RUNNING HEAD: BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Bridging the Gap; 1:1 Devices for Fitzgerald High School Students

Christy Jacobs

Kennesaw State University

November 2017

Ms. Tracey Borup

June 2016
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Description of Experience

The capstone proposal, Bridging the Gap, 1:1 Devices for Fitzgerald High School

Students, proved to be a challenging task. The initial start, however, went smoothly. A survey

was created for the student population and it was administered within a reasonable amount of

time and resulted in 645 student responses (as current seniors in the spring of 2017 were not

surveyed). The results were evaluated to determine the additional need of devices for our student

population to ultimately Bridge the Gap.

Following the diagnostic survey, a grant was located that would put devices in the hands

of 300 students at Fitzgerald High School per year for the duration of five years. The media

specialist met with administration and received approval to apply for the grant along with the

help of our districts outsourced technology department, Vartek. At this point, the capstone was

going smoothly and aligned with the project timeline. The 1 Million Project funded by Sprint

was the grant of choice. This individual grant would help fulfil the requirements of the capstone,

and make a difference at the high school by providing students with individual devices. The

tedious work began of making sure that the high school fulfilled all the program requirements.

Our surveyed results and district Title One coordinator provided information that fulfilled the

eligibility of our student population. The media specialist began working with individuals within

the district regarding a parent/guardian consent form, designating responsibility for device

inventory, distributing, supporting, and updating the devices and student eligibility. Every part

of qualifying evidence was determined and a team was formed to ensure that Fitzgerald High

School was applicable for the grant. Upon meeting for the first time as a group, the media

specialist had individual packets of information per group member with one final grant

requirement to be met--- falling within the Sprint network. She had already printed a map of our
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

area and it appeared that we fell within extended coverage. A phone call to Sprint quickly ended

the option of the grant as Fitzgerald High School was designated as being in an area of the state

that was off-network and the devices, if awarded, would not work. The capstone project at this

moment hit a standstill.

Deviation and Results

Once the 1:1 grant was no longer applicable, the media specialist turned towards getting

devices within the school that included the use of student owned devices and cellphones---

originally not included in the capstone project. Due to school discipline reports and classroom

management issues with teenagers and their cell phones, she had wanted to have laptops or

tablets per student, however the proposal had to be adjusted. The media specialist then turned

towards administration that had access to Title One funding and pleaded the need for additional

classroom devices. The student information from the survey provided support towards the need

of additional technology devices to use in the classroom. Two full classroom carts were added

into circulation at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. Additional tablet devices were

also donated to the school for student and classroom use. Therefore, even though the initial grant

did not fall into place, the number of devices at Fitzgerald High School did increase and will

continue to do so once the budget for the new year is approved. While students do not have

individual devices on them always, they now have devices (computers or tablets) for half of our

student population--- regardless of their cellular devices or student owned mobile

computers/tablets.

Professional learning (PL) of technology tools have taken place to increase the teachers

comfort level through integrative technology, technology applications, programs, sites etc. PL

was an important aspect of the capstone project as increasing the devices coincides with
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

increasing the level of technology integration and application of the standards and student use.

The professional learning implemented and growth in technology used in the classrooms will not

end after the capstone. This aspect will become continuous as they all learn and grow together

through the various types and ways of successfully implementing technology in the classroom.

Therefore, even though the initial thought of the capstone project (devices in the hands of

students) was not able to be fulfilled, the high school was able to increase the devices available

for use in the building along with the positivity towards integrating technology in the classroom.

Plans to follow up with purchasing additional devices will occur in January of 2018 once the

budget has been approved. There are also plans to follow up with teachers who are showing

strength through technology integration in their classrooms and pairing them with teachers to

provide additional support. As the media specialist and future technology specialist in the

building, plans are in place to continue towards the goal of providing all students at Fitzgerald

High School with a device as it also helps prepare them to be successful in the educated society

of our 21st century world outside of the classroom.

Reflection

The media specialist, a candidate in the Educational Specialist program for Instructional

Technology at Kennesaw State University, completed her capstone, Bridging the Gap, 1:1

devices for Fitzgerald High School Students in the fall of 2017. Throughout her capstone

experience she increased her knowledge, skills, and dispositions towards becoming a

technology facilitator and future leader.

Her growth in her knowledge, skills, and dispositions took place as she engaged the

entire school population and administration in a series of surveys, grants, interviews, and

professional learning to reach three project objectives outlined in the capstone. The objects set
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

were to increase the individual student technology use, increase teacher understating of how

to use technology effectively, and increase teachers comfort level with providing professional

development and learning through integrative technology. The objectives not only allowed the

KSU student the opportunity to learn about technology facilitation through surveying the types

of technology available, working devices that students had, and how to best increase the

number of student devices available, but it also allowed her to grow in her awareness of digital

equity and how to best facilitate the technology available through equalizing access for all

students and teachers (PSC standard 4.1).

Growth as a technology leader has been evident through her work with teachers in

professional learning that attribute to classroom management and collaborative learning, and

selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources (PSC standards 3.1 and 3.6). Her knowledge

of how to interact with her peers through professional development grew with each session as

did her skills and dispositions to best meet the needs of the individual teachers in a

collaborative manner that was most effective.

In conclusion, the media specialist or KSU graduate student quickly learned that her

capstone standards were set extremely high. While there was great potential early on for the

grant to be effective and meet the needs of the school and digital equity for all students, the

idea of truly closing the gap in less than one calendar year is close to impossible. For future

graduate candidates in completing their capstone course, a suggestion can be made to pick a

more direct project that has objectives that are not heavily dependent upon funding resources

as they may not always be available nor attainable within your short timeframe.
BRIDGING THE GAP; 1:1 DEVICES FOR FITZGERALD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

References

Georgia Professional Standards Commission Instructional Technology Standards [PDF]. (n.d.).

Bagwell College, KSU.