AR Blog – Month 7

How is your Action Research Cycle 1 unfolding for you?

I am no longer working with the same group of students.   I moved closer to family and have had to reevaluate this whole process.  The previous goal for my action research was to create a technology rich classroom centered around multiple intelligences theory.  I thought about murals, I thought about digital stories and digital portfolios.  Now I would simply be happy with creating at least one media lesson that was clear and enhanced learning in a documentable way.  This program has exposed me to so much that I was not aware of it is hard to believe how out of touch I really was with the direction of education and technology.  During my planning of my cycle 1, my focus was blurry but my desperation is becoming clear.  Each class presented so many wonderful ideas but I was scattered.  Every time I learned a new skill, I thought, yes!  This will be my focus!  This will be my cycle 1!  And as each month passed, my cycle 1 became more of a tangled mess.  Trying to think about all the things I had learned and how they would all fit together in a cycle 1 has not been easy for me.  I have learned how to create a website, a blog, a survey, a video tutorial, a flash animation, an animated short, an online course with a test, a wiki, a screenplay, a movie, an original song, a music video, a voiceover, among so many other projects.  Each week assignments have toppled over on readings and videos with so much information.  Because I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to work on, I was left feeling overwhelmed.  I learned how to get through in order to click a submit button or assignment completed.  But my cycle 1 is like a small knot that has just gotten bigger against the struggle to figure things out.   This class, I really enjoyed learning about music and how it can be concretely used to enhance learning.  The voiceover was the most fun I have had out of any assignment.  It took me hours and days to get to a level that other students might have completed quickly and easily.  That was something that brought me to tears thinking of how hard I used to work planning lessons that were not clear and connected and deep.  Even though I watched all the tutorials and read the assignments, I still was not able to transfer the information into something that would enhance students learning.  I have always loved music.  It has always been a source of comfort and joy.  A wonderful way to express emotions without knowing how to put together the words.  When I would get frustrated at my inability to do a cycle 1, I would put on music and pray.  After thinking and meditating and giving it to God, my revelation has been to keep it simple.  One lesson, one method, one month.  Community activism, online, starting December 1st and move on.   I will work on clarifying my idea for what media to create in my lesson by the end of this month that will allow me to gather data.

What has been a surprise with my results?

The surprise is that I am unhappy with the projects that I have completed so far.  When I was doing it, learning the new media, I was excited and gung ho about the possibilities.  But when looking at other students’ projects, research and action research blogs, I realize how really low level my attempts have been.  My online lesson is not usable and does not help students learn in any real or deep way.  My animated flash media is childlike and doesn’t offer any real learning.  It is a rudimentary attempt at learning new skills, which is useless.  My video tutorial is pointless, my screenflows are unorganized, random and heavy.  But then I think about anything worth doing is worth doing right, you don’t just throw your first draft out there and hope that you win the noble prize.  When I think about my best work, it is not the media at all, it’s the writing, the wikis, the blog posts, proposals for the media.  Even though I like to think of myself as a good writer, it took me years and years to learn how to be a better writer.  In order to survive this devestation I will have to reevaluate what the real problem is.  I need to practice making the media before I create a lesson that is solid.  Also, I will have to really work hard to create the foundation of the lesson in order for it to come out clear and strong.  Looking back over my last 10 years in education, I had lessons that were clear, organized, and focused, but not many.  And none that were connected and lead to a deep understanding of topics and issues presented.  I thought that if I just learned new technologies, it would give me a way to connect better with my students.  Do I just want to be aware of these new technologies or do I want to be able to use them to create meaningful media design that is connected clearly to the curriculum I am teaching?  I desperately want to be able to use the media I create.  That was my motivation for joining Fullsail.  I knew that my teaching was lifeless and flat, and not reaching my intended audience.  My message was murky and my lessons were unclear.  Seeing that learning new media has not helped me has been a long and painful cycle 1.  It was never about the technology, it was about my ability to create and teach lessons that was the real issue.  This is surprising to admit this to myself and anyone else.  Can I create one lesson using media that will allow me to regain my confidence as a teacher is my real cycle 2.  Whether or not I go back into teaching, or use my knowledge in some other career path, I am still hopeful that I will be able to create something I can be proud of that will benefit others and have meaning in my community.

