Innovations and Inspirations SY2015

Fall 2014

&

Innovations

Inaugural Issue

Inspirations

A collection of innovations and inspirations from across Marietta City Schools that exemplify the Marietta Difference!

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Office of the Superintendent Emily Lembeck, Ed. D. Superintendent

August 4, 2014

Dear MCS Educators, Before you is a small sample of the innovative and inspirational practices and programs that were implemented this past year in classrooms throughout our school system.

The teachers showcased in this inaugural publication are your colleagues, and like many of you, are considered teacher leaders who personify the “Marietta Difference.� As such, they are committed not just to celebrating their success with effective practices and innovations, but also to sharing them within and across all MCS schools, and beyond.

As a Georgia Charter System, MCS has flexibility from many of the laws and rules which guide the use of time, talent, and funding in exchange for accountability and commitment to innovation.

Innovations & Inspirations is about highlighting instructional practices in MCS classrooms, encouraging collective accountability, seeking continuous improvement, recognizing effective teaching and successful learning, honoring our profession, and assuring that all students Graduate Marietta well prepared for life success.

It is about innovation or more accurately, achieve-ovation. It is about inspiring all teachers to learn and grow together. It is, most importantly, about all students and colleagues benefiting from the best that each of you can bring to Marietta City Schools and to public education.

I hope to see your inspiring innovation highlighted in future editions.

With appreciation for our contributing teacher leaders and those to follow, Emily Lembeck, Ed.D. Superintendent

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Table of Contents Innovations – The following articles detail action research and classroom innovation projects. radKIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education, Jennifer Bussey

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ACCESS CODE: Does utilizing this web based program help Struggling Readers Improve their Reading Comprehension, Fluency and Phonemic Awareness?, Neddra Hardaway

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Developing a New Standard of Excellence, Martie Moore

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Reflections on Kindles in the Classroom, Rachel Morrissey

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The Flipped Classroom: Student Response to an Inverted Approach, Jennifer Santi

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Improving Student Achievement in Science Classrooms through the use of interactive science notebooks: An Action Research Study, Valerie Trotter

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Inspirations – The following articles provide examples of why and how the teaching profession matters.

Beyond Recognition, Romar Blackmon

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Life Lessons from a Ten-Year Old, Katy Eason

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Lessons from the Kitchen, Ginger Pratt

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radKIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education

by Jennifer Bussey

Ms. Bussey, Ed.S., is a Professional School Counselor at Park Street Elementary.

She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree at the University of Georgia.

Context of Study “I firmly believe that radKIDS should be in every school in the nation.”~Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 5, 2002. She was 14 years old at the time. She was found alive nine months later on March 12, 2003, in Sandy, Utah, about 18 miles from her home, with her abductors Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, who were indicted for her kidnapping (Fox News, 2013).

Elizabeth said, “I was taught to respect adults and I was unaware that I could say no and fight, if I had been taught I may have never been abducted.”

Elizabeth Smart’s case made the headlines. There are thousands of kids who experience the ABCs (abduction, bullying, and child abuse) of victimization whose cases do not make national news. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (MCMEC, 2012) more than 7,000 attempted abductions occurred between 2005 and 2012, and approximately 35% of those abductions occurred when the child was going to and from school or school-related activities. In addition, The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2010) reported that 864,000 students reported staying home at least one day a month because they fear for their safety and every 7 minutes a child is bullied. On the other hand, adult interventions are only present 4% of the time, peer interventions 11% of that time, and no interventions 85% of the time.

Impact of Child Maltreatment on Students Although some children are quite resilient when exposed to maltreatment, many suffer detrimental consequences (Watts-English et al., 2006). Such unfavorable consequences have been researched extensively (Read, 1997), and influence some individuals well into adulthood. In studies of children and adolescents with maltreatment pasts, rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, personality disorders, conduct problems, oppositionality, attentional difficulties, suicidality, aggression, socio-emotional difficulties, and substance abuse are high (Mulvihill, 2005). Thus, maltreatment can have an overwhelming impact on the developing child (Watts-English et al., 2006).

In the study of De Bellis et al., (1999), earlier onset of abuse and longer duration of abuse correlated with smaller intracranial volume, which suggests that brain development in these individuals may have been disrupted and that adverse effects may be greater with exposure to trauma in early childhood. Research indicates that children who have experienced maltreatment demonstrate a range of maladaptive outcomes including psychological distress, behavioral difficulties, and social problems, in comparison to their non-abused peers (Prasad, Kramer, & Ewing-Cobbs, 2005). Specifically, children with histories of abuse and neglect show deficits on standardized tests of cognitive and academic abilities, receive poor teacher assessments of school performance, show evidence of academic maladjustment, have lower grades, and have more grade repetitions (Shonk & Cicchetti, 2001; Veltman & Browne, 2001). Beers and DeBellis (2002) found that children with maltreatmentrelated PTSD performed more poorly than a matched comparison group in the domains of attention, problem solving, abstract reasoning/executive functioning, learning and memory, and visual-spatial functioning.

In examining specific types of abuse, children with a history of neglect also have been found to be at a high risk for difficulties in language production, articulation, language comprehension, and school readiness (Strathearn, et al., 2001). Research also shows that children with histories of physical abuse have deficits in verbal and memory skills (Prasad, Kramer, & Ewing-Cobbs, et al., 2005). In adolescents with physical abuse histories, lower standardized test scores and lower grades in Language Arts (Lansford et al., 2002) are noted as well as inhibition in

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the use of self-related language, lesser use of syntax, and greater self-repetitions. Carey et al., (1995) found that children between the ages of seven and thirteen who had been abused had lower verbal and full scale IQ scores than children without a history of abuse. Research with adults with abuse histories suggests that the deficits identified in children with maltreatment histories may persist into adulthood (Watts-English et al., 2006).

Consequently, maltreatment has a negative effect on students’ academic potential and abilities.

Preventing Child Maltreatment Considering the destructive impact of child maltreatment on individuals and society as a whole, as well as the limited funding available to address its consequences, the value of preventive measures is becoming increasingly apparent (Asawa, Hansen, & Flood, 2008). Long-term benefits of child abuse prevention include improved mental and physical health, educational achievement, employment prospects, social functioning, and less family stress (Karoly et al., 2001). Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIPs) are excellent resources for preventing child maltreatment (Asawa, Hansen, & Flood, 2008). These programs have the unique ability to address multiple problems at various levels and across diverse settings, increasing the likelihood that child maltreatment can be prevented (Daro, 2000; Karoly et al., 2001). Programs that address multiple risk factors across various levels of analysis appear to be the most effective in preventing child maltreatment (Daro & Donnelly, 2002).

Current Research According to the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy (2013), Georgia had 37,835 reports of child abuse and neglect made to Departments of Family and Children Services in 2009, with 15,341 substantiated incidents of abuse and neglect. In addition, 6,984 incidents of sexual abuse were reported, and 4,573 incidents were substantiated (GCCA, 2013). More than 80% of the perpetrators were between the ages of 20 and 49 years old.

Demographically, 48.5% of perpetrators were White; 20% African American, and 18% Hispanic. Furthermore, 80.9% of perpetrators were parents; 6.3% were relatives, and 2.8% were unknown (GCCA, 2013). A local school district in the southeastern region of the United States mandated reporters filed over 50 DFCS referrals for abuse Fall 2013-2014 school year, with an additional 52 counselor referrals made for inappropriate touching, and 72 referrals for bullying. Child maltreatment is not only a national problem, but a state and local epidemic as well.

There is one common denominator in children’s safety, the child (radKIDS, 2013); therefore, we must equip children with the skills needed to recognize danger and escape it. Schools believed that responsibility fell on parents. However, studies have postulated that many parents felt they lacked confidence, vocabulary, and resources to talk with their children about abuse (Wurtle et al., 1992; Babatskios, 2010). They omitted crucial facts such as who perpetrators might be and what to do if sexual abuse occurred; instead they focused on less important concepts such as ‘stranger danger’ (Chen et al., 2007). School systems evolved as the obvious choice for teaching children about sexual abuse, given that their primary function is to inform and educate, and also because of their ability to reach large numbers of children of every racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic group in a relatively costefficient fashion (Wurtele, 2009).

School-Based Safety Initiatives In response to the growing body of knowledge regarding the scope and consequences of maltreatment, many prevention programs were developed in the late 1970s and widely disseminated in the early to mid-1980s (Wurtele, 2009). The focus of these prevention programs was to alter the knowledge and skills of children through group-based instruction on personal safety, usually conducted in educational settings (Davis & Gidycz, 2000).

School-based personal safety programs were rapidly adopted across the United States, but current rates of schoolbased program implementation are unknown (Wurtele, 2009). It is quite likely that attention to abuse prevention diminished during the 1990s as other social problems of children gained momentum (e.g., drug abuse, sexual harassment, dating violence, school violence, and bullying) (Finkelhor et al., 2005). Abuse prevention programs have also faced criticisms of and arguments against child-focused programs, some of which are described as concepts and skills too complex for children to learn (Wurtele, 2009). radKIDS Safety Empowerment Education R.A.D. stands for Resisting Aggression Defensively. The radKIDS curriculum is conducted by a trained and licensed facilitator instructor. Instructor training is taught in five days for eight hours a day. Day 1 content, 5

which is the actual radKIDS curriculum, involves teaching students how to dial 9-1-1, strangers and tricks; Day 2 content involves teaching about drug awareness, bullying, and fire safety; Day 3 content involves teaching about resistance techniques, dog safety and gun safety; Day 4 content involves information on good, bad, and uncomfortable touching; and Day 5 content involves teaching simulation (optional). The training cost $450, and upon completion each trainee is given a certificate and access to the radKIDS curriculum and website.

Teaching the radKIDS curriculum is eight hours of interactive instruction, 10 hours with simulation (resistance training). There are three programs defined by age groups: 3.5-5 age range, 5-7 age range, and 8-12 age range. As the counselor at Park Street Elementary, I taught the 5-7 age range curriculum with 120 kindergarten students.

Research Question & Design This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the radKIDS curriculum with kindergarten students. Therefore, this case study was designed to answer the following research question: How effective is the radKIDS curriculum in teaching safety concepts to kindergarten students?

Participant Selection One hundred kindergarten students at Park Street Elementary participated in the radKIDS curriculum between Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. Each participant was granted permission from their parents via a parental consent form to participant in the study. Kindergarten students were selected for the study due to availability and the radKIDS curriculum’s being an eight hour-time program. Grades first through fifth were engaged in taking the Criterion Reference Competency Test and/or the College and Career Readiness Performance Index which allows them less flexibility and greater time constraints. Therefore, kindergarten was selected as the optimal grade for the radKIDS curriculum. In addition, plans are to facilitate radKIDS annually with kindergarten students resulting in the entire school having participated in the radKIDS curriculum in six years.

Kindergarten teachers also participated in the radKIDS curriculum reinforcing the safe zone.

During radKIDS students recognize dangerous situations and run to safety. Safe zones are established throughout the classroom and teachers are the point of contact in those safe zones. Teachers also co-facilitated the 9-1-1 lesson and assisted me as needed.

