aid in my problem of practice. I was very unsure of how my students would react to this. I was pleasantly surprised at their feedback and input during our in class discussion after I implemented the two major components of the project. Students responded positively to the idea of using an online journal. They even began to suggest other ways to use the online notebook that I hadn’t even thought of! Students were really excited to try this, and explained that if they were allowed to take notes online, after the lecture in class, that they would be able to participate in class discussions more. They indicated that using an online notebook would allow them to focus more on what I was saying in the lecture rather than what to write down. Also they told me that using an online notebook would be a great way to review the material outside of class. They also like that having my lectures online to listen and watch would be helpful if they were absent or out of class for the day. In my World History class, a lot of time, the lecture and discussions are the bulk of the content I give. We do not use a textbook, so having access to lectures they said would help them not fall behind.

If I were to start another project of this type, there is one major thing that I would do differently. I would start by asking my students for their input on a problem THEY feel needs to be addressed in my class. As teachers, we often think that we know what is best for our students, and that we have the “big picture” in mind when it comes to practice. After discussing my Wicked project with my students, and hearing their input and ideas, and struggles I had not even considered, I realized that THEY know what does and does not work for them. So by getting students ideas and input before I began to try to fix a problem of practice, I would ensure that what I was trying to fix would actually benefit my students.

Through this endeavor I have learned that you must be flexible and able to realize what is not working, and what is. For instance, I began this project wanting to use Google Notebook as the online note taking application. After implementing the project, and seeing student’s successes and difficulties, I came to the conclusion, that maybe Google Notebook was not the way to go. By allowing evolution as my project unfolded, I believe led me to a better solution in the end.

I will continue to have students use Google Docs in my class, not just for note taking purposes. I think if I were to try to implement this project again, I would first start off implementing a more simple idea or concept in my class. For example, I began this project wanting students to have an online forum to take notes outside the classroom. If I were to approach this project again, I would build up to this, implementing small steps towards the final goal. By starting small (simply creating a Google Doc) and continuing to build, I believe I can give my students a better understanding of the technology and all of its facets.

Overall this Wicked project allowed me to learn and grow as an educator, and has opened my eyes to what my students see in my classroom. It has also made me realize that trying to implement a specific technology in my class may not always go as planned, and being flexible is key!