What tweaks are you making for your next cycle of research?

My tweaks are that I will not be working with students and administrators at all.  I moved home to Chicago to be closer to family.  I will be working hard to create one media lesson that will deepen student understanding of community activism while meeting state curriculum standards.  I have 10 years of comments that would fit into a “cycle 1” that my teaching is unclear, unfocused, unorganized and unconnected.  My goal for cycle 2 is to create a lesson that is clear, focused and deep on a topic that I am passionate about, community organizing.  One that I can build on to connect learning in a usable way.  My circle of friends will be limited to those in this program and my children and adults in my family.  If you read this, you are now included in that circle of love.  I love murals and painting, and looking for something that incorporates music and digital stories.  If anyone has any ideas for what that something could be, and could share it out of a delicate place of love, it would be greatly appreciated.

What is the overall participants response?

When I create my online lesson the participants will be invited from the group named above.  I look forward to working with anyone who responds.

Action Research Month 10

1. Data
   How do the data produced from your Cycles and the findings of the research reported in your Literature Review relate together? Wow. I am really behind everyone.  How did I get into this class?  I did not complete my cycles or literature review. My hope is that my findings will be supported by Eric Jensen’s Brain Based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching which can be found at Google books http://books.google.com/books and Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  At Howard Gardner’s website, http://www.howardgardner.com/MI/mi.html there is a pdf file multimedia and multiple intelligences. I hope to document and increase the reading levels in my classroom.  The research shows if you activate the brain and offer lessons that touch on each of the multiple intelligences, that students will respond positively.      In my cycles, the data will form a clear connection to my research which will be supported by the literature.  I am doubtful about how my data will be perceived by my peers.  At this point, I know it is lacking.  I remain hopeful that the whole picture will solidify and the end result will represent me well.
2. (Are your data suggesting an agreement/confirmation — or an exception not supporting the published research? Is any aspect of your work truly innovative and not covered by the literature? Do you see any trends? What are they?)  I believe my data will agree/confirm the published research that multiple intelligences will benefit the learning inside the classroom when supported by technology such as digital portfolios.
3. LMO
   How will the Learning Management Systems and Organization work this month impact, inform or facilitate your Action Research project? The LMO class has impacted my research project by allowing me to refocus my research.  Now, after reviewing many of the excellent class courses on udutu I think I will make my research more concrete by tracking data in an online course related to my Action Research.  I plan to create several courses using multiple intelligences that I can use to create student portfolios on my class website.  In addition to udutu we created slideshows on diigo of wikis created on pageflakes.  I had never used them before.  It is an easy way to share information that I will incorporate into my own portfolio of work as I continue to find my place as a professional in the field of education.  Lastly, I learned more industry terms such as LMS, CMS, SCORM, and I deployed courseware in a flash format and also migrated via SCORM onto a compatible LMS by using my newfound knowledge to practice imbedding codes onto LMS platforms such as FSO. *Smile*  Maybe not absolutely technically correct but it felt good to say it 🙂
   
   (Can the principles, or the tools introduced in this class help in:
   1. Gathering data?
   2. Disseminating findings?
   3. Helping you devise test instruments – especially courseware delivery methods? ) Absolutely!  During week 3 wimba, another classmate presented information on a web2.0 tool used to launch class, and school websites where you can load your own courses that students can access directly as well as get parent contributors.  I am considering using this website to gather information.  I also think I would use udutu to disseminate findings as well as to create additional e-learning courseware.  This platform allows for devising test instruments as well as disseminate findings.  This class helped me think about my research in a more solid and clear way.  Hopefully others will be able to replicate my work.
   
4. Here are the links to 4 comments to other students’ work: Eric’s Action Research Blog http://web.me.com/emanders/Site/Blog/Blog.html, Therese Josephson’s Action Research Blog, http://web.me.com/josephst/Site/Welcome.htmlDeborah Cowden’s AR Blog, http://web.me.com/dcowdenhmb/Deborah_Cowden/Blog/Entries/2010/4/20_Month_10__Cycle_2.htmland Liz Diamond’s Action Research Blog http://web.me.com/ldiamondmanlusoc/liz/Welcome.html

Action Research Month 6

* How is your AR project unfolding for you?

