May 23, 2023
Shawnee State University senior Katelyn Pauley presented her own research for this year’s Celebration of Scholarship conference entitled “The Impact of Technology in a Middle School Setting”. The Adolescent-to-Young Adult Language Arts Education major was recognized with the Trustees’ Award for her research.
“I was proud to be able to show the final product of a project that required a lot of researching and studying,” she said. “This award gave me confidence as a future educator.”
In her research, Pauley wanted to investigate how technology impacts students’ education and motivation in the English Language Arts classroom.
“I was able to give a survey to students at my placement school to see their genuine thoughts and experiences with technology in the classroom,” she said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, students were learning in an isolated, digital learning environment, so I was interested to see if students were experiencing burnout with technology in the classroom.”
In her research, Pauley determined her students preferred a classroom that utilized both digital tools and paper and pencil activities. Knowing this, she is looking forward to seeing how she can implement this want into the classroom for her future students.
“From this research study, I will be able to use everything I learned in the classroom,” she said. “I plan on continuing to provide the students the variety that they desire by implementing helpful digital educational tools while still using hands-on and collaborative learning methods.”
While Pauley notes that preparing for Celebration of Scholarship took a lot of time and preparation, she feels it all paid off. She was at first nervous to present but once she began speaking, she knew she was there for a purpose.
“I am extremely honored to have been able to represent SSU’s School of Education,” she said. “I have had wonderful professors and classmates who have made me the educator that I am today.”
To learn more about Shawnee State University’s annual Celebration of Scholarship conference, visit shawnee.edu/cos.