Sunday, March 30, 2008
Literature Review
Click here (or on the title of this post) to read my review of the literature on teacher collaboration. Basically, what I found was that there are three key components to effective collaboration: inquiry, instruction and introspection/reflection. As I continue to develop my own research, I plan to use this literature review as a framework for my own discoveries. It is a work in progress!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spiraling into Cycle #3 - research & reflection (part I)
DATA: TECHNOLOGY AVAILABILITY TABLE
DATA: HARDWARE & APPLICATION COST COMPARISON
DATA: HARDWARE & APPLICATION COST COMPARISON
One of my subquestions is: what inexpensive technology tools are available in schools? In my first and second cycles, the teachers and I used SMART boards, projectors and computer lab stations to collaborate. In one classroom, the SMART board was missing some of its components, including the "marking" pens, and its speakers did not work. In addition, many teachers did not have a SMART board and projector in their classroom and so were not completely familiar with the technology. In another classroom, although a SMART board and projector had been provided, the projector was very outdated and was not completely compatible with the SMART board, affecting its display quality.
Although most of the schools in which I work have a computer lab, these may be in use by students throughout the school day or may be locked to both staff and students. In one lab, the computers were so extremely old and outdated that they were not able to be networked. From all of these observations and experiences, I knew that I needed to focus on educational technology that was not dependent on expensive hardware that was not always available.
To answer my subquestion and consider where I might need to go for my third cycle, I began by creating a chart outlining some of the technology that is currently in use in the classrooms in which I work. However, not all of the technology listed could be considered 'inexpensive' or commonly available.
- A mere 30% of teachers have SMART Boards and LCD projectors in their classrooms. The cost of a 77" SMART Board is $2099 plus over $1135 in shipping costs. Projectors can cost up to $6899, with each replacement bulb costing more than $1000.
- 75% of teachers have a laptop or desktop computer in their classroom. Most also have their own computer at home. Laptops start at around $749 with desktops starting at $399.
- A wireless cart of Computers on Wheels (COW) costs $21,072. Probably due to the cost, only 20% of teachers have their own cart (stored in their classroom). An additional 60% of teachers have access to a shared cart.
- 80% of schools in which I work have a computer lab. The great majority of these are connected to the internet. To outfit an entire lab with desktop computers, it could cost a school upwards of $15,000.
- Most schools also have purchased site licenses for Microsoft Office software. Each individual set of the basic home and school programs (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook) costs $149.
- Schools almost always have access to the internet, whether through their own wireless network or through local unsecured networks. There is a plethora of free web-based resources designed especially for educational use.
After analyzing the costs, I can see that I need to try out some technology tools that are free or inexpensive and widely available. The most inexpensive tools from the list above are the individual teacher computers (laptops or desktops), the basic Microsoft software and various free web applications.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Cycle #2 - action (part II)
For my next action, I prepared the discussion board as previously described: 1) steps & timing of the protocol, including probing questions; 2) a link to a student draft of a feature article; 3) an attachment which contained the feature article rubric.
Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by Jennifer Whitney - Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 02:49 PM
FA_rubric.doc
Running Away!!! by SXXXX
Learning from Student Work protocol (10 min per step)
1. What do you see? Describe without judging.
2. From the writer's perspective, what is SXXXX working on? In other words, what does she understand or not understand? What is she most interested in? How did she interpret the assignment?
3. What are the implications of this work for teaching and assessment?
4. Written reflection (~5 min): Free-write about how you will use what you learned from your colleagues today in your teaching of Step 4, Writing Feature Articles. What can we learn from SXXXX and what will you focus on in your lessons to make sure students 'get it'?
P.S. You can compare SXXXX's writing with the attached Feature Article rubric for ideas!!!
We met to read the article together and discuss what we were seeing. I had intentionally chosen a student that was not in any of their classes so that they would not feel as if their teaching were being discussed or evaluated. I acted as the facilitator for the protocol; however, it occurred to me that perhaps next time the teachers would take more ownership of the process if I asked one of them to facilitate. I observed that although the teachers offered many comments to assess the student work (e.g. the research is vague, the organization needs some tweaking, this is cute), they still seemed hesitant when it came time to share their ideas about how this could impact their teaching. This tells me that they are growing as professionals (i.e. they are getting more comfortable collaborating around an artifact) but still have a ways to go in their confidence as instructors.