It’s not.  I hit a roadblock last month and everything stopped.  I had cycle 1 all planned out and scheduled.  I found close to 50 sources for my literature review.  I took lots of pictures and videos.  I planned out interviews and made surveys.  Then I got an attack of nerves.  I began to worry that I wasn’t doing something worthy of action research and I lost momentum. Doubt set in.  Unfortunately, I let time pass, and here I am about a month and a half later with nothing to show for it.  I started off wanting to research digital portfolios and multiple intelligences, then I dove into researching the benefits of painting murals and wanted to document the process with digital stories. Then, I wanted to create youtube videos using screenflow to make tutorials for doing action research.  I  thought about building a website where the children choose an entrepreneurial focus based on a need in their community.  Where they choose the focus, do the learning, viewing, planning, budgeting and designing and presenting from dreams to reality ….  Inability to commit to one idea has left me with no literature review, no timeline, and no progress on my action research project.
Last night I read an interactive story from the web to my daughters and now I am curious about using multimedia to create simple, illustrated, interactive digital storybooks created by the children?  Where the students write and illustrate the stories, then go through the process of putting them on the web.  What technology is appropriate for 5 and 6 year olds?    The students can dictate and illustrate, but can I go through the process of uploading images and using photoshop or any of the other software provided on my mac?  I have the Sibelius Starclass that I haven’t used yet.  Next month is music, will I use it then?  Would this be too advanced for them? Should I just use what i know now for cycle 1 and update and upgrade for cycle 2 later?  Is there a way to simplify the technology I know to fit their age group?  The children like to listen while we read stories to them, but several of the 6 year olds struggle with reading their books to us that their teachers assign.  This month I had to create mp3’s in to add audio to the website for my own assignments.
What if I could have students make mp3’s of their reading levels using garageband and use them to create digital portfolios?  Is this still in keeping with my original goals?  Is there any way to include murals, music, dance and other multiple intelligences as part of my action research without broadening the scope too much?  Can I still make a digital story and end up creating digital portfolios for each child?  What if I have the students recreate stories of their favorite fairy tale … write it down, publish it, act it out and capture it on video turning that into a digital story and adding that to their digital portfolio?  Is this too much, too ambitious?  Or not enough?  Is it clear?  Or how can I clarify?  Who can I speak to in order to help me narrow the scope for my AR and more clearly define my goal statement?  Should I just pick one part of my idea and stick to it, for better or for worse?
I want to open my students up to more technology and inspire them to dream big, to enjoy knowledge, to play with learning, and to use their cooperative energy to solve problems and create answers!  But what do I need to focus on this first time? I want to do everything but this is only the first cycle.  I need to think about what will help me become a better teacher.  How do I use the resources I have, starting with me and my computer, to work one on one with each child a little each day to improve their skills and prepare them for the next step?  Take a big idea and plan it out into little achievable steps.  For my work, with the timeline, do I write what I am supposed to have done by when (many of the deadlines have passed already)?  I guess I will make a real projection for what I actually feel I can do.
I was at an impasse. I was not sure how to proceed.  Sitting down to do this blog has helped me create questions to research.  And asking myself questions has helped me to navigate myself out of this rut.  But I still need help climbing up this hill.  I will humbly reach out to my critical friends and staff at FullSail, my boss and my co-workers again.  I did once, but I let the ball drop.  In the meantime, I guess my next step is to make time to create my timeline, iron down and commit to a focus, redo the research, write the literature review, re-plan out the steps for cycle 1.  So much to do.  So little time.  Now I must get to work!

* How are you tracking your data?

No tracking has been completed for my cycle 1 yet.  I was taking pictures and video regularly, up until last month, then I just I stopped tracking completely.  Everything was in the planning stages. Now I will start cycle 1 by interviewing staff and students as well as sending around a survey.  I am thinking about analyzing the reading levels of the students and might include a chart graphic listing pre and post reading levels of the learners.  Possibly I might make a video of staff and student interest levels before and after depending on their reactions.  Interest levels along with experience with the different medias will also be included as questions on the survey.

* What’s happening in your research that you didn’t expect? Explain.

