I chose to conduct my action research on exam scores. For my agriculture science class, the first exam I gave them the scores were not as high as I had hoped.
I decided that I would set out to find a way to raise exam scores, or at least observe what I thought raised them. For my research, I proposed that I would give my class an oral review, a written review, and a game review for 3 different exams. I then would average their scores, and see which review produced the best score.
After I conducted the experiment, I saw that the game review produced the best results. I thought the written review would produce the best results, because I basically gave them the test answers right in front of them. The students that did poorly that day must not have bothered to study the written review.
I can see how the game exam review would have produced the best results. The kids were all really excited and into the game. The adrenaline was flowing. I saw an experiment on the discovery channel one time testing memory of mice. They ran the experiment with two mice. First, they dropped one mouse into a circular tank of water that head a clear pillar in it that the mouse could stand on to get out of the water, but he had to find it first. Then, they injected the second mouse with adrenaline and dropped him in. He found the pillar in roughly the same amount of time.
For the second trial, the first mouse found the pillar in about the same amount of time as the first trial. The second mouse swam directly to the pillar on his second trial, because he was able to remember where it was due to the adrenaline that was pumping through him on the first trial. This same phenomenon is true with humans. We remember experiences vividly when we are energized from adrenaline, even it is a little amount from a ag science jeopardy game.
That is, at least, how I related their success to what was going on. In the end, the game review worked the best, and the written review fell short to even the oral review. I am glad that I did this experiment though. It is a good way to show how you can use data to modify instruction.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Home Stretch
Next week is my last week living in Gettysburg and teaching at the high school. This week I am finishing with my environmental science class.
It is bittersweet that my time with my most difficult class has come to an end. Yes, they gave me more problems than I hoped for at the beginning of this internship. But by the end, they really have come around and actually listen to me. I often left that class quite frustrated and disappointed, but it all worked out. We ended by taking our last test, and going outside to clean the last of our blue bird boxes and just hanging out and reflecting afterwards.
My engines class is really a lot of fun. They all work pretty well, and it is good to see them actually learning things previously completely unfamiliar to them. Quinn came down to visit this week, it was good to have a buddy there for the day to just talk about our experiences and what is coming up. She even helped me facilitate the lesson in engines.
Next week, I am just teaching engines and getting caught up on my Penn State assignments. I am going on field trips to the national zoo, to plant chestnut trees, and to stock trout. It should be a good week to end on.
It is bittersweet that my time with my most difficult class has come to an end. Yes, they gave me more problems than I hoped for at the beginning of this internship. But by the end, they really have come around and actually listen to me. I often left that class quite frustrated and disappointed, but it all worked out. We ended by taking our last test, and going outside to clean the last of our blue bird boxes and just hanging out and reflecting afterwards.
My engines class is really a lot of fun. They all work pretty well, and it is good to see them actually learning things previously completely unfamiliar to them. Quinn came down to visit this week, it was good to have a buddy there for the day to just talk about our experiences and what is coming up. She even helped me facilitate the lesson in engines.
Next week, I am just teaching engines and getting caught up on my Penn State assignments. I am going on field trips to the national zoo, to plant chestnut trees, and to stock trout. It should be a good week to end on.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Two Weeks Left
The time really has flown by during this experience. I am down to two classes, and two weeks left.
Throughout the week, we have been working through the strawberry unit in horticulture. It has kind of been a boring unit, difficult to do many activities with. The class made it through though, and we are visiting a strawberry farm on 4/14. This is something new to me too.
I really like the group of kids I have been given in small gas engines. They are a fun group of guys. We are in the process of disassembly, and I can tell are really learning some stuff. I will continue to teach them until my last day.
In environmental science, we just conducted a stream lab (a day earlier than I wanted to). They wanted to go a day early and the weather was nice. I told them before they decided that it was pretty messy out there still and their shoes would get soaked, but we did it anyway and they learned. The lab was quite a success. I had them in groups of 4. They had to find 3 spots along the stream, one along the small part and two along the large part. They then had to get in the stream and measure the stream depth and sediment depth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 feet from the bank. Then they had to measure the water temperature and calculate the stream velocity by floating a ping pong ball a measured distance and time it with a stop watch. They were responsible for turning over rocks and finding any vertebrates or invertebrates. We found mostly leeches and crayfish, but it was still a great success.
Looking forward to these last two weeks, going to make the most of them.
Throughout the week, we have been working through the strawberry unit in horticulture. It has kind of been a boring unit, difficult to do many activities with. The class made it through though, and we are visiting a strawberry farm on 4/14. This is something new to me too.
I really like the group of kids I have been given in small gas engines. They are a fun group of guys. We are in the process of disassembly, and I can tell are really learning some stuff. I will continue to teach them until my last day.
In environmental science, we just conducted a stream lab (a day earlier than I wanted to). They wanted to go a day early and the weather was nice. I told them before they decided that it was pretty messy out there still and their shoes would get soaked, but we did it anyway and they learned. The lab was quite a success. I had them in groups of 4. They had to find 3 spots along the stream, one along the small part and two along the large part. They then had to get in the stream and measure the stream depth and sediment depth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 feet from the bank. Then they had to measure the water temperature and calculate the stream velocity by floating a ping pong ball a measured distance and time it with a stop watch. They were responsible for turning over rocks and finding any vertebrates or invertebrates. We found mostly leeches and crayfish, but it was still a great success.
Looking forward to these last two weeks, going to make the most of them.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Dropping Classes
With 3 weeks left, I have begun dropping classes. I am now down to horticulture, ag mechanics, and environmental science.
This upcoming week is my last week with horticulture. We are working with fertilizers, and are about to have our plant sale. We have planted over $2,000 worth of plugs and hanging baskets (Laura got a look at the greenhouse!). Our hydroponic lettuce has also come along nicely. I hope that I have helped these kids learn a few things.
I am learning so much from teaching small gas engines. I think I can say that teaching that class is helping me more than teaching any other. It is a nice group of 12 kids, and their knowledge ranges from knowing a little bit about engines, to not knowing a single thing. It is nice to know more than all of the students :).
Environmental science and I have been getting along better each week. I have arranged an outdoor stream lab this week for them which should go over nicely. There are still the usual suspects that like to test me, but all in all the class is not bad. It has helped me so much in the world of classroom management.
I am enjoying my time at Gettysburg so much more than I expected. I will truly miss my students and my cooperating teachers. I plan on staying in touch with them.
This upcoming week is my last week with horticulture. We are working with fertilizers, and are about to have our plant sale. We have planted over $2,000 worth of plugs and hanging baskets (Laura got a look at the greenhouse!). Our hydroponic lettuce has also come along nicely. I hope that I have helped these kids learn a few things.
I am learning so much from teaching small gas engines. I think I can say that teaching that class is helping me more than teaching any other. It is a nice group of 12 kids, and their knowledge ranges from knowing a little bit about engines, to not knowing a single thing. It is nice to know more than all of the students :).
Environmental science and I have been getting along better each week. I have arranged an outdoor stream lab this week for them which should go over nicely. There are still the usual suspects that like to test me, but all in all the class is not bad. It has helped me so much in the world of classroom management.
I am enjoying my time at Gettysburg so much more than I expected. I will truly miss my students and my cooperating teachers. I plan on staying in touch with them.
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