Action Research Project Proposal

This week, we learned about action research or administrative inquiry and how it differs from traditional educational research. Administrative inquiry begins with asking a question, collecting data to help answer the question, analyzing the data along with any relevant literature, making school improvements based upon the findings, and sharing what has been learned with others (Dana 2009). The main difference between administrative inquiry and traditional research is that in administrative inquiry the practitioner is involved in the process, rather than just a technician who implements a prescribed curriculum. As a result of what I have learned and what I expect to learn in this class, I will be able to conduct my own research during the internship phase of this program.

I have chosen to study the effect of technology integration on second language acquisition. I would like to know whether the use of technology can assist in speeding the process of second language acquisition. Furthermore, I would like to know specifically what kinds of software and equipment may be effective, and for what type of learner, and how to integrate the technology.

As an instructor for Texas A&M Extension Service, I occasionally have international students in our Fire Officer Development program. These students register for the courses with the understanding that they will need to have a good grasp of the English language in order to be successful in the course. However, public school children are expected to learn a new language at the same time that they are learning the same essential skills that other students are learning in the content areas.

When I think of our students who are not native English speakers, I am reminded of Marc Prensky’s article on digital immigrants. According to Prensky, our students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach (2001). Prensky was referring to the fact that our students have grown up speaking the language of technology (digital natives), and that teachers are digital immigrants, who struggle to “catch up”. In the same way that digital immigrants struggle, our non-English speakers can’t understand what the natives are saying. Can technology be used to speed up language acquisition? In the same way that the development of computer games has been used to teach engineering students, can language acquisition software engage students and help them to learn English faster?

If a positive relationship between the use of technology and accelerated language acquisition can be determined, then curriculum can be developed to take advantage of the technology, assisting students to acclimate to gain confidence, improve English proficiency, retain information, and master the content better. As a result, English Language learners will have more success in the standardized testing scores should improve.

References

Dana, Nancy Fichtman. Leading with Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, a Joint Publication with the American Association of School Administrators, 2009. Print.

Prensky, M.. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon, 9. 5, Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf.