My action research
project is about using brain-based teaching and learning strategies for
vocabulary development. I work with the
RtI staff at a local elementary as a volunteer.
My project will involve studying the current methods and strategies
teachers are using in their classrooms as they relate to brain-based learning
and the application of weekly strategies with students in third and fifth
grade. Each week the students provide
feedback as to how the strategy worked for them.
After the approval of my action research project, I
provided all the teachers at the elementary school with surveys that related to
vocabulary development. I also asked for permission to observe vocabulary
development lessons in the classroom. I had nine surveys returned and permission
to observe two teachers. Since the
students were wound-up for Christmas break the teachers asked me to observe the
instruction after the holiday break. I
will be observing these two teachers next week.
After the holiday break, I also started the project with
the students. There are ten students in
third grade and ten students in fifth grade who are receiving RtI instruction
in the afternoons. I meet with the
students and provide them with the consent forms. The first week I had seven students who were willing
to participate. The next week, I had 2
more third graders join the group. I now have total of nine students participating
in the action research project. I have four
fifth graders and five third graders.
The first week went very well with the students. Using
the brain-based learning strategy of priming or pre-exposure, the students were provided the
words to their Open Court reading lesson that they will receive the following
week in their classroom. The students
used dictionaries to look up each word and wrote the definition on index cards.
The cards were placed on a ring and the tool was named the “ring of knowledge”.
I provided pictures and objects of the various vocabulary words. The students all participated and interacted well
with one another. The only problem that I came across was the fifth grade
teachers were not on the same Open Court assignment. Therefore, one student was
pre-exposed to the new vocabulary words, but three students were not. I will have to take this into account when I
am collecting data from the students. I
corrected this by getting with each fifth grade teacher to verify the next few
lessons.
The second week also went well. I was unable to provide
the priming lesson to the fifth grade because of an activity for the fourth and
fifth grade students prevented RtI instruction time on that day. I was able to work with all the third grade
students including two new students. The strategy this week was using the new
vocabulary words in a complete sentence. The students came up with their own
sentences with some prompting, and all were willing to share. The concepts they were able to come up with amazed
me. An example is the vocabulary word ‘rent’, the only example I had was
renting an apartment. When I asked the students to name something that is
rented, they came up with numerous items.
They were so actively engaged that as one student had an idea, it would
trigger new ideas of other students.
When I was doing my literature review, one area of
brain-based learning strategy that is very effective is the use of music. There
were numerous sources that stated the benefits of using classical music to
enhance learning. During the lesson, I
provided classical music playing softly in the background. The students noticed that I had three
different CDs for Mozart. One student at first said he did not want music on,
but I explained that it helps our brains to make connections which help us
learn better. He consented and we went on with the lesson. This week when he
entered the room, he asked for the music. He wanted the orange Mozart CD. I
told him that it was already playing. He asked if I could turn it up a little
so he could hear it better. I was very
excited that I had a room full of energetic third graders wanting to listen to
classical music to help them learn.
Another area that I reflected on was my patience with
four young male students. I feel that in my past I would not have had the
patience for the amount of movement and energy the students generate. However,
I am learning more about learning styles and needs through my youngest daughter
who is a kinesthetic and tactile learner. This week when I was working with the
students, one of the new students was very touchy. I simply remind him about my
expectations of being respectful to others and to participate. I asked him to wait until I told him that he
could touch the items. This helped him since boundaries were established, but I
felt that he had a need to be touching. I felt it was not a discipline issue
but a learning need. I realized that I need to provide him with as many items
as I could to meet the tactile need of touching to learn. This learning style
is one of the most difficult for me to relate to and I am often distracted by
someone who is moving and toughing everything. However, my excitement came as I
was able to recognize the student's learning need and was not irritated by the
student’s actions.
I am very excited about what I will learn from my action
research project. I am also excited that I have nine students who are willing
to participate in my project. I am
thankful for the teachers who are working with me as I gather information from
their Open Court curriculum guides. I am
thankful that the RtI staff at the school have allowed me the opportunity to work
on my action research project at the school.
I feel that I am learning new things through my preparation of the
lesson each week, and from my interactions with the students. I am also looking
forward to my classroom observations this coming week.
