EDLD 5326 Action Research Project Update

My action research project, The Flipped Classroom: Turning the Page on Traditional Learning, has been a wonderful learning experience. After some trouble getting started because of a job relocation, I settled on this topic. My administration has been amazing to work on during this program and the teachers have really embraced this change in their instruction. We are in the final stages of the project. All classrooms pre-AP Algebra I classes have been actively participating in the flipped model since January (the beginning of the 2^nd semester). At first, we had difficulty with uploading the instructional videos to our campus website. After some discussion without IT staff and schoolwires, our web hosting service, we were able to find a fix and upload the videos without causing any delay or disruption for the students.

     The main elements that are remaining are the 2^nd collection of data, recommendations and conclusions, and producing the finished product. I know there is a lot of work to be done in a limited amount of time, but I am hoping that I can work on wrapping it up during this week break between courses. The student surveys are already made and some interviews have already been recorded. I also want to include teacher surveys, but those have not been developed yet. I want to include more information of different student learning styles and how that has come into play during this change. All surveys will be completed by the end of April. I also need to find a few more accredited sources for some missing key points that I want to cover. This includes discipline and student comprehension.

Parental Involvement Project

EDLD 5326 Parental Involvement Project

EDLD 5364 Week 5

 

“The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

In my opinion, one of the most important roles as a teacher is to provide students with a sense of responsibility. Students need to be responsible for their own learning and understand that with this responsibility comes keeping track of effort and achievement. Technology is making it even easier to provide these services to students. Using tools such as Excel, data collection technology such as Survey Monkey, and online rubrics, students begin to see the correlation between effort and achievement. In turn, these programs provide students with the feedback necessary to create goals and set objectives for future learning. They practice self-reflection and recognize the importance of self-efficacy. The most significant thing to remember is that providing students with tangible rewards may not have the impact that occurs when we truly instill a sense of intrinsic motivation guaranteed to foster determination and satisfaction.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

 

Hatchet Trailer

Hatchet Trailer

EDLD 5364 Week Four

Providing students with opportunities for cooperative learning can really enhance their experience in the classroom. They are able to understand their unique learning needs and similar or diverse needs of their peers. Not only is it an academic practice, but provides social experiences at the same time.  Displaying concern for every student’s learning and building a community of support within the classroom walls can do so much for their overall learning and even instill pride in their work and the successes of others. Students learn to trust one another and develop interdependence and an understanding that everyone has a stake in achieving these short or long term goals.  Recommendations for cooperative learning experiences in the classroom include using a variety of criteria to group students, use informal, formal, and base groups, keep groups to a manageable size, and combine cooperative learning with other classroom structures (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The lessons should also include motivational context, learner activities, appropriate rules for interaction with others, and a well-structured knowledge base (Millis, 2006).

Millis, B. (2006, April). Using new technologies to support cooperative learning, collaborative services, and unique resources. Retrieved from http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/rmillis3.html

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

 

UDL Lesson Plan- Language Arts

Setting clear goals and designing plans to achieve those goals is important to every classroom and each student’s success. Creating and customizing lesson plans using the Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, builder is a great way to include every learner and every learning style.

It is important to realize that a UDL lesson plan is not meant for use as an everyday lesson plan because it addresses the activities, assessments, and accommodations you will need in order to meet specific objectives. A UDL lesson plan may take 4-5 days to complete depending on the complexity of the activities. The plan includes areas such as unit and lesson goals, guided and independent practice, formative and summative assessment, as well as materials used and accommodations needed. The anticipatory set allows the opportunity for students to make connections between prior knowledge and new information. UDL lesson planning is a wonderful way to provide teachers with the framework to meet every student’s diverse learning needs.

You can find my UDL plan on my wiki by following this link:
Creating Short Stories and Video Trailers