After our meeting, we agreed to revisit the work and post a reflection on the forum about how this student's work could inform our practice in the upcoming portion of the feature articles unit (crafting and organizing paragraphs). I was disappointed, although not surprised, that only three teachers responded (last two postings originate from same author). The lack of reflection on teaching and assessment, both in conversation and in reflective writing, seems to point to a continued uncertainty in their own ideas and plans as instructors. Here are the reflective postings:
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXX - Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 02:46 PM
One thing that we learned from SXXXX's writing today is that students need help organizing the body paragraphs of their feature articles to include subheadings, their own ideas, research and transitions in each section. Another thing that we could focus on in mini-lessons and conferences is writing a strong conclusion; SXXXX's FA seemed to lose momentum at the end.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXX - Thursday, 13 March 2008, 03:37 PM
After reading SXXXX's article, I am going to pay closer attention to teaching my students how to research, and how to present their research. I did something great in my PACE class last night, that I would love to do with my students. To teach them how to present their research, I am going to hand out samples of feature articles and teach my kids how to code. They can have different colored highlighters and they can code for research that is supported, research that is not, and quotes that are presented. I think it can be a really fun activity!
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXXX - Friday, 14 March 2008, 02:08 PM
That sounds like a terrific idea - thanks for sharing! The highlighting could also be a way to teach into the organization of the article - making sure that each section has both their own ideas as well as research support.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXXX- Friday, 14 March 2008, 02:14 PM
Also, just FYI, if you are looking for more examples of FAs (other than the original Lesson 1.1 packet), check out the mentor texts in Professor P's office!
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
One thing that I think has been a great benefit to using technology to collaborate is the amount of paper we are saving. After only two meetings (looking at protocols, rubrics and pieces of student writing), traditional meeting methods would have required a minimum of 72 sheets of paper just to view all of the artifacts. Most of this paper is usually thrown in the trash after a meeting, with only some of it being recycled depending on the availability of a recycling bin. In addition, the use of technology saved the team a great deal of time by giving participants the capability to preview web-based meeting topics and content beforehand and creating flexible time for reflection afterward via virtual meeting spaces in discussion forums.
Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by Jennifer Whitney - Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 02:49 PM
FA_rubric.doc
Running Away!!! by SXXXX
Learning from Student Work protocol (10 min per step)
1. What do you see? Describe without judging.
2. From the writer's perspective, what is SXXXX working on? In other words, what does she understand or not understand? What is she most interested in? How did she interpret the assignment?
3. What are the implications of this work for teaching and assessment?
4. Written reflection (~5 min): Free-write about how you will use what you learned from your colleagues today in your teaching of Step 4, Writing Feature Articles. What can we learn from SXXXX and what will you focus on in your lessons to make sure students 'get it'?
P.S. You can compare SXXXX's writing with the attached Feature Article rubric for ideas!!!
We met to read the article together and discuss what we were seeing. I had intentionally chosen a student that was not in any of their classes so that they would not feel as if their teaching were being discussed or evaluated. I acted as the facilitator for the protocol; however, it occurred to me that perhaps next time the teachers would take more ownership of the process if I asked one of them to facilitate. I observed that although the teachers offered many comments to assess the student work (e.g. the research is vague, the organization needs some tweaking, this is cute), they still seemed hesitant when it came time to share their ideas about how this could impact their teaching. This tells me that they are growing as professionals (i.e. they are getting more comfortable collaborating around an artifact) but still have a ways to go in their confidence as instructors.
After our meeting, we agreed to revisit the work and post a reflection on the forum about how this student's work could inform our practice in the upcoming portion of the feature articles unit (crafting and organizing paragraphs). I was disappointed, although not surprised, that only three teachers responded (last two postings originate from same author). The lack of reflection on teaching and assessment, both in conversation and in reflective writing, seems to point to a continued uncertainty in their own ideas and plans as instructors. Here are the reflective postings:
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXX - Wednesday, 12 March 2008, 02:46 PM
One thing that we learned from SXXXX's writing today is that students need help organizing the body paragraphs of their feature articles to include subheadings, their own ideas, research and transitions in each section. Another thing that we could focus on in mini-lessons and conferences is writing a strong conclusion; SXXXX's FA seemed to lose momentum at the end.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXX - Thursday, 13 March 2008, 03:37 PM
After reading SXXXX's article, I am going to pay closer attention to teaching my students how to research, and how to present their research. I did something great in my PACE class last night, that I would love to do with my students. To teach them how to present their research, I am going to hand out samples of feature articles and teach my kids how to code. They can have different colored highlighters and they can code for research that is supported, research that is not, and quotes that are presented. I think it can be a really fun activity!
