ARP Update

My research project is progressing just as I had planned.  We have implemented Stem Scopes, an approved instructional resource, and teachers are beginning to use it in their classrooms.  I’m getting both positive and negative feedback from teachers who have implemented this  resource in their classroom.  I plan to introduce this resource this week and will see how my students and parents view the the usefulness of it.  I will be sending a survey home soon to get  a better picture of how this resource is being used outside of school.  The real challenge I’ll face is the availability of internet in the homes of the students I teach. I would guess that 90% of the students I teach have access to the internet at home. My challenge is to get those students to choose to access my website regularly in order to be up to speed in my class.  The problem comes when I think about my minority students.  Some of my lower income students have no access to the internet once they leave the school.  Our computer lab is open before and after school, but for many students, their bus routes don’t accommodate for this tutorial schedule.  My challenge rests in this fact.  I will have to effectively communicate with all parents to see how they are utilizing the instructional resource we are currently using.  I plan to address the deficiencies revealed by the parent, student, teacher surveys.  This data will allow our curriculum committee to make informed suggestions on how to implement our current curriculum and will give us good guidance when we view the state adopted materials in October.