Data Data were collected in the form of the radKIDS pre-test and post-test measures. One hundred twenty kindergarten students were given the pre-test prior to receiving the radKIDS curriculum and given the post-test after receiving the radKIDS curriculum in order to measure knowledge gained. The radKIDS pre-test/post-test consist of fifteen questions and the topics of the questions varied: one question about fire safety; five questions about tricks; one question about dog safety; one question about bullying; two resistance questions; two (9-1-1) questions; one bike safety question; and two field questions. For the purposes of this study, I focused on the data of five questions that directly pertain to child maltreatment and bullying. The data collected answered my primary research questions: how effective is the radKIDS curriculum in teaching safety concepts to kindergarten students Data Analyzed Data were analyzed by comparing pre-test and post-test results. I compared the correct number of responses from the pre-test and post-test data to determine the percentage of increased knowledge of students’ safety concepts.

Timeframe Pre-test were given to kindergarten students in September 2013. The radKIDS curriculum was facilitated September 2013-April 2014. Students participated in the radKIDS curriculum for an hour each month during their counseling guidance block. The radKIDS post-test was administrated April 2014 immediately following the final radKIDS lesson. Students were tested individually by me and/or their classroom teacher.

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Results The results of this study indicate that knowledge was gained by kindergarten students in the areas of bullying and abuse via the radKIDS curriculum. These findings were consistent with my hypothesis that there would be an increase in knowledge gained as it pertains to safety and empowerment by kindergarten students as a result from participating in the radKIDS curriculum. The table below summarizes the data.

Questions If someone tries to trick or hurt you, could it be your fault?

Is hitting the best way to stop a bully?

If you felt bad or confused about something a person did to you, would you tell an adult you trust?

If someone was trying to hurt you, would you call 9-1-1?

If someone touched you and told you to keep it a secret, would you tell an adult you trust?

# Right Pre-test 30/120=25%

# Right Post-test 120/120=100%

Results 75% increase

18/120=15% 54/120=45%

108/120=90% 114/120=95%

75% increase 50% increase

66/120=55%

96/120=80%

25% increase

60/120=50%

102/120=85%

35% increase

Analysis Analyzing the data showed at least a 25% increase in knowledge gained from kindergarten students pre-test to post-test results. In addition, two of the questions showed a 75% gain in scores of pre-test to post-test data. Furthermore, data show that there is a need for radKIDS based on pre-test data. Pre-test data revealed that students are not being taught safety concepts outside the school; therefore, there is a need for a safety empowerment program.

Conclusions can be made from the findings regarding gaps in the literature. Although literature provides data about other school-based safety empowerment programs, there is no literature about the radKIDS curriculum. In addition, the radKIDS curriculum does not offer any psychometric data about the program.

However, the data from this study has been analyzed to confirm that the radKIDS program is effective in teaching safety concepts to kindergarten students. Future implications would support the need for more research into the radKIDS curriculum with various grade levels to provide psychometric data about the program with those age groups.

Moreover, research could be conducted regarding the cultural considerations and influences when teaching the radKIDS curriculum to diverse students with the aim of increasing knowledge of safety and empowerment about bullying and abuse. Literature shows that very few child-focused programs have been developed for culturally diverse children (Kenny et al., 2012). Therefore, more research is needed in the area of culture, ethnicity, and school-safety programs.

References Asawa, L.E., Hansen, D.J., & Flood, M.F. (2008). Early childhood intervention programs: Opportunities and challenges for preventing child maltreatment. Education & Treatment of Children (West Virginia University Press), 31(1), 73-110.

Babatsikos, G. (2010). Parents’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about preventing child sexual abuse: A literature review. Child Abuse Review, 19(2), 107-129.

Beers, S., & DeBellis, M. (2002). Neuropsychological function in children with maltreatment-related posttraumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 483-486.

Berrios, R., & Lucca, N. (2006). Qualitative methodology in counseling research: Recent contributions and challenges for a new century. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(2), 174-186.

Brown, S.D., Brack, G., & Mullis, F.Y. (2008). Traumatic symptoms in sexually abused children: Implications for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(6), 368-379.

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Carey, N., Butler, H., Persinger, M., & Bialki, R. (1995). Physiological and cognitive correlates of child abuse.

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 34, 1067-1075.

Centers for Disease Control. (2013). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.cdc.gov Chen, J., Dunne, M.P., & Han, P. (2007). Prevention of child sexual abuse in China: Knowledge, attitudes, and communication practices of parents of elementary school children. Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, 31(7), 747-755.

Davis, M.K., & Gidycz, A.C. (2000). Child sexual abuse prevention programs: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 26, 731-742.

DeBellis, M.D., Baum, A.S., Birmaher, B., Keshavan, M.S., Eccard, C.H., Boring, A.M. (1999). Developmental traumatology part 1: Biological stress systems. Biological Psychiatry, 45, 1259-1270.

Finkelhor, D., Ormrod, R., Turner, H., & Hamby, S. (2005). The victimization of children and youth: A comprehensive, national study. Child Maltreatment, 10, 5-25.

Fox News. (2013). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.foxnews.com/elizabeth-smart-details-kidnapping.html Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. (2013). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.georgiacenterforchildadvocacy.org Hays, D.G., & Singh, A.A. (2012). Qualitative inquiry in clinical & educational settings. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Hunt, B. (2011). Publishing qualitative research in counseling journals. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89(3), 296-300.

Karoly, L.A., Kilburn, M.R., Bigelow, J.H., Caulkins, J.P., Cannon, J.S., & Chiesa, J.R. (2001). Assessing costs and benefits of early childhood intervention programs: Overview and application to the Starting Early Starting Smart Program.

Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs.