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXXX - Friday, 14 March 2008, 02:08 PM
That sounds like a terrific idea - thanks for sharing! The highlighting could also be a way to teach into the organization of the article - making sure that each section has both their own ideas as well as research support.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Week 4 - Writing Feature Articles
by XXXXXXXXX- Friday, 14 March 2008, 02:14 PM
Also, just FYI, if you are looking for more examples of FAs (other than the original Lesson 1.1 packet), check out the mentor texts in Professor P's office!
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
One thing that I think has been a great benefit to using technology to collaborate is the amount of paper we are saving. After only two meetings (looking at protocols, rubrics and pieces of student writing), traditional meeting methods would have required a minimum of 72 sheets of paper just to view all of the artifacts. Most of this paper is usually thrown in the trash after a meeting, with only some of it being recycled depending on the availability of a recycling bin. In addition, the use of technology saved the team a great deal of time by giving participants the capability to preview web-based meeting topics and content beforehand and creating flexible time for reflection afterward via virtual meeting spaces in discussion forums.
Cycle #2 - reflection on data & a plan for action
DATA: TEACHER TALK & REFLECTIVE POSTINGS
It was suggested to me by some of my colleagues, and confirmed by the discussion I had with my teachers, that perhaps one of the reasons that the teachers were not engaging in more collaboration or responding to my prompts for collaboration was that they lacked confidence in themselves as professionals. During our last meeting, one teacher actually stated that he felt like he was always "putting out fires" and never had time to grow instructionally; he added that this made him feel like he was less than proficient as a teacher at this point in his career (less than 3 years of experience).
They also complained in their postings about the lack of time they were given to collaborate with each other because all of their planning time was absorbed with administrator-led meetings or professional development led by someone outside the content-area team. Therefore, this teacher said that they had no practice talking with each other as professionals and had been "missing a slice of the ELA pie" (see comments in previous post, Cycle #2 - action & more data). The teachers seem to have some deep resentments about the fact that they haven't had these kinds of opportunities in the past - opportunities to reflect, to ask questions of each other or to share their unique ideas and talents - stating that they feel shortchanged.
At this point, I felt that the teachers were ready for another try at reflecting on student work and the learning context in which it occurs. I based this decision on the data I collected from the teachers' reflective postings on our discussion board. One teacher stated, "In order to improve as a teacher, I need to reflect on how I get my students to produce work, and in turn how I evaluate the work." This teacher seemed to be realizing how valuable student work could be as a tool to inform instruction. Another teacher teacher felt that "the most important thing we can do for one another is togive suggestions and ask questions of each other...we will recognize the things we have picked up along the way and the things that have worked for us." Here, I sensed an opening up to the risk-taking that sometimes comes with collaboration. A third teacher seemed to recognize the essential link between common standards and quality of student work: "...working together gives us a chance to know that we are measuring the same things when we talk about standards and expectations, that students don't get graded on different scales for similar work". From these reflections, it appeared that the teachers had made some important connections in their work and would be ready to give collaborative analysis another try.
I decided to scaffold this conversation a little more with a protocol that used more precise prompting than the Collaborative Assessment Conference (McDonald et al, 2007). For this purpose, I chose the Learning from Student Work protocol (Thompson-Grove, 2000). This protocol offers the facilitator some probing questions that help to analyze the student's apparent understandings (see below). I again used the discussion board format for our shared documents and reflections. I posted a link to a student's draft of her feature article, and I also included via attachment a copy of the rubric we are using to assess students on their finished writing for the unit. This was another way of scaffolding the conversation - the rubric would give teachers a basis and language for their comments.
It was suggested to me by some of my colleagues, and confirmed by the discussion I had with my teachers, that perhaps one of the reasons that the teachers were not engaging in more collaboration or responding to my prompts for collaboration was that they lacked confidence in themselves as professionals. During our last meeting, one teacher actually stated that he felt like he was always "putting out fires" and never had time to grow instructionally; he added that this made him feel like he was less than proficient as a teacher at this point in his career (less than 3 years of experience).
