Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 5-31-2000 An administrative internship experience at Maple Shade Junior/ Senior High School, Maple Shade, New Jersey, 1999-2000 Frank Jankowski Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons Recommended Citation Jankowski, Frank, "An administrative internship experience at Maple Shade Junior/Senior High School, Maple Shade, New Jersey, 1999-2000" (2000). Theses and Dissertations. 1693. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1693 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN ADMINISTRATIVE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE AT MAPLE SHADE JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MAPLE SHADE, NEW JERSEY 1999- 2000 by Frank Jankowski A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts Degree of The Graduate School at Rowan University May, 2000 Approved by Professor DateApproved ./ .____ ABSTRACT Jankowski, Frank E. An Administrative Internship Experience at Maple Shade Junior/Senior High School Maple Shade, NJ 1999-2000 Ronald L. Capasso, Ed.D. Practicum and Supervision I and II, Rowan University New Jersey The purpose of this study was to develop a plan that would allow teachers in the junior-high at Maple Shade High School to incorporate technology into their lessons on a more consistent basis. The use of technology would improve learning and better prepare our students for the future. The intern used interview and survey as data gathering techniques for the project. The intern plans brought meaning to the data through a thorough analysis of interview responses. Also, surveys were collected, coded, and analyzed. Teacher preparation and prior teaching experience were cited as reasons behind the fear of technology. Staff claimed that the interaction between early experiences and system requirements were dual factors that influenced their teaching. Basically, teachers were taught to teach the way they were taught themselves. Fortunately, much of the data supported the notion that teachers, as a whole, seem to be willing to accept the idea that the students often know more about the computer and its many uses than they do. Technology seems to provide a natural framework for opening the door to increased student responsibility and motivation in the classroom, which in turn impacts student and teacher roles. MINI-ABSTRACT Jankowski, Frank E. An Administrative Internship Experience at Maple Shade Junior/Senior High School Maple Shade, NJ 1999-2000 Ronald L. Capasso, Ed.D. Practicum and Supervision I and II, Rowan University New Jersey The purpose of this study was to develop a plan that would allow teachers in the junior-high at Maple Shade High School to incorporate technology into their lessons on a more consistent basis. Teacher preparation and prior teaching experience were cited as reasons behind the fear of technology. Staff claimed that the interaction between early experiences and system requirements were dual factors that influenced their teaching. Overall, teachers need to be more willing to accept the idea that the students often know more about the computer and its many uses than they do. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The internship that has been successfully completed by this intern could not have been accomplished without the help of so many caring and supportive friends and colleagues. The intern would like to thank some crucial people for their support, understanding and guidance. First, I would like to offer sincere gratitude to my family. Special thanks to my beautiful wife, Patti, for helping me to get through all the craziness of the past year. Her patience is one of her greatest traits and it was one that I forced her to rely on quite a bit during the course of the internship. She is a caring, understanding and selfless person and my love for her is endless. A huge thank you to my daughter, Alyssa, for keeping me smiling when things seemed like they couldn't get any more hectic. I also wish to thank my parents, Frank and JoAnn, for providing unconditional support whenever I needed it. Without my family's assistance and support, this internship would not have been the successful and rewarding venture it has been. I also wish to express my gratitude to the teachers and administrators of the Maple Shade School District and, in particular, the teachers at Maple Shade High School, for their cooperation throughout my experience. They are a staff who have always been there to help me with anything I ever needed while never asking for anything in return. A special thanks to my friends (and colleagues), Joseph Meloche and Lauren Gess, for being both my friends and advisors. The Maple Shade High School staff is a ii great group of people who have become more than simply colleagues - they have become my friends. Deepest appreciation is also extended to the following people from Maple Shade for their guidance, support, advice and understanding: Dr. James Kerfoot, Superintendent of Schools; Mr. Raymond Marini, Principal; Ms. Cheryl Smith, Principal of Steinhauer Elementary School; Mr. Rudy Avisius, Technology Coordinator; Mr. Arthur Hill, Vice-Principal; and the numerous other staff and administrators, without whom I could not have achieved such success during this experience. The intern would like to offer special thanks to Mr. Richard Keegan, Vice-Principal and Supervisor of Special Education at the high school, for mentoring and supporting me throughout this experience. His guidance and advice have proven to be invaluable over the course of the past year. Finally, I wish to thank Dr. Ronald Capasso for his guidance and shared knowledge throughout the duration of the internship. Without his wisdom and experience, the year would never have been filled with such leadership growth on the part of the intern. His patience and support have been unending and I feel privileged to have been the recipient of his superior leadership. Frank Jankowski April, 2000 Table of Contents rage Acknowiedgements ........................................................... .........................................ii Ch]dapter I Focusin!lOUUL;lUuri Ogemen .................................................................................Study................................................................... D . -t. Purp su OfThe Study................................... 2 Definitions......................................................................................3 Liitat s f T e Study................................. Setting Of The Study.......................................................6 SigniicanceeOrganization OThe OfThe Study.......................... Study ..................................................... 3031 Organization Of The Study. 31 Chapter 2 ReviewOf The Literature......................................................33 Supporting Studies.................................................................. 34 Chapter 3 Design Of The Study..................................................... 47 General Description..................................................... 47 Research Instruments............................................................ 47 Data Collection.................................................................. 50 Data Analysis...............................................................................52 Chapter 4 Presentation Of The Research Findings............................ 55 Chapter 5 Conclusions and Implications............................................... 79 Conclusions and Implications for Professional Growth............................................................................... 86 iv Page Reflections on Organizational Change........................... 87 Need forFurtherStudy......................................................... 89 References.................................................................................................................. 91 Appendices........................................ ......................................................................... 95 Appendix A (Technology Interviews)......................................... 95 Appendix B(Current Use of Technology)..................................... 98 Appendix C (Percentage of Classrooms with Computers)............... 100 Appendix D(Thesis Proposal) .................................................................... 102 Appendix E(Methods of Technology Integration)................................ 110 Appendix F(Staff Use of Computer Labs).............................................. 112 Appendix G (Post-lnservice Feedback)................................................... 114 Appendix H (Effectiveness of Technology Inservice)....................... 116 Appendix I (Maple Shade Plan for Technology).................................... 118 Biographical Data.................................................................................................... 124 V List of Tables Tables Page 1. Population Projections for Maple Shade Township........ 8 2. Actual Student Enrollments from 1994 to 2000............ 15 3. Administrator and Faculty Academic Degrees................. 21 4. Obstacles to the Use of Technology...................................... 73 5. Additional Suggestions for the Integration of Technology......................................................................................