EETT AR Mentors Getting Started August 2008 Review

EETT AR Mentors: Getting Started August 2008

Review of AR’s Purpose in EETT • To document the effects of EETT funding on student learning • To include teachers’ voices in statewide report to legislature • To support teachers as they systematically & intentionally study their laptop use 2

AR Process • • • Identify the AR Inquiry AR Context Data Collection Data Analysis Implications & Actions 3

Identify the AR Inquiry • Keep student achievement at the forefront – Participants (i. e. 5 th graders, low achieving 3 rd graders, etc. ) – Knowledge, skill or ability to be measured (i. e. science content, phonemic awareness, social skills, etc. ) – Intervention (i. e. collaborative learning strategies, reading buddies, lab simulations, etc. ) 4

Identify the AR inquiry • Examples – How does the use of simulations within a 1: 1 environment influence low achieving 5 th grade students’ mathematics learning during a unit on fractions ? 5

AR Context • • • Content area Grade level Goals for inquiry Targeted students Type of school Etc 6

Data Collection • Possible strategies; use multiple when possible -Test scores -Student artifacts -Anecdotal records -Focus groups -Fieldnotes -Rubrics -Journals -Informal interviews -Reflective journals -Literature 7

Data Collection • Should be a part of rather than apart from classroom practices • Create a time line to help keep the inquiry on track and ensure feasibility 8

Data Analysis • Most challenging part of process • Need to mesh data & gut reactions • Individual teacher decisions 9

Data Analysis • Read and reread data to get an idea of what’s there • Organize data in a logical way – Chronologically, by student, by strategies, by class, etc. • Interpret data; support findings with artifact 10

Example finding 1 • Audio recording software and laptop use improved my two lowest achieving students’ test scores on weather and simple machine between 39 and 55 points. 11

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Example finding 2 • Audio recording software and laptop use improved my two lowest achieving students’ behavior during tests on weather and simple machine. 13

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Example finding 3 • After starting with an average of 23. 3 wpm, three of the four students achieved 115 words per minute, the 5 th grade word per minute standard, on their DIBELS fluency tests. 15

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Implications and Actions • Action in classroom • Action in district • Professional dissemination via conferences & publications • Grant writing 17

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Where should you be right now? • Determine how many AR mentors you will need and whether you want us to provide them. • Make a plan for running AR in your district (consider running 2 phases) 20

Where should you be right now? • Make initial contact with teachers at your earliest convenience • Be encouraging; the process is pretty straightforward but the majority of teachers end up really enjoying it 21

What are we doing right now? • Working with FCIT to get the online tool on a stable and secure server. • Collecting information from each district regarding EETT participants. 22

Contact us • Please do not hesitate to contact us: Kara: dawson@coe. ufl. edu Cathy: cathycavanaugh@coe. ufl. edu 23