EMDTA_Action Research BLOG 11/15

* How is your AR project unfolding for you?
My AR project is going very well. I wish, however, that I had more time to devote JUST to it at this point in time. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break for various reasons, but also in hopes that I'll get to spend a bit more time working on my project.

* How are you tracking your data?
Cycle 1 is completed. I'm going to put my data into Numbers. All the data has been collected for Cycle 1, it just needs to be written out in black and white.

* What's happening in your research that you didn't expect? Explain.
The receptiveness of the program of itself has been incredible. I have people throughout the district and community asking questions about our project, and others wanting to volunteer to be a Guest Friday participant with my students in the gym. I also didn't anticipate wanting to start another Wii Project™ so soon, but my hopes is to get at least one or two other buildings up and running by spring. My other goal is to get all buildings active using this program by fall 2010 (that would include a total of five buildings).

* How has this month’s course (so far) helping in shaping your ARP?
This is by far the hardest course I've taken from FS thus far. Lisa has been great, but there are lots of things I just didn't know how to do, so I've had to ask for lots of help with this. I love the idea of designing my own e-learning site, but it's like anything else, trying to find the time to do so.

October 23, 2009

Building is getting hit by various germs. I was out today. We have been using the NEW Wii Fit PLUS and kids love it! I've taken lots of pics and videos this week of kids using the program. They continue to amaze me on how simple this program is and how much they truly love being up and active in the morning prior to starting our days. I know it throws me off when we can't be in the gym (example picture day).

The kids who are actively participating are showing a difference in the classroom and out of the classroom. I still wish I could spent at least 10 more minutes in the gym in the morning. At CIS, we give kids breakfast in the morning, so they need time to eat and get organized before the day officially starts at 7:50AM. We are in the gym right now from 7:15-7:35. The kids always hate leaving. One thing we always do before dismissing to classes is we huddle up and discuss how to focus and approach the day. This is my favorite time! I miss coaching and these guys and gals are my TEAM and then some this year! I feel personally connected to each and every one of my kids.

One guy is still on the sidelines and not participating. Mom and dad are not sure about using video games in the classroom to teach. I will meet with them during conferences in a few weeks and hope to convince them otherwise. He paces back and fourth in the back while we are doing the Fit Project. He doesn't have to come into the gym, and is allowed to sit with the others in the cafeteria, but chooses to join us each morning. I'll keep you updated!

October 16, 2009

Just returned home from seeing WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE with my four year old son, Nate. Movie was dark, just like the book. Too much Full Sail in my blood now. I was critique the movie - and how they could have made it better.

Project was at a stand still this week due to sixth grade camp. We will start again on Monday first thing. Can't wait!!

Starting my AR website this weekend (thanks for the input, Roxanne!!). Now that I know what I have to do, I can let the ideas flow! I love fall. It brings an intensity unlike any other season for me.

Week 4 - POST #7 SECOND LIFE

Second Life

I joined EDtech in Second Life tonight. It may serve as a valuable resource for teachers like myself, but I was less than impressed when in this PG rated room, I overheard an X-rated, let’s say, “simulation” taking place. For myself, that is the biggest concern of this virtual community, the content that sometimes slips through the cracks and gets filtered out for all to see, or in this case, hear. For educators who think real life does not offer enough opportunities to practice their profession, there is Second Life, an Internet-based virtual environment that counts thousands of educators among its enthusiasts. Second Life bears a passing resemblance to an online game, with users represented by digitally drawn characters, called avatars, that can interact and engage in a vast array of activities. But a growing number of K-12 educators and groups have come to see the 3-D virtual environment as having educational potential that is very real (Science Daily, 2009).

Hundreds of leading universities and school systems around the world use Second Life as a vibrant part of their educational programs. Linden Lab works enthusiastically with education organizations to familiarize them with the benefits of virtual worlds, connect them with educational peers active in Second Life, and showcase their in world projects and communities (Second Life Grid, 2009). For the thousand of high schools and middle schools wanting to use Second Life, there is the teen site, Teen Grid. where only teenage players can socialize. When teenagers turn 20, they must automatically leave Teen Grid and join the Second Life “real world.” Studies produced by Northwestern University show that most teens are chatting and interacting with their real life friends, or friends of their friends. In the virtual world we have found ways to follow the trends of teens. In our own world where we often find it difficult to find out information about what’s going on in our own teenagers life, this study is phenomenal!

Online chats and virtual worlds, than often are recreated in historical relevance, help students become proactive in their learning. Most people, even educators, think online learning doesn't require participation or engagement with course material. But in "Second Life" there's real-time interaction, which means students need to engage in the discussion -- much as if they were sitting in a brick and mortar classroom (CNN, 2006).

Wong, Grace. (2006). Educators explore second life online. Retrieved September 25, 2009 from, http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html

Northwestern University (2009, February 14). Tracking the digital traces of social networks. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/02/090213161031.html

Second Life (September 2009). Second life grid. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world

Month 4 Action Research

http://web.me.com/abarnabi/Amy_Barnabi/Above_Average.html

LINK TO MY IWEB SITE WHERE NEW BLOG ARP Month 4 - IS POSTED! CHECK IT OUT :)

WEEK 4 - POST #8 Reflections on Blogging

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?pi=0&ps=20&sf=added&sa=0&sq=&dm=1

The above link is my Reflections on Blogging video on YOUTUBE!
The video is also posted at the TOP of THIS blog page!

Week 3 Post #6 - Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice

COP’s or Communities of Practice are defined as, the process of social learning that occurs and the shared sociocultural practices that emerge and evolve when people who have common goals interact as they strive towards those goals (Wikipedia, 2009).

Learning is fundamentally a social phenomenon! People organize their learning around the social communities to which they belong. Therefore, schools are only powerful learning environments for students whose social communities coincide with that school.

Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities that share values, beliefs, languages, and ways of doing things. These are called communities of practice. Real knowledge is integrated in the doing, social relations, and expertise of these communities.
The processes of learning and membership in a community of practice are inseparable. Because learning is intertwined with community membership, it is what lets us belong to and adjust our status in the group. As we change our learning, our identity–and our relationship to the group–changes (Rodriguez, 2009).
Recently I started blogging with my sixth grade students using Classroompress.com (Classroompress, 2009). My kids feel empowered by their own learning environment via the web. This site offers a unique blogging experiences, and at the same time, allows me to totally control their online environment. I have special education students who are intimidated in the classroom, but become at ease when behind a computer screen learning at their own pace. The success that technology gives to all my students is invaluable. Blogging has opened up a world that maybe I become a part of in the spring. Students are sharing and answering academic questions via the blog site, Classroompress.com, without the dull every day life of just pencil and paper.

Communities of Practices such as Teachertube and Youtube, allow me to pull curriculum based material shared by thousands to empower my teaching, creating a unique environmental classroom that my students actually want to take part in.

Rodríguez, Marco, A. R. (2009). Communities of practice. Retrieved September 21, 2009 from, http://www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice

Wikipedia. (2009). Communities of practice. Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice