W4_Reading

Ideas from my readings to shape my action research

Through my readings this week, I decided to take a look at how independent reading increases reading skills. I found scholarly work  that supports independent reading as a great way  to enhance reading skills in the classroom.  I am going to add some of the references I found to my reference list for my action research. I will use some of these resources to support my desire to have students blog about their independent readings. Here is one of the sources I will add to my reference list!

Toppings, K., Samuels, J., Paul, T. Does practice make perfect: independent reading quantity, quality, and student achievement. Learning and Instruction, 17 (3) 253-264. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from ERIC database.

FV_Option 3 Tigers Talk Books Action Research Project

Here is my final video which is a pitch for my Action Research Project titled Tigers Talk Books. Hope you enjoy it!

PE6_Part 3 Action Research Design

This week I went back to my practical experience with Google forms and found a template I used to create a reading log for students to log their weekly reading during my action research project. Here is the link to the actual form.I can link the weekly reading log above to my blog post each week, so that I can track student reading, motivation to read, and if reading increases for the students as they blog throughout the cycles. 

I also created a second reading form for students to record books they complete during my action research project. I can provide a link directly on my blog post page for the form below, so students can access the form below anytime to indicate that they complete a book during my action research project cycle, and what book they complete. 

I tried out the book recording form for myself, and it actually creates a spreadsheet of the information gathered on the form. This will be an amazing tool to use as students submit their completed books and weekly readings during my research. The information appears right in my Google docs area on my computer in an organized spreadsheet. What a great tool for the classroom, and for all teachers to track student reading! Be sure to check it out! I am including a link for the reading form I created below.

Spreadsheet of student reading

Form students submit with book information as they finish reading books during the Tigers Talk Books Project

PE5_Part 2 of Action Research Design

For my practical experience part 2 I decided to look further into experience that would help me with my action research project. After designing my blog during part 1 of my practical experience I decided to look at the survey I created through surveymonkey.com in a previous class. I took the survey I previously created, and changed it to better adapt to what I am hope to find out about the students as readers for my action research project as it begins. Click here to go directly to my survey.

I then created a draft of my possible first blog post on my blog site for Tigers Talk Books. On this post I place a link for students to go directly to the reading survey. There is also an area on my blog titled Tiger Topic which I have decided to include in each post for my students, to give them questions to answer, or something to reflect on as they comment on the blog about the books they are reading for pleasure. Check it out!

Draft of Possible First Blog Post for Tigers Talk Books

Tiger Topic which I will include in all blog posts during AR

 This practical experience has laid the groundwork to shape my Action Research project. It is exciting to have a more clear direction for what I hope to accomplish after my scholarly research reviews. Please leave me comments and suggestions! I would love to hear them!

PE4_Part 1 of Action Research Design

Tigers Talk Books Blog

I decided to dedicate the practical experience this week to my Action Research project. First, I decided to take some time look into blogger and create a site for my book blogging site for action research. I am titling my book blog Tigers Talk Books as our school mascot is a tiger. I took time to create the site and add gadgets such as a counter, images, followers, comments, and more. Check it out by following this link. I added some guidelines for the students to keep them safe and let them know expectations for their blog posts. 

Blogging Guidelines I created for the student blog

W3_Reading

Here is a concept map I created with my research from this week.

Readings for Week 3

References

Barone, D. Wright, T. (2008, December). Literacy instruction with digital and media technologies. The Reading Teacher, 

62(4), 292-303. Retrieved September 14,2010,  from Literary Reference Center Plus database.

Crawford, C., Freeman, L. (2007). Integrating multimedia components into the traditional and innovative instructional 

environment. International Journal of the Book, 4(3) 109-119. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from 

Literary Reference Center Plus database.

Ellison, N. B., & Yiehua, W. (2008). Blogging in the classroom: a preliminary exploration of

student attitudes and impact on comprehension. Journal of Educational Multimedia and

Hypermedia, 17(1), 99-122. Retrieved October 2, 2010, from Library Information Science & Technology Abstractdatabase.

Zawilinksi, L. (2009, May). Hot blogging: a framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. The ReadinTeacher, 

62(8), 650-661. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from Literary Reference Center Plus database.

PE3_Part 3 of Google Docs

For my practical experience part 3 I decided to stick with Google docs and look into Google presentations. Prior to attending Full Sail I had little experience collaborationg on the internet aside from social network sites and through email. I have been pleasantly surprised and amazed by all that is available for collaboration in the classroom among students. I have used Google docs throughout my group projects at Full Sail University to collaborate on documents, but had never spent much time in Google presentations since I use Keynote and Powerpoint. I was impressed, however with the ease of use of Google presentations. I found through a blog site that LeVonda Vickery, one of my critical friends at Full Sail University, had used Google presentations to create a photo scrapbook and talked about using Google presentations for a beginning of the year activity in the classroom where students could add information to the presentation. I had looked into Google presentation prior to reading her blog, and liked the fact that students could collaborate on one slideshow and have access to the presentation from home and school as well. The main obstacle I would see in trying to implement this in my own classroom however, is the fact that students at my school do not have email addresses, and therefore I could not share the document with them. I tried to research the site to see if there was any other way to create a group and share documents through one teacher account, but was unsuccessful in finding it. I did find some other useful information, however. Up to 10 students could work on a collaborative presentation at the same time from home with access to parent email addresses, which could come in handy as a teacher. Up to 200 students could potentially view a presentation at one time, as well. If there is a way to create a group to share with other than through personal emails and you are aware of that, please let me know. Otherwise, I would love to see Google make this possible for teachers! 

Google presentations can be made easily, and I loved the blackboard background for the classroom. We are reviewing fact and opinion so I created a few slides to use with the students as review. I also like to use the backgrounds in class to type information on as we discuss topics like fact and opinion. 

Here is an interesting link for ways teachers can use Google docs presentations in the classroom to engage students during a presentation and more useful ways to use google presentations. Click here to visit the link.