Action Research Proposal : Review

1. Students in kindergarten are having trouble recognizing word families and rhyming words.
2. It is easier for students to read using recognition of word families and rhyming words than using phonics.
3. Playing rhyming games will increase recognition of word families and rhyming words. In turn this will lead to reading fluently 
4. How can I use a variety of rhyming games to help my students recognize rhyme and word families in text?
5. "Research shows that implementing a range of rhyming games can help students improve their recognition of rhyme and word families( Allen 1988.) Reinforcement of patterns of rhyme through rhyming games helps students build on the concept of rhyme and word families( Bradley & Bryant 1983).
6.Assessment of Decoding prior to and following implementation,  Student performance checklist during games, and teaching journal monitoring individual student progress.

Action Research Summary

1. Encouraging Thoughtful and helpful responses to high stakes writing: How do writing teachers teach it all?
2. Did comments to on students writing help them improve.
3. Reinforcing effort
4. The evidence used is how the students felt about the comments as well as their parents. The writing examples over the year are also evidence that the strategy was working.
5. Parent/Student surveys, student work, reading journals, student interviews, and emails were used to collect data.
6.  The student/parent surveys used a numerical rating system. The teacher looked at how students sentence structure, vocabulary, fluency, and organization changed throughout the year. The teacher listened to what the students had to say in their interviews as well.
7.  The comments were helpful in improving students writing along with their thoughts about writing.
8.  The teacher realized she needed to be more precise with her comments. She also said individual conferences would help give the students a better understanding. She plans on changing her responses system so the teacher and student have an opportunity to communicate about the comments.

Double Journal Entry 11

Formative assessment is assessment that enables students to become better at evaluating their own work, it enables teachers to change the curriculum when needed to accommodate students, it enables students to see how they are doing in a given task. Furthermore, formative assessment is a strategy that improves all students work while closing the gap between low and high achievers.

Formative assessment will help in reinforcing effort because like reinforcing effort the focus is on the quality of work, not the quantity, and formative assessment. Students needed to be praised when they put forth effort and know that messing up is part of the learning process. We have all done things wrong the goal should be realize mistakes and learn from them, because like it or not we are all going to make mistakes.

A rubric can be used formatively and summatively, because students can use the rubric to assess how they are doing throughout the task and the teacher can use the rubric at the end for a final evaluation.

To be honest I haven't seen any true formative assessment, other than the host teacher or I asking questions orally to assess student understanding. I have retaught material when students don't seem to understand what was asked.

The formative assessment should always focus on the task not the student. Timing is key if the task is something new or difficult early formative assessment is the best approach, if the task is routine or easy for the students it is better to wait longer to do a formative assessment because students need a chance to assess their own work or it seems like you are doubting their abilities to them.

Many teachers don't know how to perform high quality assessment as opposed to under-conceptualized assessment. Parents and the community may question the technique if students are only receiving comments and peer assessment on their work, so those involved need to me made aware of the strategy before it is implemented. Making assessment appropriate for all learners is also difficult.

Double Journal Entry 10

All teachers are responsible for including writing instruction in their classes because any good teacher is trying to help their students succeed. Studies have proven that reading and writing across the curriculum improve students performance across the board. Also to correctly interpret material from different classes like science, math, and social studies involves looking at the text in a different manner. For example to look at a historical document one must look for authenticity and bias skills not needed in reading a fiction story.

Here are four ways to support writing instruction for students:

#1Low stakes writing assignments- here students are just writing short assignments ex(write one paragraph comparing and contrasting a direct democracy and a representative democracy.

#2Provide multiple forms of feedback- this involves letting students evaluate each other or maybe class discussion of a students view on a topic they wrote about, anything that is not the standard teacher reading the paper and merely giving the student a grade.

#3Have teachers collaborate on their own techniques-here the teachers are sharing ideas to help the school reach the ultimate goal of student success.

#4Encourage teachers to look for effective techniques- Teachers like to research ways to become enhance professional development, so having teachers look for ways to improve can lead to them really enjoying implementing writing instruction in their class.

Student Interest Survey

When you hear history what historical event, era, or individual do you think of?

Focused Observation

One student in my class has difficulty with attention. I've caught them drawing pictures while the teacher was going over work. Sometimes they start clicking a pen and become more focused on that then the task at hand. The student has shown improvement since they started taking their medicine again, the past couple of classes the student has shown a conscious focus to get the assignments completed. The student has told me they want to bring their grade up. This student has shown great potential; they just need to be kept focused and encouraged throughout the day.

Webquest evaluation

Some of the websites didn't work properly. The resources were to scattered around, and contained a lot of irrelevant information. The process was all right but I may change the size of the groups. The process needs to be more explicit.