What is action research? Action research is an individualized
plan. This is different from
professional development that has been directed from above. It is not a sit in a room and sift through
information provided to determine what can be used at my school. It is a plan based in data and research that
can be implemented to help improve my individual school.
We
have all sat through PD (especially at the beginning of the school year) worried about setting up the classroom, first
day plans, and trying to focus on someone that may or may not have been in the
classroom for years telling us how to improve our classes. These presenters have not spoken with us
before and do not know our students but they have all the answers. In contrast an action research allows me to
develop a plan, research ideas/solutions based on needs and then implement the
plan. The research is based on my needs
and solutions that are needed in my educator world.
As
a high school math teacher striving to be a curriculum specialist I am excited
to develop my action research plan. The
school I am at is Title One campus with a populations that is 96%
Hispanic. Many times it is not the math
that my students struggle with but rather the vocabulary which confuses the
students with what the questions are actually asking. They do not understand the vocabulary we take
for granted because for most of the population within my school, English is
their second language. It is my hope
that through research based academic vocabulary ideas and activities I am able
to raise the scores of my students on the Texas STAAR test. I will be using my 2012-2013 geometry class
to acquire the data and reflect on the action research plan.
Blogging
is a wonderful way to make connections with people of like minds throughout the
world. There are several bloggers I have
followed for years. (Hi, Dan Meyer)
Through the power of the internet, connections are made, opinions
shared, data shared, and excitement grows.
My mind is never the best by itself smartest and through blogging,
as an educational leader, I can connect with minds that have insights that
might not have occurred to me otherwise.
I am an elementary math teacher that sees the same struggles among my hispanic students in math. I'm wondering, how the use of cognates fits into your research? They help our younger students quite a bit, especially once they get the hang of discovering them for themselves.
ReplyDeleteDear Jenn,
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have a lot of similarities. I am also at a mostly Hispanic school, and I also would like to be a math curriculum specialist in the near future. Focusing on math instruction, I do see that the vocabulary is lacking. Research projects that include this in the future will be important as the test become centered on higher-level thinking questions