WICKED PROJECT (FINAL)

I am seeking to address of student to student tutoring and addressing many of the logistical problems they entail. At my school (Detroit Catholic Central), NHS (National Honor Society) students are required to tutor students before, after or outside of school (if this can be coordinated). I have heard from several parents, because they live far away, that is difficult to get to school in the morning to have their son tutored or drop off their son who is a tutor. Another contributing factor to this dilemma is that many of the NHS members have other things they are involved with after school, whether it is the band, different clubs, a job, and or athletics. I want to address the availability of tutors to multiple students at the same time and in the virtual world where parents and students can coordinate different and more applicable times for tutoring. Our students are digital natives and we need to treat them as such.
I plan to address this educational issue with the use of VYEW and possibly with Jing recording so students can replay and save their tutoring session. I have changed my mind about having the students Jing everything but think it would be beneficial for students to have the ability to replay a tutoring session. I also feel this would be beneficial for the teachers of the tutors. They can see if the tutor is explaining the material properly and truly helping the student. This is an option but not a necessity.
I don’t think I truly understood the scope or the logistics involved until I started to dig a little deeper. I realize now that I am going to have to get parent permission from both the tutor and the student being tutored. I am going to have to instruct the students on how to use the website, although I do not think it will be difficult since they should be quite familiar with the the web, but we shall see. I am going to have to get administrative backing and I am going to have to bypass some other people that may have been working on strictly face-to-face tutoring in order to get what I want accomplished. This tool will be piloted this year and if successful will be implemented more in following years. Because the discussion rooms can be used at the students and tutors leisure it provides a tremendous opportunity for students to get the necessary help that might not have other-wise received.
The portion I implemented in this class was to identify the three students that need tutoring and make sure they are on board and also identify those tutors. I received administrative approval for partial implementation. I plan on working through the kinks and hopefully implement it on a broader scale next year.
I would know I was successful if both the tutor, student being tutored and counselors and administration thought this was effective.
The technology I have chosen (VYEW) supports the strategies I have chosen because it allows the tutor and the student being tutored to type or speak their information in order to check for understanding and neither party has to necessarily be there at the same time, providing freedom and flexibility to students. Both parties are able to type in information and different images and equations can be uploaded and discussed in the same room at the same time. Instead of working on just one thing at a time.
I believe that having this tutoring provides those students that are struggling more opportunities to be successful. Having the ability to discuss an equation, poem, grammar issue, conjugation, map, piece of art, historical document, or anything else provides opportunities for any subject. The students can bring up the item by uploading or searching it on the web and bringing it into the room. They can either speak or discuss this through text. The students could also record with either jing or camtasia. Student log in time can be kept digitally by the activity in the room. I also think it reinforces relational understanding in those that are tutoring and builds a stronger school community.
I think once the tutors are given the proper instruction on how to work with those students struggling they become the assistant captains of the school. They are the go to individuals. They are great communicators of information the student may have missed from their teacher. Students will have access to someone they can speak about the information and in their same age group and the knowledge and information will be accessible and the tutor can share a wealth of information with the student.
The unexpected bumps in the road were the snow days and the lack of a need for tutoring over a two week period. At our school teachers were not allowed to give students homework or tests over a two week period. We also had two snow days that affected the amount of time being able to implement. Another surprise was the lack of encouragement and help I received from the individuals in charge of the National Honor Society. The only person I was getting encouragement and help from, other than the members of my class, was a counselor that was trying to compile some data for the other two that were supposedly running the National Honor Society. I was too trepidatious and worried about stepping on peoples toes but it seems that some people are not really wanting to put forth any effort and wanted their work done for them. I did not implement it as fast as I would want. I did receive the names of 3 freshman on academic probation and because of how our computers are set up was unable to access their contact information and was able to get it from the counselor that compiled the data. I have come to the realization that if this is going to be done I have to be aggressive and take the bull by the horns. I can’t wait for the others to be ready.
Since my last post regarding the Wicked Project, I have slight progress in implementing my program successfully. It is not to say that it will not be a success it is just the opportunities has not presented itself. Over the past couple of weeks students have not been allowed to be assigned homework or given quizzes or tests. There was also two snow days last week and there was no school on Friday. I plan on working with the National Honor Society Students for tutoring purposes and the National Honor Society induction ceremony was canceled. It was supposed to be held on Monday February 21st, but because of the weather it was canceled.

* Therefore the project has not been implemented as planned. I knew that I was going to pilot it with a few students at first and realized that I would need permission of the parents/guardians if the students were going to do this.
* I have had success in the encouragement I have received from the individuals coordinating the tutors and some of those I plan on using for piloting the program.
* I would approach this project a little more aggressively than I did the first time. Instead of speaking with the coordinator of the tutors and plant the seed, (I know this is his first time doing this) I would approach it with it ready to roll and make sure I am not stepping on any toes. I would have the ideas ready to show visually, written and orally. I think because I went in and only spoke with him it may not have set in completely. If I would have went in full force, then it could have been implemented quicker.
* Others might benefit from knowing that you need to be aggressive from the get go. Don't waver. Go after it immediately.

* I will be continuing this project through the end of the year and into next year. I will need to work with several other educators in the building to help coordinate and allow students the opportunity other resources other than myself to approach. I really believe in the benefits that this program will have in our school community.

This project has been inspiring for me. My original idea was not very good. It was small in scale and had no real positive impact. I feel that the idea that I changed to was a better idea but needed to be thought through a little more before being implemented. I will begin to work with several students on a more organized and use a scientific method approach to see what is working and not working. I think that any time you have students working online outside of school you need to have a definitive set of guidelines they must abide by and the parents should be informed as well.