I didn’t expect it to be so hard to choose a topic.  Also, recently I was switched to a younger age group and that kind of threw me off.  Then I thought maybe I could switch my focus from students to staff and use other staff as my learners.  But, I was hesitant to approach my boss about my Action Research plans because although he knows that I have to start my cycle 1, I didn’t want to try to sell something that I wasn’t sure of myself.  Now I am back to my original plans for using the students as my learners but sharing the evidence with staff and simply documenting their reactions before and after my cycle.

∗ How has this month’s course (so far) helped in shaping your ARP?

This month I made my first web site using dreamweaver.  This was the most technologically intense month for me so far.  I had to pick my own topic without collaboration with others and see it all the way through to the end.  That helped me actually go through the steps from brainstorming all the way through the publishing final product.  I could not rely on anyone else.  All I had was myself for ideas and skill.  It increased my confidence in my ability to come up with an idea and see it through.  Also it reassured me that my technical ability is improving, slowly but surely.  I started with no knowledge of photoshop, dreamweaver, or flash, and have now achieved rudimentary operational success by creating a working website with all three.  It was fun to see the animations come to life!  I look forward to playing around with this software to create engaging and interactive learning software for my students.  I am also glad that I was able to shape my learning objectives into a clear, concrete and achievable lesson, … even if it was very simple.  Creating lofty and ambiguous objectives is something that I have been struggling against since my eduction classes in college.  I will think about the simplicity of the learning objectives when I plan lessons for my class in the future.  This encourages me that I will be able to do the same thing when it comes to planning and carrying out my action research project.

Action Research Blog Month 5

What are you doing to set up your cycle?
To set up my cycle I am solidifying my problem and working on my goal for Cycle 1.  I printed out and had students sign release forms.  I started taking snapshots of the children in activities before the cycle to be able to compare before with during and after the cycle.  I also created a computer-generated survey that I am excited about.  I think I will actually be able to use it with slight modifications for my learners!  There is a youtube video as the basis of the survey that I need to create, but I am going to need to do more research in order to have enough knowledge on the topic.  In terms of research, I am finishing my research for my literature review.  The more information I have, the more helpful it is for me to focus my problem.  In the beginning of this process, it was really hard to narrow down what I wanted to do.  In addition to collecting sources, I am also looking into the information I received from Kathy Craven, the Center for Digital Storytelling and the Jacob Burns Film Center.  This month I am finally starting to feel like I am in a good space where action research is concerned.  So much so, that I believe the challenged based learning is a possibility.  I feel like I am still behind, but catching wind beneath my sail.  I hope I am not biting off more than I can chew!

How are the learners responding?
The learners don’t know they are learners yet.  At first when I started I was planning to use students as the learners.  But hearing other people talking about teachers and other staff as learners, gave me the courage to think about how I could do that with my program.  I have only spoken a few co-workers so far, but, overall, I would say they are cautiously optimistic!  When I asked the staff if they would be willing to let me interview them, they were interested but hesitant to participate.  I will continue to think about and plan out my approach.

How is this month’s course helping shape your ARP?
This month’s class has helped me phenomenally!  I was worried about how to start and had no idea what types of activities I would be able to do.  I knew I wanted a digital story/docudrama, and even had vague ideas of a web quest for students to complete, but came to a blank when I thought about actually collecting data.  I had not even thought about conducting interviews at all.  And while I have talked about using surveys, and have completed many for other people, this month I created my own very first survey!  It felt great!  Very empowering and encouraging.  What I would like to see happen now, is to conduct pre and post interviews and surveys with staff members, teachers, administrators and support staff.  Then I want to have the learners watch a mural making tutorial youtube video and/or a movie or docudrama digital story.  The movie will consist of the challenge based learning that the students that they work with will actually be creating; a mural, like the one I will be encouraging the learners themselves to make.  Not sure exactly how all of this will play out. Interviews and surveys are two tools that I will definitely use and this months training course helped me organize and simplify my plans for my action research.   My action research went from purely hypothetical to actually taking first concrete steps.  Thank you Professor Haynes!

Action Research Blog Month 4

This month, I have to create a literature review based off of sites geared towards my topic.  Also this month, I found out I will be in charge of the 6 year old group at my job instead of the 8-9 year olds, so my focus has changed slightly.  I still want to create digital portfolios and use multiple intelligences.  However, now I am thinking about the impact of setting up the classroom.  What information is out there about how to best set up the classroom so that each student gets to explore their multiple intelligences, especially in the younger grades?  Then, what does the research say about helping students to explore their strengths and use their skills and talents to create a digital porfolio of work? Hmm ….How do I feel about my final project?

