This sections of my blog shares my reflections on my Action Research.
Does the use of creative writing in eleventh grade United States history classes indicate an improvement in comprehension of concepts related to social studies?
Week of 9/8/2008 I started Action Research this week. This week is being used for base line data. I have had to make one change. We were supposed to test today (Friday), however, with the first and second week being shortened the class has been behind. Therefore my fist baseline test is going to be on Tuesday.
The students didn't do too well on their first test. Some of them claimed that they never saw the material before, they had just not in a manor for them to retain it. I even told them what to study. But if they do well on their second test then I know that maybe the answer to my research question is yes. Even though it is too early to tell.
I have had to make some minor changes in scheduling do to various events at the school. But overall I am still on track.
The blogging went ok. There were several students in each class that could not use the computer because they had not turned in their computer use form. I had them sit at a table and answer the blog prompts on their own sheet of paper. We had issues with posting, some students lost their answers and had to redo them. I had to limit the days in the lab due to scheduling. The second day of prompts I only had them do one because it took them a while to complete the four from the previous day. I was going to test them on Tuesday but had to move it to Monday because West Virginia is having students take the Westest this week.
WesTest on 9-23 through 9-25 affected 1st-4th period.
Test scores were better than the first. I think it was partly because I made the questions easier and the students are getting used to my expectations.
I just finished with the newspaper portion of my action research. It started off a bit ruff. I think I siked them out by giving them all the prompts at once. Also I was a week behind in my lessons because of WesTest, because of that I lost the computer lab and had to use the mobile laptops but there are not enough for the whole class. I had a grand plan to each a powerpoint to half and the other half work, I had to scratch that because those working on the project had to many questions. I ended up having 4th period type one on the website that I found and write the other two. That way everyone had something to do. I learned never to assume they can do certain things.
The third quiz scores were horrible. I think it is because I had them take the quiz on a Friday that was also a 2 hour early dismissal. Their minds were not really there. 6th period was shortened and the M-Tech students were late so I think they felt rushed.
I am considering excluding my 6th period from the action research. I am still going to do the activities with them, but with the class size and the amound of students who openly admit they do not want to be here I think the research will be flawed in that class. I might still select a few students from the class because some of them do really care, but for the most part they do not.
Action research was put on hold for two weeks because of the Election. I did a series of Election activities with my 11th Grade class that I did not origionally plan to do.
I was pleased with the News Broad cast. There were a few of the groups that didnt quite get the idea of the project. Overall I was pleased with their participation.
I gave them quite a bit of freedom with this. I wanted to see what they could come up with, not what I could tell them what to come up with.
15 comments:
Week of 9/8/2008
I started Action Research this week. This week is being used for base line data. I have had to make one change. We were supposed to test today (Friday), however, with the first and second week being shortened the class has been behind. Therefore my fist baseline test is going to be on Tuesday.
The students didn't do too well on their first test. Some of them claimed that they never saw the material before, they had just not in a manor for them to retain it. I even told them what to study. But if they do well on their second test then I know that maybe the answer to my research question is yes. Even though it is too early to tell.
I have had to make some minor changes in scheduling do to various events at the school. But overall I am still on track.
Blogging
The blogging went ok. There were several students in each class that could not use the computer because they had not turned in their computer use form. I had them sit at a table and answer the blog prompts on their own sheet of paper. We had issues with posting, some students lost their answers and had to redo them. I had to limit the days in the lab due to scheduling. The second day of prompts I only had them do one because it took them a while to complete the four from the previous day.
I was going to test them on Tuesday but had to move it to Monday because West Virginia is having students take the Westest this week.
WesTest on 9-23 through 9-25 affected 1st-4th period.
Test scores were better than the first. I think it was partly because I made the questions easier and the students are getting used to my expectations.
I just finished with the newspaper portion of my action research. It started off a bit ruff. I think I siked them out by giving them all the prompts at once. Also I was a week behind in my lessons because of WesTest, because of that I lost the computer lab and had to use the mobile laptops but there are not enough for the whole class. I had a grand plan to each a powerpoint to half and the other half work, I had to scratch that because those working on the project had to many questions. I ended up having 4th period type one on the website that I found and write the other two. That way everyone had something to do. I learned never to assume they can do certain things.
The third quiz scores were horrible. I think it is because I had them take the quiz on a Friday that was also a 2 hour early dismissal. Their minds were not really there. 6th period was shortened and the M-Tech students were late so I think they felt rushed.
For the 4th quiz I spent a day making a review activity with them. I think it help them study. I think the Newspapers helped them study as well.
I am considering excluding my 6th period from the action research. I am still going to do the activities with them, but with the class size and the amound of students who openly admit they do not want to be here I think the research will be flawed in that class. I might still select a few students from the class because some of them do really care, but for the most part they do not.
I didn't give a quiz during the week of November 17 because I gave my students a test.
Action research was put on hold for two weeks because of the Election. I did a series of Election activities with my 11th Grade class that I did not origionally plan to do.
Action Research stated back the week of Novemeber 10 with Diary Entries.
I am going to cut two weeks off of my action research. Which means removing one activity.
I had to cancel the quiz on Friday Nov 21st because of a snow day on Tuesday and a snow day on Friday
Students seemed to be liking activities more. The diaries went well. I think they will really like the news broadcast
I was pleased with the News Broad cast. There were a few of the groups that didnt quite get the idea of the project. Overall I was pleased with their participation.
I gave them quite a bit of freedom with this. I wanted to see what they could come up with, not what I could tell them what to come up with.
Post a Comment