Well, the plan is written.  And before the ink was fully dry, there were questions in my mind about the direction the plan was taking.  Actually, it was April, Pete, and Orlando’s and my talk during class time Tuesday night that challenged me to focus my thoughts.  I love those face-to-face meetings!  Say what you want about e-mails and blogs (and those are great!), but nothing beats real time conversation. 

It’s looking like the more appropriate question I’d like to address in the action research project will examine the impact of different models of student choice in research products on student motivation.  Or should that be …impact on student achievement?  Or maybe  …impact on student attitudes?  I want to consider this more before sending out my next draft (which has to be done tomorrow).

It was great to hear what the other teachers have planned.  I was amazed at the sheer variety of meaningful questions.  It’s like a living textbook being written meeting by meeting.  I can’t wait to read the results of each teacher’s investigation, since there’s so much I can likely apply in my classroom.  I continue to marvel at just how much we can keep on learning, no matter how long we’ve been teaching!

Enough for now.  Until later!

Well, it’s time to formally write about the Action Research.  After considering trends in class performance, perceptions of my classroom climate, and my gut feelings, I think I have a focus and a plan.  The purpose of the study will be to describe impact of offering students more opportunities for independent, authentic learning on their ability to clearly express comprehension of the subject matter, and their performance on summative assessments.This study will attempt to address the following central aspects of reform-based science education: 1) enabling fuller student participation, developing a genuine community of learners, and 3) building life skills of independence, planning, and logical thinking.  Major variables will include: 1) Pedagogy: less teacher-led and more student-led.  I’ll know that pedagogy is on track when I’m less of a “ring leader” in the classroom, and the students have greater ownership over their tasks.  2) Expressing comprehension: students reflecting, writing, and presenting on subject matter.  Improved expression of comprehension will be evident when the depth and overall quality of written work and presentations are increased.  3) Participation: students’ rate of return of products.  I’ll be able to evaluate participation by examining the grade records and assessing any changes in the amount of completed student work.  4) Test results: summative assessments.  By comparing records of unit tests from the first marking period (10 weeks) and test results during the action research time period, it should be possible to identify trends and make connections between the changes in the design of instruction and student test performance.  As this action research project gets started, some questions that arise are: What is the impact of doing more directing of students’ learning efforts (as opposed to scripting them) on student motivation and student comprehension?  As the change in instruction design means less direct guidance for the students, will students be upset by the newer approach, or will they embrace it?  Do I personally have what it takes to see them through the transition?  What does a true community of learners look like and feel like?  How will the maturity levels of students affect the climate of the classroom as we shift to this student-led approach?  The intervention is basically this: I will incorporate more opportunities for student-led learning into what is, right now, primarily a teacher-led classroom.  (By teacher-led, of course, I do not mean that tasks or schedules are arranged for the teacher’s benefit.  Rather, the design of all activities comes from the mind of the teacher.  Plans for how time is spent come entirely from the teacher.  Methods of seeking and reporting information are engineered entirely by the teacher.  Its’s time to give students some choice.  Along with increased independent work time, I’ll strive to arrange meetings with specific small groups of students, especially focusing on those who have not performed very well yet on the unit exams.  In terms of membership of this action research group and negotiations that need to be undertaken; I will primarily connect with the teachers attending the ED474 course at the Warner School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester.  I will seek insights and feedback through blogging and face-to-face discussions alike.  In addition, I’ll share this action research plan with science teacher colleagues at my job.  2) It will also be appropriate to enlist the support of administrators in my building, the Science department chairperson, and the other Chemistry teachers in my building.  In terms of negotioations that need to be undertaken, I plan to clue in the administrators (either by e-mail or in person), acquire permission to tape record student interviews, and permission for students to participate in the study.  The timeline for this first phase is (roughly) August - November.