Kenny, M.C., Wurtele, S.K., & Alonso, L. (2012). Evaluation of a personal safety program with Latino preschoolers. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(4), 368-385.

Lansford, J.E., Dodge, K.E., Pettit, G.S., Bates, J.E., Crozier, J., & Kaplow, J. (2002). A 12-year prospective study of the long-term effects of early child physical maltreatment on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems in adolescences. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156, 824-830.

Mulvihill, D. (2005). The health impact of childhood trauma: An interdisciplinary review. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 28, 115-136.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2012). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.missingkids.com Prasad, M.R., Karamer, L.A., & Ewing-Cobbs, L. (2005). Cognitive and neuroimaging findings in physically abused preschoolers. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 90, 82-85. radKIDS personal empowerment safety education. (2013). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.radkids.org Read, J. (1997). Child abuse and psychosis: A literature review and implications for professional practice.

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 448-456.

Shonk, S., & Cicchetti, D. (2001). Maltreatment, competency deficits, and risk for academic and behavioral maladjustment. Developmental Psychology, 37, 3-17.

Smart, E., & Stewart, C. (2013). My story. Salt Lake City, UT: St. Martin’s Press.

Strathearn, L., Gary, P., O’Callaghan, M., & Wood, D. (2001). Childhood neglect and cognitive development in extremely low birth weight infants: A prospective study. Pediatrics, 108, 142-151.

United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2010). Retrieved 09/05, 2013, from www.hhs.gov Watts-English, T., Fortson, B.L., Gibler, N., Hooper, S.R., & De Bellis, M.D. (2006). The psychobiology of maltreatment in childhood. Journal of Social Issues, 62(4), 717-736. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2006.00484.x Wurtele, S.K. (2009). Preventing sexual abuse of children in the twenty-first century: Preparing for challenges and opportunities. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 18(1), 1-18. doi:10.1080/10538710802584650 Wurtele, S., & Miller-Perrin, C. (1992). Preventing child sexual abuse: Sharing the responsibility. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

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ACCESS CODE: Does utilizing this web based program help Struggling Readers Improve their Reading Comprehension, Fluency and Phonemic Awareness?

by Neddra Hardaway

Ms. Hardaway, M.Ed., currently teaches Reading Support at Marietta Middle.

Introduction

Problem Statement Mary McLeod Bethune once said, “The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” and if that is so, how can we get students who are deemed struggling readers to be able to learn to do such a feat? Struggling readers find that it is often difficult, not to read the text, but to decode the text and the meaning behind it. At the early stages of reading, children are often taught to decode words through the use of pictures and to define unfamiliar words through the context of the sentence. Once a child has decoded a word they typically can make meaning of the words in the sentence and acquire the main idea of the text. All of these characteristics of the natural reading progression seem foreign and unattainable for the overwhelmed reader. Even if they are able to decode the text, they may still have difficulty navigating the structure of the text. When looking at the whole picture, it is no wonder that these children are often disruptive in the classroom or find ways of getting around the required assignment (Hall, 2007). After looking at the many challenges ahead of the teaching community, educators must ask themselves what can be done to assist these students in becoming proficient readers. It is critical that effective modalities of instruction be developed and employed to assist struggling readers.

Background and Importance of the Problem The ability to read and to understand what is written is critical to success in our educational system.

Comprehension problems become most apparent when students are faced with textbook material. (Best, Floyd, & McNamara, 2008; McNamara, 2001). Reading problems stem from several sources. First, the student may not be able to read the words themselves. Word decoding development and deficits are the concern of many researchers and educators, especially for younger children and children with learning deficits. However, this concern has sometimes led to the neglect of its counterpart of word decoding: sentence comprehension. Numerous problems can occur for the reader at the comprehension level. For many, understanding how the words come together in each sentence can be a challenge. Or, the student may understand each word and even each sentence, but fail to understand the relationships between the sentences and the meaning of the text as a whole. In addition, the stumbling block may not be sufficient reading ability to understand more familiar genres of text, but rather, the student may only stumble when faced with challenging, knowledge demanding text. The reader may lack the requisite knowledge. More importantly, the student may lack the reading strategies necessary to overcome such challenges.

Readers may encounter any number of roadblocks in the path to comprehension. Regardless of the reading problem, teaching strategies is one of the most effective means of helping students to overcome them. Strategy instruction across a variety of domains builds on the notion that less skilled students should learn strategies that mimic those exhibited by skilled students or that compensate for processes exhibited by skilled students. The underlying assumption is that the processes or skills induced by the strategies become more automatic with practice. Strategies provide the means to tackle complex problems in more efficient ways and, with practice, the strategies lead to skills that become automatic and quick over time.

The importance of reading strategies is becoming increasingly recognized. This recognition is perhaps best demonstrated by the inclusion of a Reading Strategies strand in English Language Arts College Board Standards for College Success™ published in 2006 by the College Board College Board Standards (see also, McNamara, Ozuru, Best, & O’Reilly, 2007). This strand adopted by the College Board underlines growing recognition that high ability students use reading strategies and these strategies are essential,

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not only to successful comprehension, but to overcoming reading problems in order to become better readers who can comprehend all types of texts.

In the words of Mark Twain, “To every complex problem, there is a simple solution…that doesn’t work.”

So what happens when the strategies still don’t work? Is there a window of opportunity for struggling readers to catch up? Because reading is a multifaceted skill, gradually acquired over years of instruction and practice, there comes a need for a more in depth course of action to explicitly teach reading to students especially older struggling students. Torgesen et al. (2007) identified six critical factors underlying proficient reading performance at the late elementary, middle, and high school levels. The factors include: fluency of text reading; vocabulary, or the breadth and depth of knowledge about the meaning of words; active and flexible use of reading strategies to enhance comprehension; background, or prior knowledge related to the content of the text being read; higher level reasoning and thinking skills; and motivation and engagement for understanding and learning from text.

