I have been wrapping up all the data from research cycle two and in the last 48 hours have been squishing and squashing them and comparing it to my first research cycle data. Truthfully, it was a great disappointment to see that my second cycle of research yielded less significant results than the first regarding the implementation of peer-teaching in second grade math. My results showed that most students enjoyed and preferred peer-teaching to working on their own. Academic growth was not significant on a standardized test in either cycle but was significant on a unit/skills specific math test. Cycle one vocabulary development was extremely significant but results from cycle two vocabulary assessments showed no statistical improvement, in fact, overall, there was a decrease in academic vocabulary. Some of my practices were not EXACTLY the same and I will take that lesson with me. However, with results like these, I get to thinking, did the math lesson that day just have lesson math words to talk about? Some students' standardized math score actually went down after the two-week intervention. Can one really measure any kind of learning in two weeks? A big take-away is that I just don't know enough about statistics. But I do love to see my students improve. Where will I go from here? For some reason I want to fly in a completely different direction but staying on the highway I am, I'd like to continue to give students more work time with a classmate as opposed to teacher-talk listening time. I am a little unsure about reversing the roles of learners and teachers in the future since I think that naturally, those who need more help in math will ask for it instead of taking on a teaching role and those who can assist more will do so. However, perhaps I can change the titles, even if to simply have the student in need of math support repeat the steps or lesson verbally to their partner. I also want to focus on getting the peer-teacher the support they need. I'd love to have more rotation of partners but I'm not sure how to make that happen with strict COVID restrictions in the classroom as far as proximity and desk space are concerned. Mostly, I'm happy to turn in this paper to let my brain relax and hopefully get the creativity flowing again.
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For this class period we did some studying of different instructional models. In particular we learned about Challenged Based Learning and flipping the classroom. In Challenge Based Learning or CBL, students encounter real world challenges that require brainstorming and often teamwork. These real world problems are often more engaging for students than a made up problem. In a flipped classroom design, much of the input is done at home as homework, often through videos, so that students can come to class and work on engaging activities with peers and with the guidance of the teacher as the "guide on the side." Last year, we were required to teach the whole class two twenty minute lessons over Zoom in language arts and math and then hold office hours. Our instruction could be live or pre-recorded. I learned to make many pre-recorded mini-lessons and accompanying exercises on Seesaw and use my shorter live sessions for checking in, review, and having kids connect with each other. Kids who needed help with exercises could pop in for help during my other office hours. This year, my entire day plus more is taken up by synchronous instruction...that's 5 hours per day. Most prep time is taken up by a twice per week team collaboration meeting requirement, staff meetings, and IEP/SST meetings. I love the idea of having a flipped classroom, but as it is, it takes me at least 30 minutes, often an hour, to design a nice Seesaw activity for my team with a 5 minute video all just for one math lesson. My question has always been, how and where do teachers find the time to develop both in class and out of class materials? I am bothered whenever I see students' eyes glazing over and I know it's because they need to be more actively engaged. Having them take part in an activity during the entire class would alleviate this problem but can I trust 7 year olds (and all their parents) to watch my instructional videos at home? I think most did last spring, but not all. As for the real world challenges, I think if it were the end of July, I'd be able to come up with some great ideas. Right now, it's hard for me to find real world problems that students would actually get excited about for all the topics we are studying in math. I was scratching my head over real world problems for measuring things with inches and later feet. The whole concept feels real world to me. They can measure their pencil boxes, their shoes, their room length, etc. but these are not real world problems until they fix something that was a need. Especially teaching virtually and kids not being able to work in groups (physically together) make it difficult to think of applying this right now.
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Minna NummelinLife-long learner and dual language 2nd grade teacher. Archives
April 2021
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