Weekly question

What application from this course most impacts my ongoing action research project?

In the second cycle of my action research project I am working on defining my essential questions for the "Special Projects" class I am currently teaching. Reading and discussing Ubd has really helped me focus on why I am teaching what I am. It has helped me reevaluate my objectives and goals for my classes. Since my teaching is what my action research is about, backwards design is really helping me focus on what my goals are and what I should be teaching.

My Action Research in Progress

This is a video of my students and one of their expert mentors helping them build a project, and working through some of the design problems.

4/7

Melissa asks: In your current professional environment, how are educational experiences or programs assessed? Is the evidence collected from the assessment used to inform change? Why or why not do you think this occurs?

In my current teaching environment I am teaching a class without a classroom. My students come to my house about 2 days a week for class and the other two days we go to one of my students mentors house or shop.

• Assessments for this class are:

1. Rubric's for student involvement during project experiences.
2. Rubric's students project blog.
3. Exhibition at the end of class to shop process and product of project.
   

• Is the evidence collected from the assessment used to inform change?

1. I am always assessing the students involvement and adjusting my performance to help the students improve and succeed.
   
2. I read all of my students blogs, and take that information and reflect and see if there are possibly different ways to reach my students for them to gain a better understanding.
3. At the end of the class during the students exhibitions I take notes and reflect on what I did and what the student did and the outcome. Then I look at different possibilities that might make the experience more profitable for the students during my next class.
   

• Why or why not do you think this occurs?

1. I think it occurs in my situation because I am excited about what I teach and do in life, so I want to share that with my students. Does that mean I always do a great job at assessment and then implementing those assessments the next go around? No, but I do the best I can with the time I have.

Brent