My official problem statement is, … I wonder what would happen if each child created a digital portfolio of their work in an area that they were interested in that included their reading level and best work in an area of at least one academic strength as demonstrated through multiple intelligences?  Since I started thinking about my final project, I have been exposed to more information about digital portfolios and digital storytelling and even docudramas.  Now I am wondering if I need to broaden the scope of my research to reflect digital natives.  Even though digital natives, as I understand them, is a term referring to college level students, aren’t elementary school students more exposed to technology than ever before?  So, Even though I am hesitant about narrowed the focus for my final project and committing to the problem statement that I started out with, I am excited about starting the next phase of my research.  I am not entirely sure how I will blend multiple intelligences with digital stories or digital portfolios or docudramas.  Overall, I am feeling energized and ready to move forward.

What do I wish I had?

My own class.  Right now I am doing aftercare and taking care of my two children and going to school.  I wish I had more time.  Even though I have slightly slowed down the pace, the months are passing by swifter than I had imagined.  I wish I felt more confident about actually conducting the research … I wish I had been working with an expert researcher as maybe an intern.  I wish I had worked with some of my professors in undergrad, … watching and helping and taking notes.  I knew what step to take next … I wish I knew how to network and kept in better contact with my critical friends.  I will start looking for more literature on my own, in addition to what is required in class and provided by FullSail.  I will utilize my thesis advisor with any questions that come to mind.

How will I accomplish this project?  What steps will I take?

Accomplishing this project is overwhelming in its entirety.  I will break it up into achievable parts.  First, I will go into my FullSail email and take another look at the action research timeline to get a clearer idea of what to accomplish by the deadlines listed.  I read the timeline already and looked at several of the links, but now I want to see what other information might be helpful now that I am actually about to start my research.  I will continue to look for my 50 or so literature sources recommended in Creswell … I will work on an introduction of at least 2 pages in length for my action research paper.  It will introduces my topic and the literature and the deficiencies in literature and decide who my audience will be.  Then I will research more information about how to conduct a mixed methods case study.  My boss already knows I am in the masters program and that I will be using the students in my classroom as subjects for my research, but, now, I will approach my boss and let him know how I plan to work with the children and what specific types of activities I will be doing with them that will help me research multiple intelligences, digital portfolios, digital storytelling, and or docudramas.  I will have all the children sign waivers to be in any videos that I might include while doing my research.  All along the way, I will continue to journal my findings at least 1 time per month on my action research blog, probably twice.  I will be documenting my findings and reflections everyday after class.  As I go along, I will begin to compile my notes and organize them so I can use them to write a rough draft of my paper.  Finally, I will ask my critical friends to review my work on a regular basis.

Action Research for Month 3

What is my official problem statement?  Well, the SOAR program that I work for does a great job of getting the children engaged and keeping them active.  However, we don’t have an accurate assessment of what each child’s reading level is or what are their strengths in math or any other curriculum area.  My official problem statement is, … I wonder what would happen if each child created a digital portfolio of their work in an area that they were interested in that included their reading level and best work in an area of atleast one academic strength as demonstrated through multiple intelligences?

How did my research end up shaping this?  First of all, I observed what was going on in the classrooms for the past 4 months.  As I was doing this, I read Brain Based Learning, by Jensen, Research Design, by Creswell, Intelligence Refraimed by Gardner, Multimedia for Learning, By Alessi and Trollip, and Here come Everybody, by Shirky.  Then I applied what I was reading and learning about in my classes to my situation that I saw with the students and staff I work with.

What outcomes am I expecting?  I believe that creating a digital portfolio will enhance the student’s understanding of themselves and allow the teachers to better plan activities that will encourage and support growth in each individual student.  A secondary outcome is that students and staff will learn about media and different ways to share information.  I believe this will lead to increased levels of interest in academic areas.

