Samantha, Kristi called me lastnight, asking me about our decision not to use the dice during your action research. She expressed the concern that other strategies will be used throughout each week, leaving us to wonder if they could be influencing the performance of the students, as well. I recommended to her that you go ahead and use the dice, PowerPoint games, and other strategies that you would normally use. However, you should try to keep these strategies as consistant as possible, without introducing anything new. That way your key words strategy would be the only new influence they are exposed to. In other words, say you are doing key words week 3 of your study. I wouldn't also add a new vocabulary game that you have never tried before that week, because you really wouldn't know if it was the new game or the key words that effected the performance of your students. Does that make sense? Amy Kuhn, what do you think? Let me know if you have any questions!
On Friday, I gave the first official end-of-the-week vocabulary test to my fifth grade students. Although I was pleased by their scores, such performance may pose a problem for my data. In both class periods, the majority of the students scored 100% (only about two or three per class scored below, and these individuals only missed one or two questions). My host teacher and I had the same concern: "What if the students make 100% on all of the tests?" After discussing the issue, we decided to add extra or "bonus" words to the vocabulary list (before, these words were introduced, but students were not responsible for knowing them on a test). Our idea was that if we added more words, we would be increasing the level of difficulty and hopefully put an end to the potential "problem." I'm just going to test the two test groups on the added words as I did the others during the cumulative pre-test (and will do during the post-test). These averages will be factored in to the first ones so that my baseline and post-test will hopefully give accurate results. I'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes...time to beee flexible :)
4 comments:
Samantha,
Kristi called me lastnight, asking me about our decision not to use the dice during your action research. She expressed the concern that other strategies will be used throughout each week, leaving us to wonder if they could be influencing the performance of the students, as well. I recommended to her that you go ahead and use the dice, PowerPoint games, and other strategies that you would normally use. However, you should try to keep these strategies as consistant as possible, without introducing anything new. That way your key words strategy would be the only new influence they are exposed to. In other words, say you are doing key words week 3 of your study. I wouldn't also add a new vocabulary game that you have never tried before that week, because you really wouldn't know if it was the new game or the key words that effected the performance of your students. Does that make sense? Amy Kuhn, what do you think? Let me know if you have any questions!
Amy
Amy,
Kristi and I also discussed the dice and what you said makes a lot of sense. Thanks so much for your input...it is very much appreciated :)
Samantha
On Friday, I gave the first official end-of-the-week vocabulary test to my fifth grade students. Although I was pleased by their scores, such performance may pose a problem for my data. In both class periods, the majority of the students scored 100% (only about two or three per class scored below, and these individuals only missed one or two questions). My host teacher and I had the same concern: "What if the students make 100% on all of the tests?" After discussing the issue, we decided to add extra or "bonus" words to the vocabulary list (before, these words were introduced, but students were not responsible for knowing them on a test). Our idea was that if we added more words, we would be increasing the level of difficulty and hopefully put an end to the potential "problem." I'm just going to test the two test groups on the added words as I did the others during the cumulative pre-test (and will do during the post-test). These averages will be factored in to the first ones so that my baseline and post-test will hopefully give accurate results. I'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes...time to beee flexible :)
Samantha
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