Friday, November 22, 2019

Week 31. Reflective entry 7: Evaluate how your Inquiry impacts on future Inquiry/practice

Step 1: What is the actual impact after the ‘Take Action’ phase?
The evidence from the ‘Take Action’ phase suggests strongly that the students gain confidence in oral language when using Flipgrid to record presentations, reports, or stories.  The evidence also suggests somewhat strongly that Flipgrid, as well as Scratch are beneficial for collaboration between two or more students. 
A significant impact of the evidence suggests Flipgrid is worthwhile as a means to enhance oral language learning outcomes, and therefore continue to be utilised in the classroom. 
The evidence does not indicate potential issues or problems students may have with access at home. I also need to dig further and acquire student feedback with regards to learning initiatives such as buddies to evaluate video posts.  As a result, there still needs to be a lot of scaffolding, or teacher support to improve the value of learning outcomes.
Step 2: How is the actual impact different from or similar to the anticipated one?
I was nervous about the possible outcomes of the student survey.  I had a hunch that many students gain a benefit to their learning.  However, without direct feedback, this was an unknown.
My hunch that students were enthusiastic to use the Flipgrid and Scratch apps was supported by the results of the inquiry and the survey.  I was a little relieved to see the positive results that Flipgrid is a viable tool to practice their oral language.  However,  23% of children want to practice more in front of the class.  This has meant I have provided more opportunity for sharing.  Although not formally presenting a speech or slideshow, the less formal opportunities such as sharing written work or explaining strategies in maths are needed.
One unexpected impact is more personal as a teacher; developing, unlearning, and relearning pedagogical methods.  I have always been willing and have used devices, and apps for learning, and I knew that children were enthusiastic for learning with devices. However, more so now I need to be exploring and researching the apps, and be more critical when it comes to implementing them into a unit.
Step 3: What is the impact on future inquiry/practice?
The impact on future inquiries include the following:
1.     One aspect of the inquiry, that I would give greater emphasis is the use of surveys to gather information.  I would use tools such as Google forms which provide a manageable way for student reflection, and the opportunity for student meta-cognition. 
Surveys provide the opportunity for gathering very specific information, quickly and safely.  Whether it be whanau or students, they can reflect and think about their own learning.  More specifically, this reflection and deeper thinking are important for students to identify/recognise their learning behaviours, strengths and areas of learning to improve.  Student’s own reflections (feedback) provide evidence to adjust the content, and how it is taught; the pedagogy.  This results in greater student voice in the learning process. Therefore, student voice would be a focus for any future inquiry. The student voice will help form discussions about conditions that make student-led activities better, and which conditions make teacher-led conditions better (Williams, 2019).
2.     Knowing what I know now about the benefits of Flipgrid, I need to be better prepared to target specific learning outcomes, and provide the students with a stronger understanding of those outcomes. 
3.     Being more explicit with the way we use Flipgrid.  Focus on a Flipgrid that will target a very specific learning outcome, rather than being just a fun activity.  It needs to be fun but targeting learning in a very objective manner.
4.     One important focus that I don’t want to lose sight of is the role of emotional intelligence.  It is increasingly important that the soft skills are not forgotten, or prioritised among the ever-increasing curriculum areas.  It is the values, the nurturing of self-confidence that provides foundational skills to work with and alongside others to develop new knowledge (Williams, 2019).


References:
Williams, M. (2019). The future of the classroom. Retrieved from http://storiesbywilliams.com/2013/06/07/the-future-of-the-classroom/

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