A few weeks ago when Dr. Rice came to visit she asked about my action research project and how it was going. My response was 'it is done, but it's not perfect', that is okay with me though. Action research happens all the time and I think many times we do it without officially collecting and analyzing data. At the very beginning of the semester I identified vocabulary and literacy as a focus. After overhearing a few conversations within my first week of observation I realized vocabulary is a topic that has been a hurdle in many classes. The conversations I overheard were in agricultural biology and biology specifically, but the challenges of vocabulary and literacy in education are everywhere- especially in science related courses. In my Foods Unwrapped class I had a wide variety of learners- some gifted, some with Individualized Education programs. Additionally, Pequea Valley is committed to using academic vocabulary, and our content has vocabulary on top of that. Literacy strategies, purposeful use of vocabulary and acknowledgement of both I thought would help me purposeful in increasing vocabulary and literacy in one class, which helped me focus on it in other classes as well.
In order to collect data I did a pre-test and a post test for three different units. These pre and post tests included academic vocabulary that was of focus for the school district and food science specific vocabulary. After analyzing my data I realized this might not have been the best option...but I learned a lot through it.
1. Action Research should happen all the time. As I started reading about vocabulary strategies and trying them out, I realized I wanted to use more and realized I needed to address literacy and academic vocabulary regularly, not always structured, but even conversationally.
2. It requires holding yourself and students accountable. The pre and post tests I did were through google forms and I did not follow up if students did not complete some of them as I tried to keep it anonymous, but this is not the best way to do it, because then sometimes data is not collected accurately for comparison.
3. Students really do need help with vocabulary, and sometimes that is even doing a reading together, stopping and having a conversation and continuing on.
4. These types of strategies take time, but they are good and I want to continue to use them.
Overall this was a good experience, and I know something that will continue yet look different at every school district.
1. Action Research should happen all the time. As I started reading about vocabulary strategies and trying them out, I realized I wanted to use more and realized I needed to address literacy and academic vocabulary regularly, not always structured, but even conversationally.
2. It requires holding yourself and students accountable. The pre and post tests I did were through google forms and I did not follow up if students did not complete some of them as I tried to keep it anonymous, but this is not the best way to do it, because then sometimes data is not collected accurately for comparison.
3. Students really do need help with vocabulary, and sometimes that is even doing a reading together, stopping and having a conversation and continuing on.
4. These types of strategies take time, but they are good and I want to continue to use them.
Overall this was a good experience, and I know something that will continue yet look different at every school district.
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