1) Question 1: “What problems in your classroom might point you to your driving question?” One immediate problem that affects me on a daily basis as I plan my instruction is being able to reach my students individually in an effective way. Or, in question form, “How will I reach all of my students individually in the most effective way?” This question is too broad to effectively analyze and keep my framework strong throughout this process. This leads me to ask, “How can I refine this question into a more measurable subject area? How can I make this question more particular, not universal?”
Currently our school is in an Accelerate Math Partnership with NapaLearns. Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to be coached by experts in the field of Math and Bridges (our core math curriculum). I believe this would be the best subject area to focus on for this essential question. In addition to researching how to best enhance my teaching methods and strategies in this subject area, I would also like to add the necessity of growth mindset principles in relation to math. I am trained in AVID Elementary, and I have seen the powerful results of implementing growth mindset principles in the classroom. I have also seen the impact of intertwining growth mindset principles with academics. I want this element to be included in my driving question because it will be a powerful tool to get the best results possible. Currently I am seeing my driving question look like this: How will I use differentiated instruction and growth mindset principles in order to reach all of my students in the most effective ways in the area of mathematics? There are the four subquestions that I plan to explore to help me with this project: 1. What will my small group sessions look like through a unit of study for math? 2. How will I differentiate my teaching for intervention, core, English Learners, and advanced leaners? 3. How will observational data of my students help me assess growth mindset and inquiry growth? 4. How will data drive my curriculum? What I plan to do: I plan on studying about differentiated teaching in mathematics and growth mindset principles, and then applying it to my classroom. I will benefit from the coaching support we are receiving from math specialists in our Accelerate Math Partnership. I plan on using data from pre-tests, mid-point assessments, post-tests, and observations to document student growth. Context/Background for my question: I am choosing this topic because I daily think about it while planning instruction. I want to be the most effective teacher I can be, and that requires helping each individual child reach his/her greatest potential. Math is a focus area for our school, and for me personally. I will continue to refine this driving question to make it more concise and clear as I delve into action research in this area. I currently have thirty-four fourth graders during math with diversely different needs. My English Learners require intensive interventions, building of background knowledge, visuals, hands-on learning, and specific language development instruction. My students who require intervention support, require heavy scaffolding, teacher modeling, hands-on learning, and plenty of repetition of the key concepts so they can continue building on those concepts. My students on and above grade-level require teacher modeling, scaffolding, and interactive lessons that push them to engage with the material at a higher level while using their critical thinking skills. Enrichment includes helping children developing their critical thinking and inquiry skills. I will keep all of this in mind as I work to answer my driving question. 2) Question 2: “What will you need to know to answer that question?” For this step I must gather evidence to effectively measure how I can meet all of my student’s individual needs. I must have a baseline assessment to start. After clearly identifying where I want my students to achieve after completing a unit of study, I will administer a baseline assessment. I will use two forms of a baseline assessment: a standards based test, and also a verbal baseline test to assess inquiry and growth mindset principles in relation to math. Next, I will administer midpoint and post assessments. Other forms of assessment will be observation and record keeping. Since inquiry is a central focus for my school this year in relation to math, I will gather data from student conversations about math individually, and with their peers. One place to easily gather this information would be at our Number Corner (a component of our math program that focuses almost exclusively on using math academic vocabulary, questioning, and inquiry). This would also tie into measuring the growth mindset principle in relation to math. Gathering data from my students verbally in this area will show where their personal mindset is with math. This will allow me to watch their growth mindset and academic progress. I will compare the baseline and midpoint assessments before administering the post test. This will allow me to evaluate what areas the students need more work in before the final post test. These modes of assessment will be done through a naturalistic approach, because this kind of research is field-focused and will take place in my classroom. I will be relying on qualitative methods of research, especially for the growth mindset/inquiry portions. This will be derived from observations, videography to review and compare, open-ended questions, and document collection. Multiple methods of assessment will help me gain a holistic understanding of how my students are progressing in relation to my driving question. The growth mindset is part of my driving question, so I could observe and record how my students speak about approaching a new math concept in relation to those growth mindset principles (i.e. “I can do this”/ “I can’t do this”, etc.). Then I will compare these conversations from the beginning to the end of this inquiry. 3) The last question I am addressing is, “What do you already know (from your own experience and from reading about)?” I will identify what I already know works from my own experience, and from reading The Power of Questions, to reflect, analyze and draw conclusions. It is important to have a combination of direct instruction, peer collaboration, independent work time, and small groups/individual conferencing, in order to reach as many students as possible. I have found that “Call and Response” techniques and “Whole Brain Teaching” methods work well for engagement. For example, I use the phrase, “Mirror with words.” My students repeat what I am saying, and the movements I am making. This allows students reinforce the concept kinesthetically and orally. Additional auditory tools I use are teaching with music, song, or a chant. Kinesthetic learning can be demonstrated through using manipulatives. For example, students can physically build an array with tiles to represent an multiplication problem so students can “see” “7x5=35” by physically building that problem with math tiles. My interpersonal learners benefit from speaking with their peers in pairs or small groups. Repeating/reteaching the standard being taught with peers reinforces what is being taught. This strategy helps linguistic learners clearly formulate their thoughts to express their learning verbally. Giving my students the opportunity to talk to one another in pairs or small groups about the new concept being introduced during direct instruction. Direct instruction followed by independent work and reflection helps auditory learners and intrapersonal learners. Intrapersonal leaners benefit from individual reflection time in order to organize their thoughts and understandings of concepts before sharing out thoughts with others. Other helpful methods of teaching include videos and visuals to build background knowledge. A collaborating activity such as students working in small groups to create posters representing new concepts can include many learning styles in a powerful way. For example, students collaborate, make a visual picture, write a definition, and share with the class. Small group sessions give me the opportunity to work with one group at a time to further enhance student understanding of new concepts. To best address my driving question I will need to be objective, precise, and have results that are able to be verified by others. I will need to use evidence gained by systematic methodologies to effectively answer my driving question.
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