Students who enter high school with poor literacy skills face long odds against graduating and going on to postsecondary education or satisfying careers. According to Joftus and Maddox-Dolan (2003), roughly 6 million secondary students in the United States read far below grade level and that approximately 3,000 students drop out of U.S. high schools every day. Students who struggle with reading often lack the prerequisites to take academically challenging coursework that could lead to more wide reading and thus exposure to advanced vocabulary and content ideas (Au, 2000). Students who read at low levels often have difficulty understanding the increasingly complex narrative and expository texts that they encounter in high school and beyond. There is a substantial body of research on instructional methods for adolescent struggling readers. Research findings suggest that researchers as well as teachers can influence reading outcomes of older students with reading difficulties.

Students in middle and high school may benefit from intervention. It also indicates that students with learning disabilities benefit from intervention as well, typically with larger effects than for other students who are struggling in reading but not identified as learning disabled.

It is clear that well-evaluated programs capable of enabling middle and high school students with poor reading skills to meet the demands of complex texts are needed to ensure that these students not only succeed in their high school coursework but also graduate ready for college and work-related reading tasks.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of ACCESS CODE, a web-based reading intervention program to effectively help struggling readers improve their reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic awareness. The research question addresses the potential of this web-based program’s effectiveness in increasing students individual reading abilities. To examine the overall effect on individual student performance, the eighth grade Reading Support classes employed ACCESS CODE as an additional intervention in connection with direct explicit instruction to a targeted group of students identified as needing additional interventions based on a battery of pretests in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic recognition. The program focused on the acquisition of these three skill areas by using ACCESS CODE, which is tailored to meet each student’s reading level. Unit skill lessons within the program are rigorously reinforced at the students’ reading level.

Research Questions Does utilizing the web based program ACCESS CODE help struggling readers improve their reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic awareness?

Methodology Participants The participants of this study were selected based upon their batteries of pre-screener test results in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic recognition. Participants are enrolled in an 8th grade Tier 2 Reading Support class at Marietta Middle School. Participants receive explicit, direct instruction in Reading for 56 minutes five days per week. The Reading Support class is designed to help students improve their reading skills across the curriculum. The course includes a required reading component. The purpose of each reading assignment is to develop life-long reading skills, enhance test-taking skills and promote essential study habits. Students explore a variety of notable genres in Non-fiction and Fiction, learn the importance of vocabulary, develop testing taking strategies and read a host of texts during the year.

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The students’ reading Lexile score ranges from 15-957. Their reading comprehension grade equivalent scores range from 3.7-9.0. The fluency Words Read per Minute (WPM) scores range from 56-133. Their phonemic decoding efficiency grade equivalent scores range from 2.8-12.0.

Based upon the screener pre-test results, 17 students were enrolled in ACCESS CODE. Students received 20 minutes of additional web-based instruction two or three times per week based on the prescribed schedule created by Reading Support teacher in addition to the whole class explicit, direct instruction.

Materials Throughout the study a variety of reading texts were used including Bridges Literature, Scholastic magazines, classroom library novels, excerpts from informational texts, fluency readers from the Six Minute Solutions, Phonics Instruction materials from both REWARDS and Words their Way, and school library books that had correlated Accelerated Reader quizzes. Forms used to collect data consisted of ACCESS Code Weekly Student Summary, ACCESS Code Class Summary sheet, Class Fluency Record, Reading Connections Reporting Record,. Measures of Academic Performance , and the GRASP Reading Screener Summary.

Procedures All students participated in explicit direct instructional activities prescribed by the reading support curriculum. The curriculum has four major content components broken into segments quarterly where students are engaged in Vocabulary Instruction, Literature & Poetry, Informational Text & Research and Testing Strategies.

Throughout the school year students are engaged in requisite skills learning in: Summarization, Visualizing, Making Predictions, Questioning, Finding Main Ideas, Making Connections Analyzing/Drawing/Evaluating Text and Analyzing Vocabulary Acquisition. Students are also engaged throughout the year in cognitive learning strategies: Think Alouds, Concept Mapping, Comparing and Contrasting, Cause n Effect, Problem and Solutions, Sequencing, Descriptions, Context Clues. Modeling and Guided Practice. The students are then guided through metacognitive learning through teaching students to Infer, analyze elements and themes, Synthesizing information and Retellings. Using Fix-Up Strategies and Thinking Notes.

Upon entering, every student is given a battery of pre-test screeners in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic awareness. The tests determine reading achievement levels and instructional levels for each student.

After students take the initial ACCESS Code screener, the program individualized a unit plan for each student.

Each student then begins his or her program study of unit lessons independently after whole-group instruction.

Each student logs into the system and attends to lessons prescribed for the 20 minute session until the program times them out. Students return to the lessons based on the prescribed schedule until lessons within the unit are completed with 70% mastery for each lesson within the unit.

Each unit contains easy and challenge areas which include: Short & Long Vowels in Blends, Long Vowel Diagraphs and Diphthongs & R-Controlled Vowels. The skill task each student completes includes: Consonants: (Fill in the Blanks), Vowel ID Easy: (Fill in the Blanks), Vowel ID Complex (Make Nonsense Words), Word Attack Easy (Number of Syllables) and Word Attack Complex (Find and Break Syllables). Weekly reports are gathered to assess student mastery levels on each lesson. Students are given reading comprehension probes biweekly to assess comprehension levels, and fluency builders are given quarterly to determine words per minutes (wpm) scores. The use of ACCESS Code as an additional reading intervention was utilized for five months beginning in October 2013.

