Week 25 - Act on your plan (Take Action)

As I sit here at my desk at the end of another busy week, I look back at the actions I have taken so far in my inquiry. I have waited until the end of the first week back with students to get a full picture of the situation. I can tick off the first few sections of my Action Plan, most notably speaking with my team leader about my inquiry question.



Since that conversation, I have collected baseline data, collated the results, found an area of development and selected my target students. Students and parents have all received information about the inquiry.

Now that I have time to sit and reflect upon these actions I am concerned that my team leader is not interested in or excited about the research plan. She is very concerned about the time frame that I am working within. She had a good point as Term 1 is always busy and I will be taking my students away overnight to Year 5 camp in a few weeks time. Developing relationships with students and getting routines up and running is vitally important to ensure a successful camp and a successful year - will there be time to get everything done?

Fortunately, I have a growth mindset and I am determined that the beginning of the year will be a positive time for all students, whilst completing the activities needed for my inquiry.




Reflecting on what I have seen of my students in class over the past week backs up the information I gathered during the scanning phase of the spiral of inquiry (Kaser, L. & Halbert, J., 2017). At the time I surveyed Year 4 learners and their teachers and found that although the students, in general, had a positive attitude towards their learning, their teachers felt that a number of students were passive learners (quietly disengaged) and many were disruptive learners interrupting both their own learning and that of others. I'm happy that my informal observations have backed up the data I gathered and I can continue with my Action as planned. Fredericks, Blumenfed, & Paris, (2004) talk of engagement in the classrooms being a combination of behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement. The lessons I have planned using the robots will encompass all these areas.

At this point, the only thing I would like to have done differently is to do with speaking to my team leader. I should have left it until after I had collected the baseline data and identified both the target students and the specific area for development. I could then have gone to her to explain the intervention and research in more detail. I could have given examples of lessons and explained how the use of robotics will increase engagement and therefore achievement.

Not having this information was a barrier that stood between my team leader and my vision for my inquiry. I need to remove both the barriers perceived by my team leader as well as the barriers to my students learning to allow them to be the best that they can be,

But it is not too late. I can catch up with my team leader at the next team meeting. In future inquiries I will ensure I get all relevant information, specifically focusing on the benefits to individuals, in order to answer questions from all members of the community more confidently and fully allaying any fears they may have.

References


Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059

The Growth Mindset - What is Growth Mindset - Mindset Works. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2019, from https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

Kaser, L. & J. Halbert. (2017). The Spiral Playbook: Leading with an inquiring mindset in school systems and schools. C21 Canada. Retrieved from http://c21canada.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Spiral-Playbook.pdf

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