Action+Research+Plan

__**Problem:**__ 11th grade students at Beresford High School scored low on standard R.1, students can recognize and analyze words. Also R.5, students can access, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate informational texts.

__**Question:**__ Will integrating 21st Century Skills and Tools improve student achievement on standard R.5? With this project my goal is to entail both a health and global theme. Students will ask themselves how to help create a healthier Beresford. Students will also use resources outside of the school district to help answer the main question.

__**Plan:**__ Integrate 21st Century Skills and Tools into my lesson plans for standard R.5. Administer pre and post tests over the standard to gauge student understanding. Use formative assessment in the classroom, over the course of the teaching and after the lesson to check understanding. I plan to have two lesson plans that will assist in reaching our goals as the semester progresses. One of the lessons to assist with the project is I-movie and Garage Band. Another is using Avery pens to be used as a formative assessment. Another formative assessment was to use the snowball microphone and have students read a passage. A rubric was used to evaluate the many different aspects of the standard we focused on.

For the main project, students were grouped into groups of three. We met first as a whole to decide the topics on "How do we promote a healthier Beresford?" Students came up with the following: Exercising, Eating Right, Mental Health, Body Care, Safety. So five groups of three students each tackled this project. First they had to research and locate their information along with identifying individuals in the community they would contact to assist them with an interview. Then they had to work together and develop their scripts which then led to filming. Some of the filming was the interviews and other parts were visuals to assist with the information. Another aspect was that the group had to create their own music in Garage Band that would be utililzed in the project. After editing their video then they worked on adding their voiceovers by using a snowball microphone. The last part was adding their transitions.

__**Reflection:**__ I think it tends to be a little more difficult to narrow down what standard to work on when the class has a variety of students Grades 9-11. What I struggle with is using the baseline data that pertains to only one class when using Emetric. I have always liked the concept of working on projects with students. I feel they obtain a much better understanding of concepts through this way of learning. One of the interesting findings about the students through this project that surprised me was how difficult it was for them to have to complete and interview with a source outside of school. Some really struggled with this. I have thought about it and believe a major attribute that the cause of this problem comes from them hiding behind devices to communicate with instead of with an individual in person. As I blogged about I will definitely include a project similar to this next year for this same class. .

__**Implications for Future Work:**__ I have found I utilize the Achievement Series program more this year than I have in previous years. It is also so nice to have tests from the previous year that I can continue to tweak.