Quantitative data were collected including Words Per Minute (WPM) read by students, Pre and Post Reading Comprehension & Fluency Screeners, Pre and Post TOWRE Phonemic Decoding Efficiency tests and ACCESS Code Pre and Post- test screeners. Other data collected by the Reading Support teacher were MAP scores, Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) scores and course unit tests. This data was used for reflection and is included in the findings.

Results Based on the results, 14/16 students who actively participated in ACCESS CODE made growth in Reading Comprehension scores from their Fall to Spring Reading Maze Comprehension Screener. 11/16 students made growth in Fluency scores from their Fall to Spring Fluency Screener. 9/17 students made growth in their Phonemic Decoding Efficiency scores from the Fall to Spring TOWRE assessments. Students who participate in

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ACCESS CODE and utilize the recommended prescribed time allocation of 100 minutes per week will make individual growth in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic awareness.

Students who failed to make growth did not attend to prescribed recommended time allocation needed weekly for successful progress. Those students struggled on concepts and failed to make the passing scores on each prescribed lesson activity assessment as indicated on their weekly summary charts.

Access Code students did much better than Non-Access Code students in their overall performance in Reading Comprehension. However, Non-Access Code students did better in Fluency and Decoding Efficiency than Access Code students.

Students who have deficits in reading comprehension, fluency and phonemic decoding need explicit and direct instruction in order to improve their overall reading scores.

READING COMPREHENSION ACCESS CODE STUDENTS NON ACCESS CODE STUDENTS 16 students Lexile Ranges 15-957 Reading Comp Grade Equivalent Levels 3.7-9.0

13 students Lexile Ranges 429-1117 Reading Comp Grade Equivalent Levels 3.9-9.0

Note: One student was not tested due to attendance Issues.

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FLUENCY 17 students Fluency Words Read Per Minute (WPM) 56-133

13 students Fluency Words Read Per Minute (WPM) 87-172

ACCESS CODE STUDENTS

NON ACCESS CODE STUDENTS

PHONEMIC RECOGNITION 17 students Phonemic Recognition Grade Equivalent Levels 2.8-12

13 students Phonemic Recognition Grade Equivalent Levels 5.8 >12.6

ACCESS CODE STUDENTS

NON ACCESS CODE STUDENTS

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Conclusion Access Code is beneficial and supports struggling readers in areas of Reading Comprehension. Access to technology is essential to the program and students will benefit more if they are using the prescribed allocation of time needed to be successful. Although a schedule was created for students to use the program, certain students were not able to utilize the program as prescribed (100 minutes per week) due to the lack of computers in the classroom—only four were available—and depending on the number of students enrolled in the class period..

These results were shared with the Marietta Middle School Administration, Language Arts PLC’s and the Reading Support PLC to improve instructional pedagogy, to engage in collaborative discussions to improve the RTI process, and to find instructional resources to help students improve overall performance in Reading.

The findings can also help teachers to identify the skills in which students have strengths and weaknesses.

These findings can also aid in devising a plan of action for students to practice and for teachers to remediate, reinforce and strengthen student’s skills in a more explicit direct instructional approach. Teachers can collaborate and create lessons and activities for students to master individually at their own pace.

This study demonstrates that providing an intervention through a web-based reading program such as ACCESS Code should be implemented as an additional resource for students who have gaps in their reading.

Students engaged in this type of learning will benefit and help to fill in those gaps missed in their early acquisition of reading skills.

Action Plan As a result of this study, I have requested additional technology for the classroom so students will benefit more if they are using the prescribed allocation of time needed to be successful. Student laptop carts for both seventh and eighth grade Reading Support classes were requested for the purpose of using ACCESS Code and Compass Learning for the upcoming school year. With budget approval, my plan for provide reading intervention is to continue to incorporate the use of ACCESS Code as an additional reading intervention for Reading Support students who need the additional support for the upcoming school year. The study will be continuous throughout the year in the same capacity for new students/continuing students enrolled in a Tier Two Reading Support class.

References Au, K.H. (2000). A multicultural perspective on policies for improving literacy achievement: Equity and excellence.

In M.L. Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research: Volume III (pp.

835–851). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Hall, L. (2007). Understanding the silence: Struggling readers discuss decisions about reading expository text. The Journal of Educational Research, 100(3), 132-141.

Joftus, S., & Maddox-Dolan, B. (2003, April). Left out and left behind: NCLB and the American high school.

Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

McNamara, D. S. (2001). Reading both high and low coherence texts: Effects of text sequence and prior knowledge. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 55, 51–62.

McNamara, D. S., Ozuru, Y., Best, R., & O’Reilly, T. (2007). The 4-Pronged Comprehension Strategy Framework.

In D. S. McNamara (Ed.), Reading comprehension strategies: Theories, interventions, and technologies (pp. 465–496). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Torgesen, J. K., Houston, D. D., Rissman, L. M., Decker, S. M., Roberts, G.,Vaughn, S., Wexler, J., Francis, D. J., Rivera, M. O., & Lesaux, N. (2007). Academic literacy instruction for adolescents: A guidance document from the Center on Instruction. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

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16

Developing a New Standard of Excellence

by Martie L. Moore

Ms. Moore , Ed.S., currently teaches art at A.L. Burruss Elementary.

In school year 2013-2014, Marietta City Schools implemented the TKES and LKES teacher evaluation system on a system-wide basis. Certified personnel were evaluated on ten standards that have been shown to increase effective teaching and to maximize student learning. While all standards are equally weighted in importance, Marietta City Schools adopted as its system-wide focus Standard 8: Academically Challenging Environment. As local administrators visited classrooms and assessed all ten standards, Central Office personnel visited schools and classrooms intentionally looking for exemplary teachers who provided academically challenging environments.

