EDLD 5364 Week 1 Knowledge Learned

Constructivism Theory

This quote is one that I have asked myself many times.  If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job?   The article says that, "When on integrates student experiences with technology into the curriculum, the role of the teacher changes. The teacher no longer has to be in charge every minute, but can give some of the control over to the students and the technology."

 The responsibility of learning should reside increasingly with the learner (Glasersfeld, 1989). Social constructivism thus emphasizes the importance of the learner being actively involved in the learning process, unlike previous educational viewpoints where the responsibility rested with the instructor to teach and where the learner played a passive role.

According to the Social constructivism approach, instructors have to adapt to the role of facilitators and not teachers (Bauersfeld, 1995). Whereas a teacher gives a lecture that covers the subject matter, a facilitator helps the learner to get to his or her own understanding of the content.  I think teachers have a difficult time "letting go" of the control and allowing the students to take responsibility for their own learning. 

References:

Glaserfeld, E. Constructivism in education.year=1989. Oxford England: Pergamon Press

Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf

Benefits of Action Research

This class has been very beneficial to me. I have learned a great deal about action research. The greatest understanding I have learned was the different types of action research and how it can benefit me and my students. I have learned so much about research and I will be able to use what I have learned and apply it.  The blogs, discussions, readings, videos, and web conferences have been a wonderful resource in helping me understand this course.

Assignment one intimidated me because I have never been big on research.  I was very pleased to find that reading my assigned books, watching the videos, participating in discussions and assignments.  I learned more than I could have expected. 

I was not familiar with blogs so when I found out that I had to create a blog and keep it updated, I began to get worried.  What if no one writes on my blog? I still do not feel completely comfortable with my blog, But I do feel like I am making progress. 

Developing my research plan was a lot more complicated than I realized.  It made me stop and think on a different level.    Once I finally decided on a research plan I felt better about the project.  I still have many areas to improve on. I am still a bit intimidated about action research. I would like to be able to develop better research questions, also to organize my data in a more concise way.

The discussion board provides interaction and allows me to share my thoughts with my classmates.  I have learned a lot from this class which I can apply to my professional career. 

Possible Challenges

This week I was unable to meet with my Site Supervisor. I have made several attempts to reach her on campus. I have emailed, called and left several voice messages. I will continue to try and meet with her.

Staff Participation - This is an issue that is sometime very difficult. Many teachers are uncomfortable with strangers in their classrooms.  But If I include the staff members in the research process, maybe this will give a level of comfort.  My goal is to be welcomed and not make the teacher feel like the research subject when monitoring the ASD students.

Campus Time - I am not a teacher or associated with a district at this time. I feel I will have limited access to test scores and students. Time is an issue because teachers are very busy, and finding the time to participate will be hard.   My intention is to meet with participants weekly to outline and discuss the research progress.

ACTION PLANNING TEMPLATE

ACTION  PLANNING  TEMPLATE
GOAL:	I want to learn more about The Pros and Cons of Inclusion for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  How to make the Inclusion program more academically beneficial for ASD students?
Action Step (s)	Person(s) Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.  Obtain permission to conduct research on the campus.	Tonya Avery	August 27, 2012 – August 31, 2012	Written permission from district/campus personnel for research to take place.	N/A
2.Compile a list of ASD Students to monitor for the project	Tonya Avery	August 27, 2012 – August 31, 2012	Access to students’ scores, and teacher input on criteria	N/A
3. Draft questions for  teacher surveys.	Tonya Avery	August 13, 2012 – August 17, 2012	Microsoft Word	N/A
4. Meet with supervisor to review survey questions.	Tonya Avery	August 20, 2012 – August 27, 2012	Drafted Survey Questions	Site Supervisor
5. Survey participating teachers about feelings/attitudes towards Inclusion Program.	Tonya Avery	August 20, 2012 – August 31, 2012	Google Docs – Survey or Survey Monkey	N/A
6. Survey students weekly /bi-weekly  progress	Tonya Avery	August 28, 2012 –  October 27, 2012	Weekly Assessments  ,Student Benchmarks	Analyze information in either Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access
7. Gather research articles and books regarding Inclusion Classrooms.		August 20, 2012 – May 31, 2013	Articles, Books, Professional Literature, Blogs	N/A
8. Analyze Survey Data.	Tonya Avery	September 28, 2012 – October 27, 2012	Excel or Access Data from Surveys	Analyze Information from Survey Data
9.     Discuss possible interventions for ASD students  in Inclusion Program	Tonya Avery	August 27, 2012 – May 31, 2013	Students’ Scores and Benchmarks	N/A
10. Identify  ways to improve student performance at various stages of instruction	Tonya Avery	August 27, 2012 – May 31, 2013	Students in a Classroom	Classroom Observations
11. Mark end of year  progress of students and  end of year teacher survey	Tonya Avery	May 27, 2012 –      May 31, 2013	Google Doc – Survey or Survey Monkey	Analyze information in either Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access
12. Compare data from beginning, middle, and end of year to determine any patterns and/or make observations based on findings	Tonya Avery	May 28, 2013 –       July 1, 2013	Excel or Access Data from Surveys	Analyze Information from Survey Data.  End of year progress in identified areas of need using district benchmark tests, progress reports, report cards, other district/campus quantitative data, teacher observation/interviews
13. Write a Self-Reflection on the Inclusion Program with Cumulative Data and Observation Surveys	Tonya Avery	July 2, 2013- September 2, 2013	Microsoft Word Data References	Self-Evaluation – Reflection of Recommended Plans of Action to Take Place
. 14. Share information found on action research with administration, and teachers.  Make recommendation based on data collected from action research.	Tonya Avery	August 15, 2013 – September 14, 2013	PowerPoint presentation at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school years.	Presentation feedback