Action Research
Craig Mertler's TEDTalk "Personal Empowerment through Reflection, Learning, and Improvement" at Lakeland University embodies lifelong learning and the core of action research.
Craig Mertler's Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators takes the scientific method and adapts it to a practical process that educators can implement to "experiment" in their classrooms. Focusing on a specific question, educators can define data points to collect, determine how to collect them and analyze them, and reflect objectively on the outcomes to then redefine or restate the question or even ask a completely new one. It follows the cycle of continuous learning.
Using the publisher's student resources website, along with my collaborative group's reading notes, I was able to develop my own plan to answer the question "In what ways do components of Desmos activities impact student growth in communication and collaboration?"
Reading Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators by Craig Mertler clearly defines the research cycle educators should implement for effective and impactful growth in their practice. Before data can be collected and analyzed, teachers must reflect on their practice and then develop an action research plan to objectively find answers to their questions. This action research outline initiates the cycle to answering the following question: In what ways does incorporating components of Desmos activities impact student growth in communication and collaboration?
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Enhancing my literature review from my innovation project, Teaching 21st Century Skills in a Blended Learning Environment, I found the blended learning environment concept as well as 21st century skill definitions were strengthened but there is a need for additional research and literature in how Desmos activities enhance student growth in communication and collaboration.
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After developing an outline and researching the existing research, combining elements of both and extending beyond to actually create data collection tools and a timeline in which to implement these tools, analyze the results, and reflect for the next cycle was the final step of the planning stage. Now that this action research plan is complete, I look forward to acting, developing, and reflecting on the data to continue to live out my learning philosophy: as humans, we try to make order out of chaos, and learning, through experience, is the way to do this.
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References
Craig Mertler TEDxLakelandUniversity 10/4/2018. (2019, March 12). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn6JU7P_Eb4
Mertler, C. A. (2020). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
SuperColoring. (2024). Plan coloring page. Supercoloring.com. https://www.supercoloring.com/sites/default/files/styles/coloring_medium/public/cif/2022/01/plan-coloring-page_1.png
(2024). Clipartmax.com. https://www.clipartmax.com/png/middle/14-147445_bullet-clipart-word-bullet-point-list-clipart.png
(2024). Pixabay.com. https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/07/12/17/57/book-152671_1280.png
Mertler, C. A. (2020). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
SuperColoring. (2024). Plan coloring page. Supercoloring.com. https://www.supercoloring.com/sites/default/files/styles/coloring_medium/public/cif/2022/01/plan-coloring-page_1.png
(2024). Clipartmax.com. https://www.clipartmax.com/png/middle/14-147445_bullet-clipart-word-bullet-point-list-clipart.png
(2024). Pixabay.com. https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/07/12/17/57/book-152671_1280.png