What is an academically challenging environment?

The TKES standard reads, “The teacher creates a student-centered, academic environment in which teaching and learning occur at high levels and students are self-directed learners.” (GADOE, 2014) To elaborate, the Georgia standards indicate that an academically challenging classroom:  Maximizes instructional time,  Provides transitions that minimize loss of instructional time,  Communicates high, but reasonable, expectations for student learning,  Encourages productivity by providing students with appropriately challenging and relevant material and assignments,  Encourages students to explore new ideas and take academic risks,  Conveys the message that mistakes should be embraced as a valuable part of learning, and  Provides academic rigor, encourages critical and creative thinking, and pushes students to achieve goals.

(GADOE, 2014) As Maye (2013) describes this standard of excellence, students are not answering their teachers’ questions; they’re answering their own questions. When topics are more relevant, students become more curious, and learning becomes more rigorous. The role of the teacher is not one who dispenses information but who models the inquiry process and facilitates the practice of creating knowledge. As students progress through the grades toward graduation, they develop the habits and skills of inquiry and critical thinking, able to connect their learning with future work and career opportunities (Siri, Zenner, & Lezin, 2011).

Teachers are educating a future workforce that will hold jobs that have not been created yet. Studies show that present-day employers are looking for employees who can collaborate, support opinions, ask deep questions and take risks. Wagner (2008) elaborates on this idea by delineating specific skills employers of today (and tomorrow) need. Workers need skills in  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving,  Collaboration and Leadership,  Agility and Adaptability,  Initiative and Entrepreneurialism,  Effective Oral and Written Communication,  Accessing and Analyzing Information,  Curiosity and Imagination.

As noted on www.graduatemarietta.com, these skills are featured in the MCS initiative Graduate Marietta as those desirable for success in college and beyond. They are the skills taught and fostered through our IB MYP curricula, as well as the local IB PYP and IB DP and IBCC programs. These are the skills that are nurtured throughout the system in academically challenging classrooms.

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Research Question & Design The research question was formulated after several discussions with Julie King, the principal of A.L. Burruss.

It was her desire to have an overall view of how Burruss teachers were progressing in meeting TKES Standard 8 and to present the findings to the staff. Thus, the question of my action research study is the following: In relation to
TKES Standard 8: Academically Challenging Environment, how is the faculty at A.L. Burruss developing in the provision of such an environment for its students?

The instrument used in gathering the data was a Rigor & Relevance Grid, which was adapted from one devised

by Willard Daggett and modified by Pater Pappas. The instrument is designed to enable an observer to rate a learning situation within 5-10 minutes. The observer witnesses the conversations of the teacher and the actions of the students and plots the information in a specific area of the grid. The x-axis is marked with a stepped progression of student independence. The y-axis lists the progression of Blooms Taxonomy (revised). The idea is that as lessons become more academically challenging, the collective group will move from the lower left-hand corner toward the upper right-hand corner (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

The subjects of the study were 26 teachers at A.L. Burruss. These teachers were chosen because of their class sizes and the academic levels of content taught in their classrooms. Participation in this study was voluntary.

Two data sets were collected during the time period segment of the study. The first set, collected during the final weeks of the fall semester, provided baseline data. The second, collected during the two weeks following CRCT testing, provides the picture as to where the faculty stands at the end of the first year of the TKES evaluation. It is intended that two more data sets will be taken in FY15 in order to completely answer the research question.

As the primary researcher and under the direction of Ms. King, I made two rounds of observations in these 26 classrooms. During both rounds of ten-minute classroom walk thrus of each class, I observed the actions of the teacher and the students in order to determine in which quadrant the classroom activity belonged. I then recorded a simple dot on the scale that best represented the learning environment of that class during the short time in which I observed. The intent of these observations was not to provide an evaluation of the individual classroom or the teacher but rather to provide a broader, school-wide view of the level of instruction in general and to notate any changes in this data over time.

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Results The results of the study are shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 contains the baseline data, collected in December 2014. Each classroom is represented as a black dot on the grid. As noted, most dots are in quadrant A, and a third of the total are in quadrant B. Both quadrants are in the Lower Order Thinking half of the grid.

Figure 2.

Figure 3 shows the second data set, collected in late April and early May 2014. Each classroom is represented as a black dot on the grid. Forty-two percent dots are in quadrant A, while the majority are scattered in the remaining three quadrants. Forty-seven percent of the dots are in the Higher Order Thinking half of the grid.

Figure 3.

Analysis The results of the first two data sets indicate that the teachers at A.L. Burruss Elementary are positively progressing in providing academically challenging environments for their students. The teachers are offering more opportunities for students to think critically. Increasingly, students are creating their own learning as a result of 19

their teachers creating diverse opportunities to learn. As teachers develop in their ability to offer academically challenging environments, students will become more confident in their abilities to develop the skills they will need in the future.

The intention is to continue this study during the 2013-2014 school year for several reasons. First, the study of progression would be more complete with additional data sets. Second, it would be noteworthy to find if the progress continues toward quadrant D at the beginning of the school year, as teachers are more familiar with the academically challenging rubric (as provided by TKES) and yet when the students are less familiar with the gradelevel content. A possible limitation of this study is that Burruss is bringing in at least 11 new teachers for this schools year and is losing at least eight of last year’s participants. It is expected that there could be some movement in the third data set toward quadrant A. The fourth data set should show gains as new teachers become comfortable and as they are working with others through MCS’ new Mentor Program. Depending on the nature of the collective data, a fifth data set might be required in order to best show teacher progress.