They also complained in their postings about the lack of time they were given to collaborate with each other because all of their planning time was absorbed with administrator-led meetings or professional development led by someone outside the content-area team. Therefore, this teacher said that they had no practice talking with each other as professionals and had been "missing a slice of the ELA pie" (see comments in previous post, Cycle #2 - action & more data). The teachers seem to have some deep resentments about the fact that they haven't had these kinds of opportunities in the past - opportunities to reflect, to ask questions of each other or to share their unique ideas and talents - stating that they feel shortchanged.
At this point, I felt that the teachers were ready for another try at reflecting on student work and the learning context in which it occurs. I based this decision on the data I collected from the teachers' reflective postings on our discussion board. One teacher stated, "In order to improve as a teacher, I need to reflect on how I get my students to produce work, and in turn how I evaluate the work." This teacher seemed to be realizing how valuable student work could be as a tool to inform instruction. Another teacher teacher felt that "the most important thing we can do for one another is togive suggestions and ask questions of each other...we will recognize the things we have picked up along the way and the things that have worked for us." Here, I sensed an opening up to the risk-taking that sometimes comes with collaboration. A third teacher seemed to recognize the essential link between common standards and quality of student work: "...working together gives us a chance to know that we are measuring the same things when we talk about standards and expectations, that students don't get graded on different scales for similar work". From these reflections, it appeared that the teachers had made some important connections in their work and would be ready to give collaborative analysis another try.
I decided to scaffold this conversation a little more with a protocol that used more precise prompting than the Collaborative Assessment Conference (McDonald et al, 2007). For this purpose, I chose the Learning from Student Work protocol (Thompson-Grove, 2000). This protocol offers the facilitator some probing questions that help to analyze the student's apparent understandings (see below). I again used the discussion board format for our shared documents and reflections. I posted a link to a student's draft of her feature article, and I also included via attachment a copy of the rubric we are using to assess students on their finished writing for the unit. This was another way of scaffolding the conversation - the rubric would give teachers a basis and language for their comments.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Cycle #2 - action (part I) & more data
For my initial Cycle #2 action, I decided to see if I could teach my team about the reasons why collaborating around student work is important and what positive effects this practice can have. The reason that I made this decision was based on my data (the lack of reflective responses I received from the Cycle #1 email) as well as on relevant literature. Reeves (2007) found that in order to be an effective instructional coach, the teachers being coached must agree that change is useful or necessary. Since the teachers hadn't responded to my initial attempt at looking at student work and reflecting on its implications for practice, I hoped that with this Cycle #2 action I could bring about some collaborative agreement.
I chose an article for us to read (Garrison, 2006) that focused on why teachers should look at student work collaboratively (to impact and improve practice), how this can be accomplished (through the use of meeting protocols) and on what questions or topics these meetings might focus (performance standards overall or the needs of a particular student).
I posted the article as well as the Final Word protocol (McDonald et al, 2007) for our meeting on a web-based discussion board. When the teachers arrived in the computer lab, they logged on and we discussed the guidelines of the protocol. Our meeting began a little late due to two teachers being tardy; two teachers were absent entirely due to their recent temporary re-assignment into the Math department to help prepare students for the upcoming state Math exam.
We took ten minutes to independently read the article. Some teachers finished early and began to talk amongst themselves about unrelated topics; one teacher responded to the talking by stating that we could go ahead without her because she wasn't finished reading. I gave her an extra couple of minutes because I wanted her to be able to take part in the discussion.
After everyone had finished reading, I invited the teachers to volunteer to read a passage that they found especially meaningful or important. Ms. Mxxx was the first to speak up. She read a passage containing a quote from author James Baldwin: "American author James Baldwin is quoted as saying, 'Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.' This idea is applicable to many life situations, but its relevance to the education change process is paramount. It is easy to become mired in procedure and lose sight of what we can control and change," (Garrison, 2006). She discussed how this passage related to her own experience as a teacher in that she feels caught up in dealing with the daily breakdown of school structureand culture and doesn't focus on actually improving instruction. Mr. Txxxxxx agreed and stated that he feels the same way, 'stuck' in dealing with day-to-day procedures and top-down mandates and unable to reflect on his practice.
