My Screencast - Reflection

Action Research Conference 2013

Attending the 2013 Action Research Conference at the University was extremely beneficial. I attended the School of Counseling Showcase and the Learning and Teaching Showcase. The presentation that resonated with me the most was, Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge: A Constructivist View to Teaching Mathematics. Some the information that Angelica presented is going to help direct my phase two process. During Angelica’s first phase of her inquiry within a sixth grade classroom she struggled a lot with getting students interested and engaged in explaining through writing their mathematical reasoning; Students did not understand the purpose. In order to address this need, she set up sociomathematical norms during phase two. Pulling from some of the theories and research that Angelica used to better implement her inquiry in phase two is something that I’m now doing. Rereading and collecting research even after beginning inquiry is something I had not considered until I went to the conference. The School of Counseling Showcase was a great experience as well. I attended the showcase for personal reasons, more so than getting information for my research. All of the presenters based their inquiry around self-efficacy and motivation. One presenter focused specifically on female students in upper elementary classrooms. I did get some helpful information on different things I can start considering before the time comes when I present, for example, the limitations of my research and how I’m promoting fairness and accuracy in my implementations and findings. From presenting I realized that I need to narrow in on my exact focus when analyzing students; worksheets i.e. am I focusing on complex problems, reasoning, etc. I’m also more aware of the importance of how I worked my math challenge questions. I have to decide on what I’m looking for from the students, and then create a math problem that will require students to show me a specific understanding. The question of the math challenge is critical. I received some great feedback from Professor Joi Spencer and she recommended some literature by Franklin Carpenter for me to explore. I’m happy that we were required to attend the conference. It was beneficial to view presentations and understand the expectations for formatting our PowerPoint, content, etc. It was also nice seeing students who made it through the long process and find some success in their personal growth/career.

A PRODUCTION LINE MENTALITY

The main idea of the video is to inform viewers and listeners about how the current education system is stuck in the past. When the idea of public education was first strongly pushed it was during the Enlightenment period, and only implemented strongly due to the interests of the Industrial Revolution. It was a time when labor and workers were needed. Sir Ken Robinson creates a great example of this still seen today when he explains the structure of the school; things separated by subjects and facilities, bells that ring like a factory, and students grouped by age, or date of manufactory. This sort of structure put students to sleep, they don’t buy the old way of learning. It isn’t a time when hard work and a college education guarantee you a job. It is a time when a college education gets you by, if that.

What stood out to me those most was the statistic that as ADHD cases raise so does standardized testing. There has never been as much stimulation in the lives of children until now and we expect them to not get distracted. Then, in order to keep kids form being distracted we decide to medicate them, make them numb. How do we expect students to learn and function like this?

I agree with Robinson’s statements. The education system is so backwards and greatly diverges from what students need in today’s society. There are many problems that need to be fixed, but due to the amount of debt it is hard to bring in new minds and thoughts when struggling to keep the current education system afloat. What also stands out to me is how we test and analyze students. We go about retrieving their knowledge in all the wrong ways. When Robinson states, “…many brilliant people think they are not because they have been judged against this particular view of the mind”. The particular view is that of deductive reasoning, or academia.

The video gets my very excited about the implementation of Common Core. It is an exciting time in education. Teachers will now have more room to decide what ways they will assess their students’ knowledge. It will no longer be the “deductive reasoning view of intelligence or alienating students. I’m reminded that students are not all the same. Therefore, the way they demonstrate their knowledge will be different. It pumps me up and makes me want to get involved in the change, even if I play small role.

Action Research

When thinking about data analysis, the first thought that pops in my mind is definitely not “play time”. However, after reading, The Power of Questions, and relating the text to my Action Research, I quickly realized that data analysis is a fun process. As a matter of fact, it is a time to become creative.

Two methods of data analysis that stuck out the most to me were coding and peer work. In order to code my data I will be reading though my journal entries, students’ daily worksheets and students’ math journals. Then, I will highlight information that is repetitive or that comes across as important. This process will be conducted several times before I conclude what common themes I’m noticing in relation to my AR subquestions. Peer work, or member checking, will involve the same process as coding, but a friend or colleague will be analyzing the information. This process allows for reassurance that my method of coding is sound and if the same themes are decided upon.

One adjustment that I plan on making when analyzing my data is the amount of time I’m currently spending analyzing. Originally, I planned on reviewing all of my data at once near the end to come up with common themes. Now, I will be conducting biweekly analysis. This will provide me the opportunity to notice themes earlier and make appropriate adjustments within the classroom.

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning (PBL) was an extremely memorable and beneficial lesson for me this semester. Prior to entering the University of San Diego I was not aware of PBL. I figured that the traditional way of assessing students’ knowledge was to hand them a paper test and pencil. I never considered giving students autonomy in expressing their understanding of a new concept. The idea of PBL really attracts me because of my experience as a student. During high school I developed really bad anxiety. My anxiety would be triggered whenever I had to speak aloud or take a test. As a result, I would perform poorly. If I had the opportunity to express my knowledge in different ways, I would have been a more successful student. PBL is perfect for students, like myself, and others who have a hard to expressing their understanding through traditional testing. Another reason I like the idea of implementing PBL in my classroom is because of its ability to give teachers a choice in how students will access information and how students will present this information. In general, PBL allows teachers to become more creative and think outside the box. Teachers can choose to have their students take part in hands-on, real life learning and challenges them to present their knowledge in nontraditional ways. For example, students can create a poster, presentation or movie to describe the water cycle, rather than labeling the water cycle on a piece of paper. Another way it allows for teacher creativity is by creating an opportunity for teacher collaboration. Teachers can implement PBL within the same grade level classrooms or throughout the entire school. One video we watched in class showed a group of teachers who created themed unit that required assessments to be done via PBL. It was inspiring and got me excited about collaborating with my colleagues to create the best lessons and assessments for our students. PBL can be integrated into any subject area, making it a flexible practice. I can choose to implement PBL in math, science, geography, etc. It is really up to me as to where I want to integrate it. Many theories and research can be linked to the use of PBL. PBL is essentially “learning by doing”, which reflects constructivism. Students will construct knowledge by interacting with the “project”. PBL also is a type of learning that encourages cooperative learning, a best practice from Marzano. PBL can have global connections, depending on how a teacher uses it. PBL does teach students 21st century skills in that they are presenting knowledge in a more contextual and conceptual way. By grasping 21st century skills, students are better prepared for the globally integrated world they will be entering into. Edutopia is a great website to get information on PBL and its benefits, as well as activities, ideas and help for teachers who are committed to implementing PBL.

Notes on Notes

When putting together my data collection ideas for Action Research (AR) I gave very little thought to the logistics of each method. My initial idea was to use informal observations, students’ daily worksheets and students’ math journals. After rereading The Power of Questions and meeting with my AR professor, I began to realize that my methods were not effective or efficient. Informal observations are a great way to reflection on my perspective of the overall classroom atmosphere, but they not descriptive or concrete. Instead I have decided to use filed notes. In general, field notes cut to the chase. Below is a description from the Power of Questions that lays out the foundation of field notes: 1. Includes the date, place, and setting. 2. Describes actions of the child observed, reactions of other people involved, response of child to these reactions. 3. Uses descriptive words and phrases and avoids judgmental or evaluative words and phrases. 4. Includes quotes for the child observed. 5. Supplies “mood cues”- postures, gestures, voice qualities, and facial expressions. It does not include interpretations of their feelings. 6. The description is extensive enough to cover the episode. An improvement that I have made to my data collection is the selection of a small group of students to focus on when collecting daily math worksheets, rather than focusing on the whole class. Originally, I was gong to review all 25 worksheets in detail daily. Instead I have selected six students. The selection of a small group of students makes data collection more manageable and efficient.