How are my critical friends helping this process?  My first critical friend is my boss, he is allowing me to work with the students and try out some of my ideas.  My second critical friend is my coworker that I work with inside the classroom who helps me plan and execute activities.  I have not asked any of my peers to be critical friends yet, but it has been helpful discussing ideas with my teammates that I have worked with so far in the program.  My first two critical friends offer me suggestions and encouragement and keep me focused and on track with my goals.  They offer insight into what is happening from a different perspective because they are at work with my while I am working with the students.

How is this month’s course helping me shape my ARP?  So far, I have written blogs and watched videos about Web 2.0, 21st Century Skills and LIfelong Learning, Social Media, Communities of Practice, Remixing and Copyrighting, as well as set up netvibes and delicious sites to help me filter a massive amount of information in a relatively short amount of time.  I have watched videos, read books and blogs and discussion boards with comments by my peers that has stimulated conversation and given me new information to consider as I continue to work on my action research.  Ultimately, creating my own blog on these topics and reading blogs created by my peers has encouraged me to use blogging with my students and possible include their own blog and or website as part of their digital portfolio which is the main part of my research.  This month I used and discussed tools that I had never considered using before but will now incorportate into my classroom.  As I continue in this process, I will strive to focus my research in a way that it is more centered on my skills and my own personal needs for learning so that I can share it in a meaningful way with the children and staff that I come into contact with.

Student Blogs

How many blogs do you subscribe to?  How many new blogs are created everyday?  Really, the possibilities of fresh and interesting information created in blogs is endless.  I had no idea that educators have been using blogs to share news and information and now they are passing down this tool to the students in their classrooms.  In fact, before this month, I had never read a blog!  Shocking, I know, but the fact is that students are being encouraged to use blogs might not be news to you, but it certainly was to me!  Not only are blogs a fresh way to share information, they also encourage students to edit and proofread and provide real world publishing for free.  Educational sites likewww.edublogger.com filter information and membership, while student blogs as well as comments must be approved for content first.   Another website on blogging, http://www.classblogmeister.com created by David Warlick, gives teacher control over content with perpetual beta, the right to add or edit content.  If you haven’t thought of using blogs in your classroom, you might want to check it out!  Give your students tools they will use forever!

“Catch a fish and feed a man for a day.  Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

RSS Feeds Defined

Last week I had to create a netvibes account.  It was  not the very first time I had ever heard of RSS Feeds, but it was close!  I had seen the RSS sign on a couple of URL’s and figured, … how hard could it be?  After all, RSS stands for Really SIMPLE Syndication, right? … But after trying several RSS feeds with no luck and cutting and pasting several different web addresses to no avail, I figured it must take a little more time to figure out than I had originally planned.   Netvibes gives you a list of common RSS news and entertainment feeds, but if you want something more personalized, you can go to www.mozilla.com/firefox/ where you can create a live bookmark.  Obviously, this is not high tech information, but if there are others out there who were confused by this process, or are thinking about trying out netvibes, I want to assure you that if I can do it, anybody can!  I can already see the potential netvibes has to enhance and simplify my life as well as being a huge timesaver with all the information coming to my fingertips instead of me wasting time looking.  So, I hope you have better luck with your first attempts than I did!  It is worth it in the end.

The Best laid plans of mice and men …  If at first you don’t succeed? …. Try! Try Again!

Second Life For Educators

Second life is a great way to share information.  As educators, it is wonderful to have a new world of creativity and expression at our fingertips.  If you haven’t already been using second life, with summer time fast approaching, now might be a good time to do some research.  Also, once you find out more information, don’t be shy, share it with your collegeuws, they might just have some great information they could share with you, too! Second life for educators is a great way to introduce collaboration into your classroom in a new and exciting way for your students!  Check out the link below for more information.  

http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world

Nicole Furey

Happy Sharing!

“Do on to others as you would have others do on to you”

Money in the Budget!

As media designers and educators, it is up to us to stay abreast of the latest news in education and technology. On May 7th, 2009 President Obama released his FY 2010 budget request to the Congress. It includes $38.16 million for the US Department of Education’s (DOE) Arts in Education program. This is incredible news!  This money is already earmarked and now as educators, we need our voices to be heard about how to spend it. 

To join in the discussion, a good place to start might be to look at http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/05/05052009.html

Another interesting website for more information for educators, is: http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml

Happy Searching!

“You have to be the change you wish to see”

Mahatma Ghandi