Mr. Bxxxxxx was next to present. He chose to share the following passage (Garrison, 2006): "We must listen to what our colleagues are saying and reflect on our teaching practice. The willingness to grow, to be self-evaluative, and to adjust where necessary is not only professional, it is what we expect of our students. This is a life skill." The group then discussed how they feel that they rarely get the time to discuss instructional practices, but more importantly, as new teachers they felt they needed a leader to guide these structured conversations about student work or ways of teaching. They reiterated one thing I already knew from my original survey - that they have rarely spent Common Planning time in collaboration; instead, most CP time was devoted to administrative meetings or top-down information disbursement. The teachers also concurred with one another that they feel a bond of friendship with each other, but they realized that they never really get to hear each other's professional thoughts. I mentioned the distinction between congenial relationships, like the one that they share, and collegial relationships, like what we are trying to create through our collaboration, as described by Barth (2006).
After our meeting, the teachers returned to the discussion board to post their reflections. Below you will see the original post and the reflective responses.
ORIGINAL POST
Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by Jennifer Whitney - Tuesday, 4 March 2008, 05:56 PM
Final_Word_Protocol.pdf
Examples of things you might reflect on: What did you learn from the Final Word rounds today? How will today's experience impact your practice?
Link to Garrison (2006) article
Edit Delete Reply
TEACHER RESPONSES
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
The reading today touched on many things which I found applicable to my teaching practice. In order to improve as a teacher, I need to reflect on how I get my studetns to produce work, and in turn how I evaluate the work.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
It was nice to hear what other people were thinking. I believe that we have been shortchanged by missing out on our colleague's point of view and the fact that we are all going through similiar problems yet we don't have time to discuss classroom opportunities.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
I think as a group the most important thing we can do for one another is to give suggestions and ask questions of eachother. We have ideas to share, but we just need someone to ask so that we will recognize the things we have picked up along the way and the things that have worked for us. I will make an effort to ask for more help from my colleagues because I appreciate their different styles and strengths.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:30 AM
The potential for teamworkremainsapotential until itcan be workedin toschedules wearelosingout, weareredoingthe samework,studentsarelosing . One thingI noticed in the articlewas that working together gives us a chancetoknowthat we aremeasning the same thingswhen we talk about standards andexpectattions. Tha5t students don't getgradedon different scalesforsimilar work...
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:32 AM
Dear English Educators,
I really enjoyed our CP today. I feel as if this PD was more like a therapy session. It was nice to have an opportunity to reflect on our professional status, or lack thereof. I am intrigued by the thought that we are "missing a slice" in our ELA pie! I am happy that we have the solid foundation of friendship that we discussed. I am excited to think about the wonderful professional ideas that we can share with each other. I value each and every one of you as people, and respect you as educators. The truth is that we are all wonderfully creative beings, and I cannot imagine how great it would be to combine our passions, talents, and intelligence. I love you guys.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
I chose an article for us to read (Garrison, 2006) that focused on why teachers should look at student work collaboratively (to impact and improve practice), how this can be accomplished (through the use of meeting protocols) and on what questions or topics these meetings might focus (performance standards overall or the needs of a particular student).
I posted the article as well as the Final Word protocol (McDonald et al, 2007) for our meeting on a web-based discussion board. When the teachers arrived in the computer lab, they logged on and we discussed the guidelines of the protocol. Our meeting began a little late due to two teachers being tardy; two teachers were absent entirely due to their recent temporary re-assignment into the Math department to help prepare students for the upcoming state Math exam.
We took ten minutes to independently read the article. Some teachers finished early and began to talk amongst themselves about unrelated topics; one teacher responded to the talking by stating that we could go ahead without her because she wasn't finished reading. I gave her an extra couple of minutes because I wanted her to be able to take part in the discussion.
After everyone had finished reading, I invited the teachers to volunteer to read a passage that they found especially meaningful or important. Ms. Mxxx was the first to speak up. She read a passage containing a quote from author James Baldwin: "American author James Baldwin is quoted as saying, 'Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.' This idea is applicable to many life situations, but its relevance to the education change process is paramount. It is easy to become mired in procedure and lose sight of what we can control and change," (Garrison, 2006). She discussed how this passage related to her own experience as a teacher in that she feels caught up in dealing with the daily breakdown of school structureand culture and doesn't focus on actually improving instruction. Mr. Txxxxxx agreed and stated that he feels the same way, 'stuck' in dealing with day-to-day procedures and top-down mandates and unable to reflect on his practice.
