Action Research Reflection
Topic:
The topic I chose was the effectiveness of the program Rocket Math on the
accuracy and speed of multiplication facts for fourth graders.
Why
I chose this topic: I chose this topic
because I was using a method where I would give students 100 math fact problems
three times a week and saw progress for 3 students and the rest moved at a slow
pace or remained stagnant. I would quiz
the students on one fact per test. They
began with zeros and worked their way up.
At first each student moved at consistent speeds, but then I noticed as
the facts for more difficult, the students lost their stamina.
Our
school hired a math specialist who proposed the idea of Rocket Math. Rocket Math is a daily 20-minute program
where students practice 2 times tables a day with partner practice and then a
1-minute assessment. The math specialist
swore by this program and disclosed results from other schools she used it
in. I had to give it a try in order to
help my students.
When
first taking this class and realizing what an action research project was, I
thought it would be beneficial to collect data for my students as well as to
show what effectiveness the program provides.
In researching the website for Rocket Math, I came across a statement
that informed me they would pay for half of their program for a school if
someone did a study that showed
results. If my action research proves
successful, I plan to do such that.
Writing
My Proposal: When first reading about
action research projects, they seemed to be overwhelming. I wasn’t confident I would be able to handle
it with teaching during the day and having homework in this class and another
class at night. What I learned was that
given the fact the project was broken down into manageable pieces, I could in
fact handle it. The action research proposal reminds me of a
scientific method layout. I am an
integrated science major for under grad and feel comfortable with this set
up. I am also performing research on
something that affects my daily life.
Having that buy in makes this whole process fascinating verses
overwhelming. I am very interested to
see where it goes from here.
Writing
My Literature Review: The literature
review was the most intimidating to perform.
I found the wording of the articles I researched confusing at
times. I also found many case studies
and dissertations that were hundreds of pages long. The information was valuable, but it consumed
a lot of time. Once I organized my
sources into themes, this helped me get a view of the bigger picture of my
review and what I was trying to accomplish.
What helped me was the fact that the review, similarly to the action
research proposal, was broken down into smaller pieces. I found the introduction and body to be the
most convenient as they made the most sense to me. I struggled with the summary at first and
then read the summary of the sample given to us
and what helped a lot. I think the Literature Review is an important
component to the Action Research because it provides background information to
the topics you are researching.
Peer
Writing Feedback: Giving someone feedback
on a task that has taken much of their time can be tricky. I also believe each of us is proud of our
creation and insecure of its faults.
With that said, I wanted to make sure I provided feedback to my peers
that let them know I was impressed by their work and what they could to do make
it better. I am one who takes criticism well
depending on the delivery. I found my
peers extremely generous in their comments.
The details provided were very helpful and pushed me to go beyond what I
had done. This has proven to me how
important peer feedback is. One will not
see errors in their writing. It takes a
non-biased eye to look at it and analyze it.
