Field+Study+Proposal+Fall+2009

By Susan Nishimura August 2009  I am currently teaching core subjects to grade 6/7 students. I work on a team of five teachers and we alternate teaching each other’s classes. I will have a student teacher in my class during the first term of the upcoming year and she will be taking on 80% of the teaching load. Therefore, I need to propose a field study that will allow me to have continuous contact with my homeroom class, even though I will not be teaching from the front of the room on a regular basis. I have also chosen this topic because I continually struggle with full integration of a diverse group of learners in my classroom. Multi-level or differentiated learning has always been a challenge for me and I find that I end up excluding individuals through my “serve the needs of the majority” style of teaching. My hope is that technology will bridge the gap and be the equalizer in my classroom. By allowing students to use digital media, I am giving them choices as to how, where, when and with whom the assignment is completed. These choices should result in a feeling of empowerment which in turn should increase self esteem. My aim is to see an improvement in participation and written output by the students with special needs.   How can I best use discussion boards to assist students with differentiated learning needs?   · How will this online tool specifically assist students who are low or reluctant readers, students with writing output concerns, students with anxiety, and students with attention deficit disorders? · Will the students’ self esteem increase as a result of feeling like they have more control over how and when they present and respond to current events? · How can I ensure that all learners feel safe and able to respond through digital media? · How can I teach respect/collaboration in an online community? · How can I encourage legitimate peripheral participation by all learners? · Will the lack of my presence in the classroom on a daily basis affect the overall results? i.e. reduced ownership over tasks, reduced motivation, decrease in class community · Will my workload be increased or decreased? · What will my management issues be? For instance, will I book the computer lab for one block a week or will students do this work from home?  <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What I plan to do in my upcoming field study is use my District 43 Sharepoint website to create an online community of differentiated learners. Specifically, I will be using the discussion board to have students respond to current events on a weekly basis. My inquiry will be multi-levelled and include: establishing community in the classroom, introducing current events and the researching of issues pertinent and appropriate to my class, modelling appropriate sharing and commenting on the current events (both online and offline), analyzing participation (in online discussions) by the class as a whole and by individuals, having the students reflect on their own contributions to discussion. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">My study will begin from the first day of class as I start to build rapport amongst students. I insist upon a respectful classroom environment and my hope is that a community where students feel safe and willing to share with each other will be quickly fostered. I will also be working on my Sharepoint site on an ongoing basis so that I will be comfortable with navigating through it when the time comes to teach the students about discussion boards. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Next, I will teach the methods of searching for appropriate current events either through traditional means (newspapers, magazines, television etc.) or the internet. I will model the reading and summarizing of the current event, sharing it with the class and then commenting on it. I will elicit feedback from students in the form of beliefs, ideas or opinions. Students will then take turns bringing in current events and sharing them in small groups or in front of the class. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The next big challenge will be to take what they have learned about the appropriate sharing of current events and transfer it to the world of digital media. I will begin this process by introducing discussion boards and how they are effectively used by individuals to share their thoughts and ideas on a topic. I will pre-teach and then continually model online etiquette - appropriate ways of responding to one another in a virtual classroom. My hope is that the positive classroom community that I have fostered offline will carry over into the online discussions. Each week, a new current event article or issue will be read and discussed online. I will start by finding a current event that I feel will stimulate discussion and then pose a question based on the article. After a few sessions, I will ask various students to “bring” an article to be discussed. It can either be downloaded onto the Sharepoint site or accessed through an RSS feed. So as to make it manageable for me and not overwhelm my students, I will break the class into three groups of nine or ten students and they will discuss their current event once every three weeks. All students will be encouraged to respond when it is their turn to discuss a current event, but I will not make it mandatory. As students get used to writing responses and commenting on each other’s ideas, I will add a new level of reflection. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A secondary component to the initial online discussions will be reflection on students’ own responses. After a few weeks have passed and several discussions have occurred, students will re-read their responses to a particular question and do some self reflection. These questions might include: <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How easy or difficult was it to respond to the current event? What made it easier or more difficult? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Where did my response occur with regard to the rest of the class? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How did my response affect the discussion that came after it? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Was I happy with the way in which I responded to the discussion or would I change anything? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Do I prefer to discuss online or face to face <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">If I didn’t respond to a particular current event, why didn’t I? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">By having students comment on their own responses to a discussion board topic, I hope to encourage legitimate peripheral participation. In other words, I would like them to make thoughtful responses and not comment just for the sake of commenting. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">My sources of data will be the discussion board threads, student critical reflection, student surveys, and my journal reflections. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I will begin the year by giving students a survey that will cover several different topics. The topics will be such things as discussion of current events in class as opposed to online, using traditional forms of media versus new technology, what does classroom community mean to them. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I will ask yes/no and open ended questions. I will then administer another survey after my field study is complete to see if their preconceived notions have changed. My aim is to see whether or not discussion boards as a technological tool will help or hinder participation by my learners with differential needs. Therefore, I will be specifically analyzing their responses. I will of course be using the “raw” discussion board data to see whether or not students are actually responding to each other. Their journal reflections on participation in the discussions will also be used. I will read their comments on what it felt like to be a part of this online community, sharing and creating a new knowledge base. Finally, I will use my own journal reflections that I will be meticulously recording throughout the term, to synthesize my learning about online literacy tools and their effect on differentiated learners. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">*I will need to focus on the train journey <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">1. Cain, Darrell L., Pitre, Paul E. “The Effect of Computer Mediated Conferencing and Computer Assisted Instruction on Student Learning Outcomes.” //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks//. V.12 n3-4 p31-52 Dec 2008. 22 pp. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2. Domine, Vanessa Elaine. “Pedagogical Stages” in __Rethinking Technology in Schools.__ Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. New York, 2009. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">3. Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia. “Learning to Work Creatively With Knowledge” <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">OISE/University of Toronto. Feb. 2003. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">4. Vesely, Pam, Bloom, Lisa and Sherlock, John. “Key Elements of Building Online Community: Comparing Faculty and Student Perceptions” in __MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching__. V. 3, n. 3, Sept 2007 9 pp. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">5. Leu, Donald J. Et al, “Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes” in __Educational Researcher,__ V. 38, June 9, 2009, 6 pp. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">6. Kist, William. “From Polytychs to Instant Messages and Back Again” in __New Literacies In Action Teaching and Learning in Multiple Media__. 2004 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The people who will assist me with this study will be my students, Rick Botero, the technology teacher at Minnekhada, Alison Davies, Stephen Wiffen and other individuals in the Learning and Teaching with Technology program. The technology that I will rely on will be the computer lab at Minnekhada Middle, my laptop computer and various applications and software. Specifically, I will be using the District’s Sharepoint site my43, Help, Sharepoint Training and RSS feeds. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I will be incorporating the five program capacities in my research. Specifically, I will be reading, reflecting and taking part in discussions both in my mentor groups and in the larger LTT class. I will be using a small journal to record “aha” moments as well as put information into WORD documents to share with others. Eventually I will synthesize all my reflections and data into Learning Statement summaries that I will put on my Wiki. I will be introducing new digital media to my students and be continuously learning and participating alongside them. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">As I carry out my research, I will be constantly writing and reflecting. I will also be discussing my new discoveries and pitfalls with my colleagues. In the end I will share my results through a Wiki presentation. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The technological tools will assist my diverse learners in a variety of ways. In a sense, it adapts the curriculum for them, but benefits all learners. I can tailor my survey questions to focus on these particular areas: <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">1.) Time to respond to the online discussion topic/question – this is especially beneficial for students with comprehension and written output concerns. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2.) Discussion that occurs online as opposed to face to face in the classroom – this is especially good for students with anxiety issues <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">3.) Working individually on a PC – this is particularly good for students with attention deficits or social impairments such as autism as it allows them to focus on a particular task and block out what is going on around them <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">4.) Fewer written language conventions – this is freeing for individuals with low writing skills
 * __ My Field Study Proposal Outline __**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">1. Focus and Rationale for study **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">2. Essential Question (Big question) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">3. Sub‐questions **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">4. Outline of the design of my inquiry: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Step 1: ( Sept 9 - ongoing) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Step 2: ( Sept 14- 18) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Step 3: (Sept 21- Oct 9) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Step 4: (Oct 13 – Nov 9) **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">5. Data Sources **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">6. Connection to educational research **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">7. Other Resources: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">8. Connection to Program Capacities **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 15pt;">9. Sharing the field study learning **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Revisions: Wednesday night August 26 **