Mr. Bxxxxxx was next to present. He chose to share the following passage (Garrison, 2006): "We must listen to what our colleagues are saying and reflect on our teaching practice. The willingness to grow, to be self-evaluative, and to adjust where necessary is not only professional, it is what we expect of our students. This is a life skill." The group then discussed how they feel that they rarely get the time to discuss instructional practices, but more importantly, as new teachers they felt they needed a leader to guide these structured conversations about student work or ways of teaching. They reiterated one thing I already knew from my original survey - that they have rarely spent Common Planning time in collaboration; instead, most CP time was devoted to administrative meetings or top-down information disbursement. The teachers also concurred with one another that they feel a bond of friendship with each other, but they realized that they never really get to hear each other's professional thoughts. I mentioned the distinction between congenial relationships, like the one that they share, and collegial relationships, like what we are trying to create through our collaboration, as described by Barth (2006).
After our meeting, the teachers returned to the discussion board to post their reflections. Below you will see the original post and the reflective responses.
ORIGINAL POST
Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by Jennifer Whitney - Tuesday, 4 March 2008, 05:56 PM
Final_Word_Protocol.pdf
Examples of things you might reflect on: What did you learn from the Final Word rounds today? How will today's experience impact your practice?
Link to Garrison (2006) article
Edit Delete Reply
TEACHER RESPONSES
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
The reading today touched on many things which I found applicable to my teaching practice. In order to improve as a teacher, I need to reflect on how I get my studetns to produce work, and in turn how I evaluate the work.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
It was nice to hear what other people were thinking. I believe that we have been shortchanged by missing out on our colleague's point of view and the fact that we are all going through similiar problems yet we don't have time to discuss classroom opportunities.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:29 AM
I think as a group the most important thing we can do for one another is to give suggestions and ask questions of eachother. We have ideas to share, but we just need someone to ask so that we will recognize the things we have picked up along the way and the things that have worked for us. I will make an effort to ask for more help from my colleagues because I appreciate their different styles and strengths.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:30 AM
The potential for teamworkremainsapotential until itcan be workedin toschedules wearelosingout, weareredoingthe samework,studentsarelosing . One thingI noticed in the articlewas that working together gives us a chancetoknowthat we aremeasning the same thingswhen we talk about standards andexpectattions. Tha5t students don't getgradedon different scalesforsimilar work...
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Re: Written Reflection (5 minutes)
by XXXXX - Wednesday, 5 March 2008, 10:32 AM
Dear English Educators,
I really enjoyed our CP today. I feel as if this PD was more like a therapy session. It was nice to have an opportunity to reflect on our professional status, or lack thereof. I am intrigued by the thought that we are "missing a slice" in our ELA pie! I am happy that we have the solid foundation of friendship that we discussed. I am excited to think about the wonderful professional ideas that we can share with each other. I value each and every one of you as people, and respect you as educators. The truth is that we are all wonderfully creative beings, and I cannot imagine how great it would be to combine our passions, talents, and intelligence. I love you guys.
Show parent Edit Split Delete Reply
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Cycle #2 - research & reflection
DATA: TEACHER EMAILS
DATA: FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS
DATA: GOOGLE TALK WIDGET
The teachers that I am working with frequently email me. This, along with the fact that we are all Google Talk buddies and that they are on Facebook, tells me that they are comfortable using technology as a communication and networking tool. Therefore, I feel that I can eliminate issues with technological confidence and competence as possible reasons for their lack of collaboration.
The problem, as becomes clear in reading the following emails, is that their emails are all about 'crisis management'. They are using technology but not to collaborate professionally. This is supported by the findings of Suntisukwongchote (2006); teachers stated in interviews that they never used computers for collaboration and that they had never seen collaboration on the internet. The 'crisis management' nature of their emails also makes me reflect on whether I might be encouraging this simply by consistently responding to their immediate needs while only pressing for the bigger picture of collaboration once per week during common planning time.
