Capstone Log

Instructional Technology Department

Candidate:
Aimee Mancil

Mentor/Title:
Dr. Sonya Bennett/ Principal
School/District:
Center Elementary School/
Ware County
Research Project Title:
Technology & Learning English as a Second Language: An Evaluation of Language Applications
and Software for Second Language Acquisition Mastery in Grades Kindergarten through 5th
Grade


Date
Activity/Amount of Time
(Please total the time after the last entry.)
PSC Standards
August
2013
Completed literature review about software/applications
that would enhance Second Language Acquisition
instruction. Searched relevant articles, I read over 30
articles and reviewed articles for important information to
respond to research questions. I drafted, revised and edited
the mini-literature review.
40 Hours
2.8,6.1,6.2,6.3
Reflection:
This literature review was one of the most time consuming and difficult things I have completed
throughout my graduate experiences but it was very beneficial to my capstone project. I wanted to find
solid evidence that using software/applications was an effective way to complement Second Language
Acquisition instruction. Throughout the process of writing the literature review, I read over 30
professional articles. All of the professional reading I completed focused on software/application
selections that would complement Second Language Acquisition instruction. While the focus on my
capstone was at the elementary level, I decided to branch out to any classroom setting in order to gain as
much understanding as possible. The research questions I used for my review were: To what extent do
students perceive the language acquisition software/applications as a useful tool for learning English?
To what extent do teachers perceive the language acquisition software/applications as a useful tool for
learning English? I discovered a lot of applications/software that would complement Second Language
Acquisition instruction in a variety of educational settings through my reading and research.

September-
2013-
Researched and selected two applications/software to focus
on in implementing this project and researched the best
ways to implement those tools in an elementary school
sector.
10 Hours
1.1,1.4, 3.6
Reflection:
I initially decided to implement many different software/applications throughout the school year. I wanted
to keep the teachers and students engaged in implementing the software/applications and thought that
more than 2 would take away from their focus. My goal for this was to find two tools that would be easily
implemented in the classroom and also in the computer lab setting but could potentially provide a big
impact with the students and student learning. Through several hours of research, I decided to focus on the
following applications: English in a Flash and Reading Eggs. I was super excited to share these tools with
my coworkers and hoped they would be able to find ways to implement the tools in their classroom.
October
2013-
May 2014
Created Student and Teacher Surveys.
Sent surveys to teacher and student participants.
Analyzed the results from survey to determine impact on
student attitudes and feelings about Reading Eggs and
English in a Flash.
Analyzed student data in the programs Reading Eggs and
English in a Flash to determine the impact on students
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7,
2.8, 3.1, 3.2,3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1,
5.2, 5.3
learning.
40 hours
Reflection:
Since I had developed my capstone topic, I needed to determine how to collect data on the student/teacher
attitudes and feelings about Reading Eggs and English in a Flash when using the resources to supplement
Second Language Acquisition in instruction. I decided to create an online survey using Survey Monkey.
From the analysis of the survey results, I was able to determine that students and teachers had positive
attitudes after implementing the two applications/software. I was able to determine how the
implementation of my capstone project impacted student learning. The analysis of the student data reports
indicated that the implementation of Reading Eggs and English in a Flash were effective in increasing
student learning. Teachers were able to find a more engaging way to supplement Second Language
Acquisition in the classroom. I was super excited to have shared something with my colleagues that they
found helpful and useful. I was able to reflect on the results and determine where to go next in the future.
In the future, I would like to share more technology resources to supplement Second Language
Acquisition Learning in the classroom. Overall, I felt wonderful that this project was a success.
Ongoing
from
August
2013-May
2014
Created, updated and revised Capstone project.



30 hours
3.7
Total Hours: 120 hours





DIVERSITY
(Place an X in the box representing the race/ethnicity and subgroups involved in this capstone.)
Ethnicity P-12 Faculty/Staff P-12 Students
P-2 3-5 6-8 9-12 P-2 3-5 6-8 9-12
Race/Ethnicity:
Asian X X X X
Black X X
Hispanic X X X X
Native American/Alaskan Native X X X X
White X X
Multiracial X X X X
Subgroups:
Students with Disabilities X X X X
Limited English Proficiency X X X X
Eligible for Free/Reduced Meals X X X X