EDLD 5363 Video Conference 6/30/12

I watched the recoding of the video conference on 6/30/12.  It helped to have a better idea of the assignments that are due for week 4.  It seemed like we needed more of a final product which is what we actually did.  We completed our video and the editing in week 4.  Our video was the appropriate 90 seconds, we changed the script a little to fit the time frame but it turns out it would have been ok a little over.  It was useful to understand what our collaborative reflection should be in assignment 5.8.  I was unsure of what it was supposed to be, I’m glad I watched the video to clarify the directions.  Overall these conferences were useful to clarify the directions in the assignments because some of them were a little confusing.

Video Conference 6/17/12

I watched the recoding of the video conference on June 17, 2012.  It was helpful to clarify some of the directions and assignments for this week and the final assignments.  The professor explained that the final assignment will be a classroom lesson rather than a public service announcement.  I was excited to hear this because it seems more relevant to my career.  We were in the middle of forming our groups and Mrs. Abernathy told us that we don’t have to tell our IA’s but that we should just send them to link to our Google doc collaboration.  It was nice to hear that Mrs. Abernathy was also looking at our assignments as well.

EDLD 5363 Web Confernece Week 1

I was unable to attend the first web conference however I watched the video of it.  The web conference that I watched was on June 4th.  It was quite helpful when I was trying to figure out what to do with the assignments in week 1.  It clarified that we did not have to interview another person for assignment just create a digital story.  She explained that the digital story can be about anything that is personal to us.  She also explained what programs that we can use to make the video.  The main thing that was helpful was that she told us that we do not have to quote on the discussion board.  I had read an old version of the syllabus which said that we did.  The conference was very useful because the directions were a little unclear.

Personal Digital Story

It was surprising how easy it was to create the video for this weeks assignment. The software was very easy to use and it was convenient to be able to record sound for each individual picture.  It was fun finding different pictures that would match the place that we went camping.  I just purchased my webcam and it worked very well as the microphone.  The one thing that I did not like was that my voice is a little loud on the video but it was the first time I used the webcam as a microphone.  I think I held it too close to my mouth especially because I have a loud voice as it is.  Overall it was a nice experience.

Action Research Plan (Revised)

Heather Wiley's Action Research Plan
Goal: To Improve student comprehension, retention and test taking abilities using technology.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Develop a topic to conduct an action research inquiry.	Myself	3/1/12 to 4/1/12	Information on performing action research projects.   My draft internship plan.	Does the topic satisfy the internship plan?   Will the topic provide development of my student's and my own skills?
Find websites and resources that can enhance student achievement in mathematics and become proficient at them.	Myself	4/1/12 to 9/1/12	Access to the internet.   Previously used web based materials.	I will be able to easily navigate and use the web based tools.   I will be able to easily explain how to access and use the tools to others.
Provide opportunities for access to technology based assessments and activities to all students.	Myself     Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Web-based assessments that correspond to the curriculum.   Access to technology for the students.	Students will submit the results of the various tasks either through the site, via e-mail, or a paper copy.   I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.
Collect and analyze the student data.	Myself     Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Student test scores.   Student formative assessment data.	I will evaluate student achievement and comprehension through an analysis of their achievements and improvements throughout the year.   I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.   I will speak to the students about their experiences.
Use the student data and input to make improvements on the plan and technology tools.	Myself     Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Student achievement data.   Additional websites or programs.   Student evaluations and input.	I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.   I will evaluate student input and opinions.   I will look at the skill areas that still need improvement and make appropriate changes.

Action Research Planning Template

Action Planning Template
Goal: To Improve student comprehension, retention and test taking abilities using technology.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Develop a topic to conduct an action research inquiry.	Myself	3/1/12 to 4/1/12	Information on performing action research projects.   My draft internship plan.	Does the topic satisfy the internship plan?   Will the topic provide development of my student's and my own skills?
Find websites and resources that can enhance student achievement in mathematics and become proficient at them.	Myself	4/1/12-9/1/12	Access to the internet.   Previously used web based materials.	I will be able to easily navigate and use the web based tools.   I will be able to easily explain how to access and use the tools to others.
Provide opportunities for access to technology based assessments and activities to all students.	Myself   Dawn Auerbach   Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Web-based assessments that correspond to the curriculum.   Access to technology for the students.	Students will submit the results of the various tasks either through the site, via e-mail, or a paper copy.   I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.
Collect and analyze the student data.	Myself   Dawn Auerbach   Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Student test scores.   Student formative assessment data.	I will evaluate student achievement and comprehension through an analysis of their achievements and improvements throughout the year.   I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.   I will speak to the students about their experiences.
Use the student data and input to provide make improvements on the plan and technology tools.	Myself   Dawn Auerbach   Colleagues	Sept. 2012 to May 2013	Student achievement data.   Additional websites or programs.   Student evaluations and input.	I will collaborate with colleagues, keep a journal and post on my blog.   I will evaluate student input and opinions.   I will look at the skill areas that still need improvement and make appropriate changes.

 

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

Week 2 Reflection

During this week’s assignment I learned that there are many areas within a school district that can benefit from action research inquiry.  My action research project will focus on helping the individual students to succeed in their mathematics course as well as to help improve their performance on standardized tests.  But action research projects can also help improve parent interactions, school discipline, and access to technology to name a few. 

Action research is a process that is being used all over the country and the results of the various projects are being documented.  The results and logistics of many of the projects are documented online and are available for public viewing.  It is an important part of the process to look and evaluate past research to gain insight into the situation.  Although each district, school, teacher and student is unique, there are similarities that exist between them and we can use research from other projects to help us with ours.