Website Review
Saelee: The audience of this website was clearly teachers who were having difficulty supporting their struggling learners. Throughout the website the author directly addresses teachers and educators as well as discusses her own experiences and difficulties as a teacher. I thought her style of directly addressing the reader by asking them questions was very effective as well as engaging to read.
Gottfried: The intended audience of this website seemed a little more broad than Saelee's website. I think the audience could be teachers or administrators of high school students. The audience seems more broad because the author does not directly address the reader, and focuses more on the topic of her research. This means that administrators could implement her research more broadly at their schools or teachers could use her research independently in their own classrooms.
Ellison: Again, the intended audience of this website was broad, as there was no direct statement implying a specific audience. Through discussing her research and its benefits, however, it becomes apparent that her audience could be teachers or administrators looking for new ways to engage students in the learning process. I think that her discussion of her research is effective for her audience because it allows a wide audience to apply her research in their own educational settings.
Avrukin: The audience of this website was clearly teachers, more specifically teachers who want a time effective way of differentiating their lesson plans effectively. The audience is clear throughout the website, even though they are not specifically addressed, through the content of the research. The only people writing and differentiating lesson plans are teachers so the intended audience is obvious.
Gottfried: The intended audience of this website seemed a little more broad than Saelee's website. I think the audience could be teachers or administrators of high school students. The audience seems more broad because the author does not directly address the reader, and focuses more on the topic of her research. This means that administrators could implement her research more broadly at their schools or teachers could use her research independently in their own classrooms.
Ellison: Again, the intended audience of this website was broad, as there was no direct statement implying a specific audience. Through discussing her research and its benefits, however, it becomes apparent that her audience could be teachers or administrators looking for new ways to engage students in the learning process. I think that her discussion of her research is effective for her audience because it allows a wide audience to apply her research in their own educational settings.
Avrukin: The audience of this website was clearly teachers, more specifically teachers who want a time effective way of differentiating their lesson plans effectively. The audience is clear throughout the website, even though they are not specifically addressed, through the content of the research. The only people writing and differentiating lesson plans are teachers so the intended audience is obvious.
Driving Question
From the beginning of this program my focus and interest has been on the intersectionality of student engagement and self-determination theory. Self-determination theory is a psychological theory that asserts that people are happier, more productive, and more engaged in their work when they feel like they have selected the work they are doing. Most of the research regarding self-determination theory has focused on adults and worker engagement. There has been some research conducted with college and high school students regarding student engagement and self-determination, but there has been almost no recent research conducted with elementary aged students on this topic. There was a wave of student choice being used as a student engagement tool at the elementary level in the late 1990's and early 2000's, but I suspect the rise of technology in the classroom and the pressures of high-stakes testing have swept this practice away. I believe, however, that with new common core standards and the rise of the 21st century classroom, allowing and teaching our students how to make meaningful decisions is more important than ever. That being said the driving question which has been guiding my research this year is "What impact does providing more opportunities for students to make meaningful choices have on student engagement?" In reaction to the data collected in my first round of inquiry I have also added a sub-question to my overall driving question which is, "What is the appropriate balance between student freedom and teacher restriction on the decision making process so that students can effectively engage with grade-level content?" Through answering these questions I hope to be able to develop and share a pedagogical strategy that will help myself and other teachers engage and excite our students about grade-level content so they can be academically successful within the confines of our standardized world.
About The Author
I am an educator who has always found excitement and self-fulfillment in the learning process. When I was in kindergarten I had an incredible teacher who taught me and my classmates that learning was fun, exciting, and a path to independence. When you are five there isn't much that you own, but she showed us that our own minds and intellect were a part of who we were as individuals, and therefore, entirely all our own. As a teacher my goal is always to pass the same message on to my students. I believe that the process of discovery is a powerful motivator for students and that my purpose as an educator is to create an environment where my students can make discoveries for themselves. This environment includes strengthening students' confidence so they have the courage to explore, developing a class wide growth mindset so they have the perseverance needed to learn and the empathy to comfort each other through struggles, and to value and respect them as individuals rather than students so they feel like we are all on this learning process together.
This year I have been exploring the impact that providing students with structured opportunities to make meaningful choices in the classroom has on student engagement with grade-level content. I want to see what happens when students stop being told exactly what to do and are allowed to explore scientific, mathematical, historical, and literary worlds. I believe that it is in these moments of exploration and discovery that students are really able to experience and develop a passion for meaningful learning.
This year I have been exploring the impact that providing students with structured opportunities to make meaningful choices in the classroom has on student engagement with grade-level content. I want to see what happens when students stop being told exactly what to do and are allowed to explore scientific, mathematical, historical, and literary worlds. I believe that it is in these moments of exploration and discovery that students are really able to experience and develop a passion for meaningful learning.
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