Re: Writing Matters & student work
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Hello!Thank you so much Jen. We started the unit on Monday (we still don't have a projector). I love it! I am so excited about it. It is going over wonderfully with the honors class. 703 and 702 are coming along nicely as well. =)
Re: this week's 'stuff'
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Hi Jen,We used the animation for angle but were unable to link to anystories. XXXX spent lunch finding google bits to show parts ofstories, but even that worked intermittently so it was hard to keepstudents focused. tomorrow we're doing the Editor's Conferenceworksheet so I think Wed will be about introducing research. We havethe classes split. In my section, advanced would be DXXX, strugglingwould be DXXX, proficent (not on ELA exam last year but on articleso far) but needs encouragement would be TXXX.See you Wed.
Re: this week's 'stuff'
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Hi Jen!This week XXX and I have split our ELA classes. I am not sure which group you would like to work with. I have the computer and the data projector- XXX is not one hundred percent comfortable with using them. She is also less familiar with the unit. She read it over the vacation and seems to be caught up, but she missed the PD. I am trucking through with 702 and 703. Since we split, I decided to re-teach the last three lessons in a review session today. 703 made it through characteristics and choosing a topic and angle. 702 made it through characteristics and choosing a topic (although not all of them did). 701 has chosen their topics and angles. On Wednesday we should be on lesson 2.2.
Re: this week's 'stuff'
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
KXXXX BXXXwould love your help. He is a struggling writer, but a hard worker. He produces at least 5 drafts of every piece of writing.MXXy LXXXis a student that is not yet meeting standards. She doesn't completely understand the concept of an angle.RXXX VXXX is proficient and so is LXXX BXXX.
Re: this week's 'stuff'
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Hi Jennifer,This Wednesday they are having the Dominican Independence/Black History Monthcelebration. 1,2,3 periods will be 6th & 7th grade assembly andperiods 7,8 will be an assembly for 8th grade. Period 4 I will haveaccess to the computer lab. The students started to search theinternet today and I hope to teach 2.3 tomorrow.They have not started the actual writing yet.
Re: prep for Step 1 & Lesson 1.1
XXXXXX@yahoo.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Jennifer,
Hello!
I just wanted to let you know that on Thursday this week... it is a 1/2 day of school. I have a different class that period but you are still welcome to come as scheduled. This class however is a very LOW class. They have a hard time grasping many concepts and they talk a lot. BUT they have been exposed to writing matters projects before and have been well behaved for the last presenter. They are also a ridiculously SMALL class... (15 or less) I PROMISE to do all the management. I will even bribe them with a few things for you. I just thought you should know that because of the 1/2 day schedule, you won't be meeting the honor's class.
Let me know what you think.
RE: prep for Step 1 & Lesson 1.1
XXXXXX(32K162) [XXXXXX@schools.nyc.gov]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
One other thing, do I have to enroll the kids in the online classroom before you come... and if so... I totally forgot how.
Re: this week's 'stuff'
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Jennifer,
Sorry to be getting back to you so late. I do have a few students that I can have you work with in 804, but I would like to speak to you tomorrow during 1st period if that is at all possible. I have made the copies for this week and prepared the lessons, but I'm a little apprehensive about taking the students to the lab at this point. Many of them are already in many different places. Several of them are not yet finsihsed with handout 2.1 and a select few in each of my classes are still unsure of what to do for a topic. However, I am also hesitant to hold back anymore as I feel that reiterating the lsesons I have already taught would cause other problems. Let me know what you think.
writing matters classrooms
XXXXXX@hotmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Hey Jennifer,We're having some issues with the website, and were hoping you could answer some questions. So far, everyone has created an eZine for each of their classes, but how do we create the classroom? When we log in and search the classes all three of mine and only one of XXXshow up. XXXhas his students registered, and they can log into their eZine but we can't figure out how to create the classroom. Please e-mail us back, or call the school asap so we can figure this problem out. We're searched the website, and neither XXXor myself remember the process of how we did it. Thanks a lot! Talk to you soon!
help needed for teachers
XXXXXX(26Q216) [XXX@schools.nyc.gov]
You replied on 2/29/2008 1:53 PM.
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Ms. Whitney, I had a conversation with teachers. They are having a few technical problems. If you can please email or call them. Or if you can, they want to know if you can pass by here before Tuesday, so they can be better prepared.Thanks in advance
Re: ezines & online classrooms
XXXXXX@yahoo.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
hi Jen -
I truly appreciate your help with regard to this unit, but I have to be honest, I am extremely apprehensive regarding the technology aspect. At least I was finally able to figure out how to set up the ezines. Just out of curiousity, can the kids post their work from home just in case the technology in my room doesn't work?
