PLN Efforts

I was really set on using Learnist as a tool for my teaching and education. I had been using it a lot to find research various resources on math and classroom inquiry. However, the more I used the website the more I was not liking it. Often I would not find anything that was useful or the resources were too vague. I feel like the website still has a lot of growing in order to reach specific needs. Tweeting is something that I find easier to do and a little more my type of networking. This is probably because it is set up like Facebook as far as getting information out into cyberspace. It is also easier to navigate and follow people. One effort I can make to improve my PLN would be to enhance my blogging efforts. Some support to do this that is effective would be encouragement, or even brief reminders via email/blackboard. Often I get so caught up with my teaching responsibilities that if something is not required it moves lower on my priority list. Sometimes there is a lack of desire to blog, so when asked to simply begin writing can feel like a challenge. I know that writing prompts or topics are easier to start a basis for writing. To get better at blogging I will start writing it as a “to-do” on my weekly agenda, make it a priority and try to start with a general idea or topic to begin writing.

Beginning My Action Research

It is very exciting to begin diving into my question formulated for Action Research (AR); What happens when second grade students are challenged to engage in math inquiry? Even though the question will evolve and change throughout my research, having a solid starting point is critical and very exciting. What is just as important as having a strong starting point is to begin indulging in past research based around my topic. Before I start diving into my inquiry I need to review what kinds of studies have already been conducted and what information has already been explored, as well as what parts of my topic have not been given much attention. After reading "Chapter 4: Standing on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before" (pp. 41-50) from The Power of Questions, I began to develop a strong sense of to start my literature review. The following quote from chapter four stood out to me: “… you might discover that there are different perspectives on the same issue. You may need to compare and contrast the studies so that you eventually can get a better sense of where you stand on the question in relation to the approach of others… You can use these understanding to adopt your own perspective on your question.” This quote stood out to me because I sometimes will review well-written research and quickly commit to the research findings. However, it is important to be aware and somewhat critical of the information I read. There might be two-sides to the research that I need to review. If I find information that takes a stance on both sides of a topic, then I’m better able to form my own opinion and eventually conduct better research on my own part. A website that is going to assist me in the exploration of topics and different points of views is Diigolet. I like the idea that I'm able to quickly bookmark and save websites that I might want to furhter explore at a later time. If I find a website interesting I can bookmark it, then find a counter argument on another website and bookmark that page as well. When I have the time to really explore both sides, I can go to Diigolet.com and both websites will be displayed, ready for me to click and begin exploring and forming my own opinion.