Phase 1  (August  - November) will be spent identifying an area of focus, reviewing related listerature and developing research questions.  Phase 2 (November through late December), is a time for collecting initial data: 1) letters to stakeholders, 2) performance analysis(looking at quality of student work), interviewing and surveying students; 4) meeting and planning with the administrators .  Finally we’ll be at phase 4; slated to begin and end roughly from January to mid-February.  During that time, Unit test data will be analyzed.  All of the data collected will be analyzed and a report to stakeholders will be synthesized.  Preparatinos will be made for presentation of the project.  A prediction of the resources necessary to complete this action research project include a jump drive dedicated to the work, a voice recorder for recording interviews with students, small, inexpensive journals (spiral bound notebooks) in which students can write reflections, a good book (or books) on the topic of “student-led classroom design,” a fresh day planner for planning the time that will be dedicated to this work, and finally, a generous supply of NoDoz, Tylenol, and a good massage therapist.  (Just seeing if you’re still reading carefully!)  In terms of data collection ideas, I would plan on generating student portfolios, collecting specific data on test scores, and tracking anecdotal input from students.  Finally, let’s address the intentions or hopes for publication.   I originally chose teaching as my profession (vocation?) because I wanted to do something for other people.  In my heart of hearts, what meant the most (and still does) is giving to students in a way that they gain far more than just knowledge, but they gain personal growth, skills for living and learning, a sense of empowerment in their world, self-awareness and self-confidence, and the like.  I’ve come to discover that this desire to give and encourage and empower extends to others in my world, not just the youngsters with whom I work every day.  I can share with colleagues, too.  And I’d be willing to give what I can to others who are seeking insight.  If my action research can benefit other professionals, then let it be so.  In that regard, I would be pleased to present my findings in whatever venue makes sense, included but not limited to presentations in the ED474 class, at my place of employment, other schools, in a public forum arranged by the Warner Graduate School, and beyond.  My sincere hope is that the work is of a quality and usefulness that others will be able to benefit from it.  That’s my commitment.  To make this action research productive in the classroom for my students’ sakes, and also for the sake of other education professionals.

Well, that’s it in a nutshell!  (Big nutshell, huh?)  Definitely need to sign off for now.  Stay tuned for the next installment!

Well, I didn’t introduce the independent research project today in Chemistry class.  I’m annoyed with myself for not being more “on top” of things.  And, as it now looks, I probably won’t give it out in the next lesson, either.  It takes a LOT of up front preparation for independent projects.  Identifying the parameters for the students must be done carefully, thoughtfully, almost painstakingly.  So I will spend a few more days fine tuning the handouts that they will get from me.  I don’t think it will be too much to give the students only a week and a half for their projects instead of a full two weeks.  That’s how it is.  We DID begin our “BIG FUN with the Periodic Table” activity today.  Students, working in teams, created 55 blocks, each for a different element.  The blocks will be assembled as a floor-sized puzzle in the next lesson.  It is easy to spot trends in atomic structure when the blocks are viewed together in larger-than-life format.

I think there must be a perfect blend of independent work and teacher-led work in a class like Regents Chemistry.  There are variables that might make it tricky, however.  For instance, some students will not fully invest in the independent opportunities when given time in class because they are so darned social!  Or maybe they don’t exercise a high enough level of internal motivation.  Some of them might have difficulty reading independently and interpreting what they read.  I think what I’m feeling is “overwhelmed” by the possibility of having to monitor so many different behaviors and meet so many individual needs.  But I’m sure that allotting more time for student-led work is valuable.  So I’m not abandoning the idea.  I just need to seek this “perfect blend” and adjust according to what I observe.

Such is my direction for the action research project.  More later.

It’s another Sunday afternoon.  Tomorrow’s and next week’s lessons are pretty much the biggest thing on my mind.  It probably wouldn’t be such an ordeal if I were teaching at the same school as last year.  I’m re-structuring the lessons and the units to fit the new school calendar and daily schedule of classes.  Fortunately, the fact that I’ve been teaching for over a decade does assuage some of my anxiety.  But it’s still Sunday afternoon.  Since it’s the start of a new unit of study tomorrow, I’m trying to see the big picture, too.  You know, plan out how much time I can allot for the lessons, decide which day is best for giving the exam, choosing the right labs for the sequence of topics, and considering the availability of the equipment that I and the other Chemistry teachers will need for this unit.  (Sometimes I think I have the perfect lesson(s) planned, only to discover that some essential piece of labware or the collection of lab balances will be in someone else’s classroom the days that I need them.  Then it’s time for Plan B.)  I’m at a point in the calendar year where I’m thinking about which teaching methods are working well for students, which are not, which methods I’m not using enough, which I use too much.  And, basically, what can I do to keep the classroom atmosphere positive and productive?  (Did you ever get the feeling that things have gone a bit stale?)