The titles of the ezines are 806 and 807 --- and the subscription key is XXX806 and XXX807 ........ real original, right?!Thanks -
Re: ezines & online classrooms
XXXXXX@yahoo.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
hi again -
quick question - how do i setup my classroom? ms. sXXX at my school set up her classrooms but can't for the life of her remember how she did it!
thanks -
Re: ezine & modifications
XXXXXX@gmail.com]
To: Jennifer Whitney
Cc:
Thanks Jen. And no, I have not set up an ezine yet. So if you wantsend some directions, I would appreciate.Enjoy the last bit of the weekend.
What does all this tell me? The teachers I'm working with are mostly young; they are adept with technology in general. They use email, chat and social networking sites for dealing with life and relationships outside of school. The teachers in Suntisukwongchote's (2006) study also acknowledged that they all had email addresses and most used computers on a daily basis and regarded themselves as comfortable with technology. Therefore, I feel reasonably confident that it's not inexperience with or fear of technology that is holding us back. So if it's not the technology, perhaps it's the theory that's lacking. I can hypothesize that it may be a lack of understanding of the potential benefits of collaboration, and in particular, collaboration that focuses on analyzing the quality and context of student work. Again, this is supported by Suntisukwongchote (2006), as observed in the following teacher interview quote in which the researcher finds that most teachers were not confident in the benefits of using technology to collaborate: "Teachers do not know the pros and cons of having an e-mail and collaboration through the network and so on" (p. 31).
Spiraling into Cycle #2
So, I'm thinking about the results of Cycle #1. Not everything went as planned. For one thing, only about half of my teachers responded to my first survey and only 3 teachers responded to the poll on my blog. During common planning (CP) meetings, it is a constant struggle to keep teachers focused on the work. There is little time to be wasted, since CP is only 45 minutes long from bell to bell, and yet most teachers arrive at least 5 minutes late and some did not attend our last meeting at all. Part of the reason that two of our ELA teachers missed the last CP meeting is that they were temporarily transferred to the Math department to help prepare students for the state Math exam. I do not know the exact details of this temporary assignment.
During CP meetings, a large portion of the meeting is often consumed by sarcastic banter or the venting of frustrations. I'm not saying that it's not important or even vital for teachers to have time to vent, especially in a frustrating situation - it definitely is. However, there has to be some way of maximizing our productivity and making these meetings more efficient.
Because our time is so limited, I feel strongly that technology should be considered as one real option for building collegial relationships. However, the teachers in my study have not responded the way I thought they might. Our email list-serve been used more for individual crisis management than for really thoughtful, professional collaboration as a team. When I posed the reflective questions to the group about the student work we had analyzed together, I did not receive a single post to the discussion, in spite of the fact that I had originally listed Friday, February 29th, as the goal for responding.
During CP meetings, a large portion of the meeting is often consumed by sarcastic banter or the venting of frustrations. I'm not saying that it's not important or even vital for teachers to have time to vent, especially in a frustrating situation - it definitely is. However, there has to be some way of maximizing our productivity and making these meetings more efficient.
Because our time is so limited, I feel strongly that technology should be considered as one real option for building collegial relationships. However, the teachers in my study have not responded the way I thought they might. Our email list-serve been used more for individual crisis management than for really thoughtful, professional collaboration as a team. When I posed the reflective questions to the group about the student work we had analyzed together, I did not receive a single post to the discussion, in spite of the fact that I had originally listed Friday, February 29th, as the goal for responding.
What do I need to do for my next cycle of research and action? First, I need to figure out how the teachers are comfortable using technology and see if I can teach into that. Based on my data, the teachers did not fully engage in the collaborative process of analyzing student work - they did not respond at all to my prompt for reflection via email in Cycle #1. I have observed during our discussions a certain weak sense of agency among these teachers in that they seem to feel uncertain about their ability to make a difference through instruction. This has been found to be a common issue among urban teachers (Foster, Lewis & Onafowora, 2005). From their lack of response and my observations about their hesitance, I need to see if I can tap into the 'soul' of their teaching (Intrator & Kunzman, 2006) to get them more engaged in this collaborative process. Finally, I need to reintroduce the idea of looking at student work, this time with a sharper focus on how it can impact instruction.
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