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July 2006: After VirtCamp while traveling through the south of France I consider whether my action research should focus on students or faculty at the elementary school where I work. I am still thinking that the focus should be on computer troubleshooting skills.

By the end of the month I have completely revised my project plans for Tech Club. The focus has shifted to multimedia production. More importantly, I recognize the importance of increasing girls' participation in Tech Club. Also, I remain committed to getting more Autism Spectrum students involved in the program.

August 2006: I stumble across the Mattel Juice Box, a discontinued media viewer and get my hands on six of them. This will prove to be an obsession of mine for a while.

September 2006: Coinciding with an assignment on ubiquitous technology I decide to make Tech Club's first project about digital still photography.

I continue to obsess a bit about getting a tool chain working that elementary school students could use to convert their photos for the Juice Box. Persistence and some help from a nerdy parent pays off.

I work with a student from last year to promote Tech Club, and I am beseiged with requests as to when Tech Club starts. I take the opportunity to talk to third grade classes about Tech Club and some of the projects that I hope to do with participating students. I make a special point of encouraging girls to participate when I talk to the classes.

The digital picture frame is dusted off and updated with photos the students took last year. The digital picture frame is a popular stopping point as students make their way through the hall toward the MultiPurpose Room, the Library, or the Computer Lab. By showcasing photographs taken by fellow students of the school and its community, I hope to increase participation in Tech Club and students eager to add their own photos to the frame.

I mount a major promotional tour of the school's library to promote Tech Club and answer students' questions. Turnout is amazing. Students are able to ask questions about Tech Club, get their hands on the Juice Boxes, an iPod, and a copy of the digital comic book we produced last year, and watch a promotional clip from "Mission to Mars."

My ethics statement is written, I send a letter home to parents and I submit my request to conduct research, which is approved. I develop a questionnaire for the students to inform me what they are interested in doing in Tech Club. I hope by being informed about the students' prior knowledge that I can better craft engaging activities.

Tech Club starts! Turnout is very encouraging. Students work on getting acquainted with the digital cameras and developing a critical eye. Initially I have about fifty percent participation by girls. Also, I am working with a student on the Autism Spectrum, another goal in Tech Club's increased participation.

October 2006: Participation reaches a good level. Students continue to work on their photography. They experiment with building simple web pages using the photos they took.

The ubiquitous technology project continues.

I complete my Literature Review.

I adjust the scheduling of Tech Club to allow for students to have more hands-on time with the cameras and laptops. A sign up sheet is created and maintained by me. This gives students a visual reminder of when they are supposed to come to Tech Club. Of course, I do not discourage students from arriving and seeing if a camera is available. If a student misses a session, I put them back on the list to make sure they get a chance to take photos. I also stop by each student as he or she eats lunch to remind them if it is his or her particular day to take photos. This helps me to fill in gaps in the schedule and maintains participation.

Tech Club begins meeting in the Library. The OT Room where we previously met was in use one of the days that we were scheduled to meet. Moving to the Library makes Tech Club more visible, as everyone is able to see what we are working on. Additionally, it makes it easier to get students who have started a project to continue participating if we meet in the Library, where many students spend all or part of their recess.

November 2006: I meet the parents of some of the Tech Club students. They are impressed with the work their students are doing and the enthusiasm with which they speak about Tech Club.

December 2006: I spend what little time in school we have this month to work towards the conclusion of the digital photography assignment. Meeting in the library turns out to be beneficial because students who had taken photographs earlier in the term see their peers hard at work and want to finish their own work, too. The initial web pages are built, which further excites the students.

January 2007: After missing much school, we return and really work hard to reach the conclusion of the digital photography assignment.

Girls who have participated in the digital photography assignment illustrate a sheet of paper onto which we can project their images. Students going to lunch will walk by this display, which will advertise a showing on a much larger screen. The girls ask if some of their friends, other girls, might take part in the illustration even though they have not participated in Tech Club. This was a perfect opportunity to show the girls that not everything about Tech Club is computers, and to broaden participation.

Conclude cycle one of my action research. I have built a good cadre of students who are eager to continue participating in Tech Club as we start our next activity. Tech Club is now about fifty percent girls, up from zero percent last spring. Additionally, one student on the Autism Spectrum has continued to participate in Tech Club while also working on additional projects on the side. His computer skills are attracting the attention of his peers, who are curious about his work and engage him about his computer use and his projects. My actions, from having Tech Club meet in smaller groups, relocating to the Library where our work is more visible, and encouraging participation in an aesthetic exercise, have all increased participation in Tech Club and in particular participation by girls and students on the Autism Spectrum.

Start podcasting with the Tech Club.

Start cycle two of my action research. As I move into this cycle I am mindful of my actions and how I might work to encourage continued participation in Tech Club. While I wish for the group of students with whom I worked last year to continue working with me, I also want to involved more students. I feel that the podcasting project will be good because students will be able to participate at varying levels of committment. Tech Club might be able to involve students who might not otherwise participate in the Club because this project involves storytelling. Students who write poetry, short stories, or who can tell a joke might participate in a project such as this, remaining separation from the technology being used to capture their voice, edit it, and broadcast it. Again, I am working towards more transparency in technology use. Will participation in Tech Club remain steady? Will girls continue to participate and bring their friends along, too?

February 2007: Continue producing podcasts.

Work to evaluate whether participation in Tech Club by students from last semester remains steady. Work to integrate a student in the Autsim Spectrum into Tech Club. Continue to attract new members.

Begin working on ideas for different films. Start building models for stop-motion film. Start recruiting for various movie projects. Secure equipment for filming.

March 2007: Students will be working on the film.

Cycle two of my action research continues as we start our third project, film making.

Cycle two concludes. Where is Tech Club's participation now? How many additional students joined for this project? Did participation by girls remain strong? How did my efforts to integrate another student on the Autism Spectrum pay off?

Cycle three of my action research starts. In this cycle I am encouraging the students to publicize their efforts this year. In doing so, I hope to build more interest in Tech Club and to highlight the importance of such organizations in an elementary school. What can I do to help the students to showcase their talents and efforts that they have nurtured and built this year?

April 2007: As students finish their respective films they begin putting together a portfolio of their work. This might be a web site that they put together to chronicle their experiences.

Cycle three, in which we promote our work, is connected to this project.

May: Students work on concluding their films. Films are screened before the school. This is part of the promotion that goes into cycle three as I seek to build interest in Tech Club for next school year.

Cycle three reaches its conclusion.

June: end of the school year.

Work to assemble the documentation.

Work on putting together the action research report.

July: Travel to Los Angeles for the exhibition.

Graduate.

Celebrate.

Relax.