Mindwork: Combine Data from Multiple Sources
New considerations for data sources
| Regularly collected Student artifacts from free time in the Computer lab | Interesting to see the relationship between an open-ended, technology rich blended literacy instruction and use of free time |
| Student histories – Examination of student records | Good overview of students background- places lived, etc. |
| Counselor behavior records | Observe any link between new curriculum and student behavior |
| Parent surveys | Determine amount of times and types of technology students use at home, parents use of technology |
Methods and Methodologies
Mindwork: Search Archives
My school is located on the Ft. Leonard Wood Army post. Possible sources of archived materials might include the post military installation and the post library. The director of the museum’s wife is a technology specialist in my district. She was previously the building tech in my building; I would feel comfortable picking her brain for archive material ideas.
Mindwork: Count, Measure, Chart
VTS will be a part of the curriculum for my study, last fall I used graphs to visualize student achievement pre and post VTS. I could see using a similar type of graphing for my research. I also found some of the different visual data displays from the David McCandless TED video very interesting.
Mindwork – Document Oral Language
During VTS I frequently transcribed 20-25 minutes of VTS discussion. It was helpful to hear / note myself as I paraphrased and to reflect on the use of students linking their comments. I observed that students tended to use recently learned art vocabulary. I recognize that this type of documentation can yield interesting data.
Mindwork: Try An Ethnographic Observation
Since I will be team teaching my project, I think it would be extremely helpfully to do ethnographic observations on my fellow teacher, the library media specialist. I already know that we are similar in terms of organization, student expectations, and tolerance in terms of clutter (we’re both neat freaks!) I already know that I am more of a disciplinarian, and that she is far more patient with misbehavior than I am. I do need to observe other details about her space, what she does when students are in her class, the types of discussions that take place.
Wow, I love the charted visual expression of this data from VTS. I am glad that you will be collaborating with the media specialist so that you have a colleague with whom you can bounce ideas and keep them organized!:-)
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