What theory, discussion and/or application from this course most impacts your ongoing action research project?
After much thought, I feel that the most important concept taught from this course that most impacts my ongoing action research project is the integration of Backwards Design and establishing Essential Questions. Each of these concepts has helped me to further understand the lesson planning process, while also effectively implementing lessons.
Backwards Design is a lesson planning concept in which you design the lesson from the end. You focus on the end result or target of your lesson, and create your lesson(s) around that focus. Most of these "end results" are formed by the State Content Standards. I used the Backwards Design motif with the creation of my technology club. I created my technology club around the idea that students would learn new technological equipment and using it will create a brochure and video highlighting the important places for kids in our valley. Each lesson was then designed around achieving the big goal of the brochure and video.
Establishing Essential Questions was another one of the targets for my technology club! An essential question is a question that "lies at the heart of a subject or a curriculum, and promotes inquiry of a subject" (Wiggins & McTighe, 342). Each of my lessons is developed around an essential question in which the students partake in learning adventures to solve. They use all of the available technologies to them to complete each mission.
Monday, April 14, 2008
EDC 665--Blog 10
In your current professional environment, how are educational experiences or programs assessed? Is the evidence collected from the assessment used to inform change? Why or why not do you think this occurs?
In my current professional environment, educational programs and experiences are assessed on a variety of levels, depending upon the program.
*In-services: At the end of any staff development meeting, we fill our a form that asks reflective questions like What did you learn today? What are you able to take away for your classroom? What additional ideas/materials do you need? and What is your overall experience? I really like this approach because it gives the district and the presenter immediate feedback on the presentation.
In some ways, I feel this assessment is used to inform change, but(I feel) many voices and concerns do need to be addressed with this form in order for any specific change to happen.
*GATE program: Our district sends out a questionare to all GATE teachers, parents, and students regarding their impact of the GATE program. The GATE teachers fill out a survey on what the participation methods were used in the class. Surveys are a great way to get feedback on programs and having all parties involved complete the survey will give the trainers a more specific approach to the strong areas of the program, as well as the areas that there is room for improvement!
*ZOOM intervention program--our school's intervention program, entitled ZOOM is a newer program at our school, and is currently in its second year. ZOOM is an intervention program that all students receive for 30 minutes three days a week. It is a time of homogeneous grouping so that teachers can target specific needs of students. The GATE students are challenged, while the Lower students are put in smaller groups for instruction. This school wide program is still in the works of perfection, and is assessed in a variety of ways. First, the program is assessed by our thematic unit test scores. Teachers have noticed increased unit test scores within their own class and improvement of skills. There has been verbal assessment through the administration as well! While the program has the potential to do quite well, I think a more structured form of assessment will help even further target the ultimate goals of the program. Many teachers are still overwhelmed as to what they are specifically to teach.
In my current professional environment, educational programs and experiences are assessed on a variety of levels, depending upon the program.
*In-services: At the end of any staff development meeting, we fill our a form that asks reflective questions like What did you learn today? What are you able to take away for your classroom? What additional ideas/materials do you need? and What is your overall experience? I really like this approach because it gives the district and the presenter immediate feedback on the presentation.
In some ways, I feel this assessment is used to inform change, but(I feel) many voices and concerns do need to be addressed with this form in order for any specific change to happen.
*GATE program: Our district sends out a questionare to all GATE teachers, parents, and students regarding their impact of the GATE program. The GATE teachers fill out a survey on what the participation methods were used in the class. Surveys are a great way to get feedback on programs and having all parties involved complete the survey will give the trainers a more specific approach to the strong areas of the program, as well as the areas that there is room for improvement!
*ZOOM intervention program--our school's intervention program, entitled ZOOM is a newer program at our school, and is currently in its second year. ZOOM is an intervention program that all students receive for 30 minutes three days a week. It is a time of homogeneous grouping so that teachers can target specific needs of students. The GATE students are challenged, while the Lower students are put in smaller groups for instruction. This school wide program is still in the works of perfection, and is assessed in a variety of ways. First, the program is assessed by our thematic unit test scores. Teachers have noticed increased unit test scores within their own class and improvement of skills. There has been verbal assessment through the administration as well! While the program has the potential to do quite well, I think a more structured form of assessment will help even further target the ultimate goals of the program. Many teachers are still overwhelmed as to what they are specifically to teach.
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