As I consider this big picture, I’m planning on requiring an independent project during this unit.  We’ll be studying the Periodic Table of the Elements and all the information it can provide.  As part of the unit, students should be able to identify certain groups by their general names (alkali metals, noble gases, etc.) AND they should be able to describe the properties of elements in each of the major groups.  Along with a large group instruction piece that I like to call “Big Periodic Table Floor Puzzle” and several direct instruction pieces (giving notes, partner practice with Regents exam questions, labs, etc.), it seems appropriate that students could and should engage in some “research” toward understanding the groups of elements.  There are a few reasons for this.  Number one, it’s a dry topic, really.  Giving notes or doing a presentation to the class is not that exciting.  Students will be more engaged when they are seeking the information and synthesizing a product.  Number two, the students are supposed to be gaining experience in using different media to find information and/or present information.  That’s just part of New York State’s standards.  And I am personally committed to aiding their acquisition of those skills.  And then there’s reason number three.  Though I hate to say it, there’s a time crunch.  I mean, we could take a whole month to fully explore the Preiodic Table.  We could take much more than that, really.  But believe it or not I’m planning on dealing with it in six 85-minutes lessons that will take place over the course of about two weeks time.  So if there’s something that the students can do outside of class time toward meeting the unit goals and the state standards, I’m all for it. 

The plan is to offer a choice of “products.”  Students can create either of the following five pieces of work to demonstrate their knowledge of the groups of elements: 1) a storybook, 2) a display (on a tri-fold presentation board), 3) a powerpoint presentation, 4) a collage, or 5) a written report. 

So as I’ve prepared the project descriptions and rubrics to distribute to the students tomorrow, I’ve been asking myself the same question I ask whenever I present learning opportunities that are more student-led: WHY ISN’T MORE LEARNING DONE IN THIS STYLE?  I’m sick of giving notes, for example.  It’s drudgery!  I wonder if kids even get anything out of it.  I detest just lecturing my students.  Why should they care about or remember womething just because the words came out of my mouth?  Okay, the demonstrations are cool; I’dig those and so do the kids.  And the stories - the “real-life” stuff that I can relate that comes from experience in labs and industry, etc.  That’s worth keeping.  But I don’t want to be just the sage on the stage and expect kids to be engaged, involved, and enlightened. 

So, I think this is the year when I begin to introduce MORE opportunities for student-led work.  I’ll consider this project as a test-run for others in the future.  I want to see how the students handle the independent atmosphere.  I NEED to see how I have to handle the logisitics.  My prediction is that, with the right coaching and supervision, students should learn more and retain more knowledge as a result of finding more of it themselves.  To be continued.

A couple of weeks ago all of my chemistry students did Lab #7, which is “Measuring the Energy Content of Food.”  It’s such a blast!  Their task, ultimately, is to get familiar with using the heat of combustion mathematics.  Along the way I hope they can descibe the general design of a calorimeter.  And they seem to gain a new appreciation for the concept of “energy from food” (you know…the whole calorie issue from health class and food labels, etc.).  Most of the students are amazed to see a flaming dorito!  The burning cheeto is a regular towering inferno of puffed corn.   And the race between both square crackers — triscuit versus wheat thin — kept us on the edge of our seats.  I get such a kick out of watching their reactions to this previously undiscovered phenomenon.  (And I secretly worry that they go home and get just a little too busy trying out all the nuts and crackers in their household pantries!)  We even made a few connections to cell respiration and exercise physiology.  I guess that my intent in posting this blog is to show that “get real science” does happen even in the middle of meeting the requirements for the Regents course.  I think I needed that reminder to myself, too.  It’s a bit frustrating sometimes to desperately WANT to introduce/implement reform but still be constrained by the State Ed-generated course (and other things).  Seeing moments and even class periods full of student-centered learning and genuine discovery gives me the encouragement to hang in there for the long haul. 

Did you ever hear of an alcoholic refer to him or herself as a “recovering” alcoholic?  “Recovering” refers to how these individuals spend their lives continually dealing with and managing their condition.  In a similar manner, I think I want to refer to my classroom as a “reforming” classroom since it will be a work in progress, not a done deal; finished in one fell swoop.   But I don’t imagine a long, slow uphill climb, per se.  I would hope to experience significant gains in a short time span (steep j-curve) and continued revision and reform thereafter (perpetual, gradual positive slope). 

In the last blog entry, I spoke to the idea of “what I would change” in my classroom.  (If you didn’t read that, it’s not too long…check it out if you feel like it!)  In my reforming classroom, one of the other aspects that would be different from current practice is the use of community resources for expanding student knowledge.  You all know what I’m talking about.  Field trips!  But not just an occasional jaunt to the local museum (though I will stop to make a pitch here quite strongly for taking anyone - man, woman, child, elderly - to any of the PHENOMENAL museums in Rochester since they are just fabulous).  If we expect students of any age to comprehend complex systems, then the mere acts of reading or viewing a film on the topic of those systems falls far short.   Here’s a great example:  Many of my 11th-grade students have no idea whatsoever where the contents of a toilet go after they push the handle to flush.  Really!  There are those who will not use the toilet in a power outage because they believe that it runs on electricity!  (True story!)  But when you take a group of teenagers to a water treatment plant and they have a chance to walk around the sludge settlement tanks (very aromatic!), see the flocculation tanks, follow the course of the pipes after water is filtered through a charcoal bed, and compare samples of water taken at each step of the process, then they really KNOW what happens “after the flush.”  And just one trip to the plant is all it takes to stimulate questions and ideas that could power in-classroom activities for weeks!   That’s right, I don’t propose that students should not ever spend time inside a room in a building we call school.  Field trips (could we call them something different like “Real World Excursions” or “Outings”?)  are like the diagrams that go with written passages.  They should serve to clarify, expand, and stimulate further thought.

Let’s not forget, too,  that the larger impact of this experiential learning is the creation of a well-informed citizen.  Teachers have a heart to prepare students to contribute in their communities over the long-term.  Good basic comprehension of municipal systems, transportation systems, security systems, banking systems, (etc. etc.) does that!  (So field trips are NOT just for science…I never said they were!)  And I’d like to let you in on what might be a little-known fact…  You know those home-schooled kids?  They’re not just sitting at home!  Their parents have, in most cases, linked up to form collectives or co-ops, and along with providing physical education, music, and art opportunities, they are travelling around their communities on excursions into the real world.   THOSE kids have deep, meaningful understanding of the systems that exist.  They can speak cogently on topics that many adults would struggle through.  Some of those co-op groups have the wherewithall to travel far from their immediate communities - even to foreign countries.   What a way to practice your “languages other than English” skills!  Talk about the value of small class size!

So I think I just hit on one of the stumbling blocks to this great idea of field trips.  Large schools and large class sizes present challenges.  (So do austerity budgets!)  And now my question is…how can I meet this challenge so my students go on as many quality ”outings” as possible?  Anyone?  Anyone?  (Bueller?) 

Thank you for reading.  I really appreciate the comments that offer answers to my queries and/or offer constructive criticism on my blogging skills.  Until next time…

If I could wave a magic wand, and all the challenges to reform were removed, my classroom would be very different.   I’m not saying that I’m doing a poor job NOW, as is.  I’m not saying that EVERYTHING needs to be overhauled.  But I am saying that certain structures and routines and habits would change dramatically.

First of all, I’d get rid of “chairs in rows.”  (By the way, some of the features I’ll mention are not currently an issue, but rather I’ll paint a composite picture that represents situations I’ve experienced through the years.  For instance, I currently teach in a room that has six large lab benches called “pods,” though I refer to them as tables.)  For a more authentic experience, I would open up the time in class for searching and investigating current knowledge.  Students would, in groups and as individuals, look for information that allows them to form images and understanding in their own minds.  This is not to say that I would abdicate the role of leader entirely.  But maybe the role of teacher would be better described as “guide” or “coordinator.”  Keep in mind that I teach mostly 11th graders, and an atmosphere of greater independence is more likely to be maintained with older students.  But even at that, I can recall that my daughter’s fourth grade teacher allotted time for the students in her classroom to form “class council,” in which they gathered around the posterboard easel and shared ideas, contributed newfound knowledge, and formulated new questions.  If fostered, this skill can probably be practiced effectively even by very young students.  Age aside, it just seems a shame that the teacher is percieved as the “sage on the stage” whose function is to impart knowledge to the “audience” who will dutifully regurgitate it a few days or weeks down the road on a test.  Teachers are NOT all-knowing!  (Sorry to blow our cover, guys!)  I mean, c’mon!  It took me a good five years to confidently deliver a solid unit on Reduction/Oxidation reactions because I didn’t understand it very well myself yet.  Teachers are experienced scholars who can lead the way as others make the journey.  So in my newly-reformed classroom, students don’t sit in rows.  They sit in groups.  Tables?  Groups of chairs in a circle?  On the floor outside the classroom or in the library?  Gathered around computer terminals?  The particulars depend on the schoolbuilding and the classroom, but the idea is to provide the freedom for students to arrange themselves in whatever way matches the type of work they’re doing. 

