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1) SMART BOARD TECHNOLOGY ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
The Algoma District School Board engaged in a six month action research project involving the integration of SMART Board technology into teacher instructional practice, with a specific focus on student engagement and student learning in mathematics. Student achievement data in mathematics, including the analysis of EQAO, Report Card, and the ADSB Assessment of Intermediate Mathematics data, was reviewed and analyzed. Qualitative data was also utilized to determine student engagement.
2) “TICKET TO READ”
In our role as Literacy Success Leaders we support teachers and students in the primary division. We recognized a gap in understanding, assessment and instruction of Phonological Awareness skills at the SK and grade 1 level. The goals of our project, ‘Ticket to Read’ were:
1) Gain a deeper understanding of Phonological Awareness and its place in teaching ‘Role Play’ and ‘Emergent’ readers.
2) To understand the role of assessment and data collection in teaching/remediating students with PA delays.
3) Apply this understanding to work with students both in the classroom, and in focused intervention groups.
4) Share our findings with colleagues. |
CAROUSEL #2 District School Board Ontario North East |
KURZWEIL IN THE CLASSROOM
Our project is designed to improve student learning through increased student engagement. Student engagement is a challenge and we think that the combination of Kurzweil in the classroom, with Smartboard technology, may support both engagement and learning. Kurzweil is currently used by individual students on individual computers. Research indicates that assistive technology is necessary for some, but good for all. We believe that utilizing Kurzweil software in a delivery model that will allow us to reach every student in the classroom in an engaging format, via the Smartboard, will assist and enhance student learning while lessening any perceived stigma for individual students. |
CAROUSEL #3 Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board |
W.R.I.T.E. – WRITING IN A RICHLY INFUSED TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT
This action research project focused on the following research question:
“How does the integration of computer technology (macbooks) with the 6+1 Traits of Writing Program impact
- student achievement in writing
- student motivation for writing
- teacher knowledge and assessment of the writing process?”
The project involved 15 junior division teachers in five schools, resulting in positive gains in student achievement and engagement in writing and teacher efficacy in writing instruction. |
CAROUSEL #4 Near North DSB |
1) QUESTION STRUCTURE
Teachers at the Near North District School Board have been working with Mike Hardt of the University of Syracuse to reflect on their current practices around structuring questions. Teachers are taught a number of structures such as reading, snapping, matching and answering questions in order to think critically about exactly what they are asking students to answer when constructing questions. Mike indicates that there are four basic types of questions: locate, cycle, integrate and generate. Teachers teach these structures to their students and students then use these structures to become more proficient at answering specific types of questions.
2) ENGAGING SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WITH SMART BOARDS This research focus’ on developing skills of students with developmental disabilities through multi-modal learning activities on SMART Boards. Due to the vast differences in these student’s academic functioning, it is challenging to engage all of the children at the same time. The goal of this research is to determine whether interactive Smart Board Technology using multi-modal activities can engage a group of students in order to see growth around specific expectations outlined in their IEP while keeping them with their peers. |
CAROUSEL #5
Nipissing Parry Sound Catholic DSB |
1) THE POWER OF MEDIA LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY
Today's students have grown up in the information age where television, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, billboards and advertisements are all very much part of their world. These teachers will walk you through the pathway they collaborated together on to help their students develop a critical and balanced perspective of mass media and popular culture through the analysis of data and creation of a variety of media texts.
2) ENGAGING STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND 3-PART PROBLEM SOLVING
As part of the PNC funds to engage in action research, three Junior division teachers from one school used the TLCP framework to collect baseline data, make predictions and track and monitor student achievement throughout various math strands. Our action research question focused around engaging students in the 3-part problem solving approach using various manipulatives and technology to improve student learning and develop more positive attitudes towards math. |
CAROUSEL #6
Rainbow District School Board |
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
Two elementary and three secondary teachers of demonstration classrooms in the Rainbow District School Board were invited to participate in action research projects funded through the MISA PNC focused on the effect of using assessment for learning strategies on teacher practice and student learning. In 2009-10, assessment for learning is a focus on the teaching-learning cycles implemented in all elementary and secondary schools in the Rainbow District School Board. These teachers open their classrooms to colleagues within the system as sites for observation and dialogue about teacher practice. It seemed a natural fit, to ask the demonstration teachers to engage in this research and to use what they learn as starting points with observing teachers as critical friends to talk about the value of assessment for learning practices. In preparation they familiarized themselves with assessment for learning strategies prior to the commencement of the research which occured during one six to eight week learning cycle during the 2009-10 school year.
Assessment for learning strategies are defined as the investigative tools that assist teachers and students in monitoring teaching and learning. For teachers, assessment for learning strategies assist them to make student learning visible and based on this information teachers adjust their practice in order to advance student learning. For students, assessment for learning strategies provide a means to communicate their comfort with what they are learning, the areas where they feel they need support and a means to provide more immediate feedback to teachers about the effect their teaching is having. |
CAROUSEL #7 Sudbury Catholic DSB |
1) INFUSE MATH MANIPULATIVES AND GROW
Our purpose in researching the value of infusing the use of math manipulatives in the classroom is to see if concrete/virtual manipulatives can help students improve their understanding of mathematics. We question if the use of manipulatives can also clarify misconceptions and build connections between mathematical concepts and representations, fostering more precise and richer understandings.
Manipulatives are the way to our future and the way to new knowledge. No matter where we turn or what we do, we as a society are using some form of manipulative in our lives. Therefore, children in today’s classroom deserve to have that extra tool to help them grasp the concept, in order to form mastery in mathematics. With hands on experience in the classroom, how much better would students learn?
2) S3T STUDENT SUCCESS SUPPORT TEACHERS
Experienced teachers were assigned to two high-needs schools to support at-risk students, particularly aboriginal students and boys. These teachers practiced mentoring, co-teaching, modelling LNS high-yield strategies, incorporation of assistive technology, purposeful interventions in the classrooms. Daily access to laptops supported this initiative. Positive results were realized.
Assessment tools used included: DRA, KTEAII, CASI and PRIME |
CAROUSEL #8 North Eastern Ontario School Authorities |
NEOSA AND ABORIGINAL PARTNERS RESOURCE DOCUMENT AND CURRICULUM UNITS The project was not exactly "action research" as it is most commonly defined, nor was immediately connected to "managing information for student achievement." It was, however, about finding ways to help classroom teachers connect to the communities from which many of their students either come from or are connected to in their lives. The Resource Document is intended to give teachers and students some fairly current initial information about the communities and brings with it an invitation for teachers and students to visit First Nation communities and gather some very contemporary evidence for their own understandings. The curriculum units (grades 3 and grades 6) of course take the learning for individual students much further. Both the Resource Document and the Curriculum Units (of which all MISA Leads would have received earlier copies) are also deliberately intended to be stored and used electronically and are now available to teachers on memory sticks for easy and on-going updates through 'research in action" visits by students and teachers. |