The second thing I would  modify is the way in which information is circulated.  In the classrooms with which I’m familiar, the teacher is the originator of information and students are receptacles.  Occasionally teacher lifts the lids of the receptacles to see if the information is still being stored well (that is, they give a test),  and if it is…great!  And if it isn’t…well, some teachers try again (or try harder) to re-enter the information.   If students are going to receive information and incorporate it into their own knowledge structure, I would rather sketch out a skeleton of overarching ideas at the start of a course, and then work with students to flesh out the details as time goes by.   This means giving them indivualized opportunities to process what they encounter.  And, just as important (in my opinion), it means giving them ownership of HOW they will encounter it; i.e. which investigations and projects are undertaken and what types of assessments will be used to evaluate their progress. 

Well, I’m sure there are more aspects of the classroom that I would change, but at this time I will pause and think more on that.  More later on “If I could change my classroom…”

Since August’s classes were dedicated generally to the theme of teachers’ conceptual dilemmas around constructivist learning, and since I didn’t begin attending the classes until the end of August, I’ve decided to share a few thoughts about that theme.

Reading the piece by Virginia Richardson (”Constructivist Teaching and Teacher Education: Theory and Practice”) took me back to an old graduate class.  The title of the article, especially, evoked memories of a sly joke some of us were sharing as we progressed through our student teaching experience.  It went something like: “This course ought to be called Theory OR Practice!”  (And we’d chuckle our muddled little heads off!)  We were, in those early days, dismayed at how the practices suggested in our readings or research did not always line up with the way we, or the teachers around us, were actually teaching.  As a brand new teacher, I couldn’t have begun to imagine ALL the different ways in which “good” teaching (constructivist, inquiry, reforms of all kinds) might be thwarted.  But as the years unfolded, I’ve observed the intricate tango between community members, administrators, teachers, parents and students and I’ve noted, with dismay, that reform in the classroom does not happen easily.  Sometimes it doesn’t even seem to happen at all.  And, quite honestly, part of the roadblock to implementing a constructivist approach might even be my dimmed and modified perception of constructivism.  (I’m sure I had a much better vision of a constructivist classroom in my mind when the idea was first introduced to me in grad school!)  It’s not JUST about allowing students to construct their own meanings and internalize their learning through this construction.  Those are important outcomes; they are THE important outcomes.  But, sadly, over time the vision has morphed.  I’ve begun to imagine students in an upper level high school science course (such as Chemistry) lost most of the time if and while set to their own devices to re-create the original research that has led us through, say, 100 years of Chemistry knowledge.  I can scarcely imagine how one school year would be enough time to “discover” all of the principles that were important to completion of the course.  How should I create a special, productive environment in my classroom in which students construct their meanings considering the known restraints of time, resources, administrative support, and student self-motivation?

Well, I’m glad to have had a chance to read Richardson’s piece and be part of the discussions with the class about our perceptions of constructivism.  I’m reminded of the value of these collegial gatherings.  Nothing like twenty professionals hashing out the meanings and teachings of a good education journal article to get those definitions and mind sets refreshed.  I think I have a better grip on constructivism as not simply “let the students figure out the facts,” but, instead, “manage opportunities for students to maximally internalize the concepts.”  I can say, after thirteen years of teaching, that creating that type of classroom environment will NOT be easy.  But it can’t be anything less than totally worthwhile.  I think that’s why I decided to take this course.  I entered the teaching field less as a job but more as a vocation.  (Would you think me too cliche to say I see it as a “calling?”)  I really do dig working with the students and being part of their academic and personal growth.  So doing that job well is still top priority even after all the years.  (I’m not completely jaded yet, by golly!)

So stay tuned!  Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride as I firm up my understanding of constructivism and the many dilemmas it poses.  No doubt we’ll discover ways we can deal with the dilemmas, and through this blog you’ll get to peek inside the process of improving science education in my classroom as I try to apply those discoveries. 

Next time: September is “Pedagogical Dilemmas” month.  Hang onto your Windschitl!

Hi everyone.  With a username and password, I am now ready to post on my blog.  I’m a total newbee at blogging (the techno side of it, that is), but I’m no stranger at writing, and I will LOVE to get your feedback.

Looking forward to sharing thoughts as we make this journey.