One possible limitation of this data and its collection is the speed of the data gathering. Daggett’s Rigor & Relevance grid is designed to only give a snapshot of a classroom at a given moment. If the full extent of the lesson or unit was not evident, then rating may not be an accurate picture of what happens on a day-to-day basis.

The administrative observations would present a better picture of the classroom, and culminating TKES data would be needed to reliably score a classroom or a teaching community.

I look forward to the continuation of this study in the coming school year. Burruss will be in its second full year of TKES implementation, as well as onset of new GA Milestones state assessments, SLO assessments. In addition, Burruss will begin its journey towards IB PYP certification. As staff members tackle these big initiatives, it is hoped that teachers will be encouraged through the year as study results are shared, that meaningful discussions among teaching peers will be sparked, and that student learning will reach new standards of excellence.

References Daggett, W. (2012) Focus on the why of learning instead of the what. ASCD Express, 7 (26). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol7/726-newvoices.aspx Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) (2013) georgiastandards.org. https://www.georgiastandards.org/ Common-Core/Common%20Core%20Frameworks/CCGPS_ELA_Grade3_Standards.pdf Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) (2014) Teacher keys effectiveness system. https://www.gadoe.org/ School-Improvement/Teacher-and-Leader-Effectiveness/Pages/Teacher-Keys-Effectiveness-System.aspx Marietta City Schools Graduate Marietta (2014) http://www.graduatemarietta.com O’Neil, J. (1995) On preparing students for the world of work: A conversation with Willard Daggett. Educational Leadership, 52 (8), p. 46-48.

WCPSS AG Program (2009) Toolbox for planning rigorous instruction: Sample question stems based on revised Bloom’s taxonomy. https://tpri.wikispaces.com/file/view/05-2Bloom-16-17+Stems+for+Instruction.pdf Koch, J. (2001) Krathwohl and Anderson: Revising Bloom’s taxonomy. koch.wikispaces.com/file/view/ Krathwohl+and+Anderson.pptx Maye, D. (2013). Hitting the mark: Strategic planning for academic rigor. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, Summer, 2013. 29-36.

Siri, D., Zinner, J., Lezin, N. (2011) Blending rigor and relevance. Leadership, 40 (3), p. 8-11.

Wagner, T. (2006) Rigor on trial. Education Week, 25 (18), 28-29.

Wagner, T. (2008) Rigor redefined. Educational Leadership, 66 (2), 20-25.

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21

Reflections on Kindles in the Classroom

by Rachel Morrissey

Ms. Morrissey, B.S.Ed., is the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year at Park Street Elementary, where she currently teaches third grade.

Background One afternoon near the end of the 2010-2011 school year, I approached our system-wide technology specialist with what, to me, was an exciting new discovery. When you purchase an e-book on Amazon, you can load it onto six devices. To a classroom teacher who hated to shop but had a book-buying problem, this was incredible news. As it turned out, this knowledge started a chain of events that completely transformed my classroom.

After telling the technology specialist about my discovery, I informed her that I was researching grants that could provide Kindles for my students to use so that I could take advantage of the “deal” on Kindle books. She recommended that I apply for one of Marietta City Schools’ Teacher Innovation Grants. So at the end of the school year when we are all ready to pull our hair out, I was informed that I had two days to turn in the paperwork. I would have given up right then, but I was desperate for a way to provide my students with reading materials that could help me to integrate the reading and social studies standards. I needed these devices!

At the time I was completing my ninth year teaching overall and my third year teaching third. During my three years teaching third grade, I continually grappled with the same problem: How do I spend sufficient time teaching reading/language arts to the students at my low income school where well over half of our population does not speak English as their first language and still allow sufficient time to teach the social studies standards?

During the 2010-2011 school year, I had attempted to better integrate social studies and reading. Although I found that my students social studies scores improved somewhat, the scores were still very disappointing. I knew that I needed to find a way to give my students more access to resources that would help them to master the social studies standards. I felt that more access to web-based resources and to electronic texts written for children would be a key to their success.

How the Kindle Fires Were Used When the Kindle Fires arrived in the fall of August of 2011, my students were excited, but now I had to deal with my learning curve. As part of my grant proposal, I had researched texts that would be useful in teaching the third grade social studies standards and were available in the Kindle format. I began by setting up an Amazon account and purchasing some of these texts. Suddenly, I had enough copies of texts to allow my students to share them in pairs.

As the students and I learned together, we discovered that the text color and size could be changed to meet students’ preferences and needs. We also discovered that students could look up unfamiliar words simply by touching the word and accessing the built-in dictionary. Later in the process when one of the Kindles failed and had to be replaced, I discovered that the newer versions have text-to-speech capabilities and could read to children in an automated voice. In addition, I could purchase audible versions of the texts allowing the students to read along with a professional narrator. The devices were useful in many ways to me and my students.

Kindles as Tablets One of my goals in acquiring the Kindle Fires was to give my students more access to internet-based research and practice tools. For this reason, I began looking for websites that my students could access using the devices. The list was huge. The ability to access them on an as-needed basis changed my students’ perspective on research and gave them much greater access to internet-based learning tools.

One of the first and most frequently visited sites was dictionary.com. Yes, we had traditional dictionaries in the classroom, but when students used this internet-based tool, the computer actually pronounced the word for 22

them and gave them definitions and synonyms all in one spot. For third graders, this was a wonderful and engaging research tool.

Although the students sometimes performed their own Google searches, I found it to be more useful to give the students the URLs for sites that I have already previewed and allow them to proceed directly to those sites. This worked well for two reasons. First, I could be sure that the content was safe. Second, I could direct students to sites that were more appropriate to their needs and reading levels. I found sites like National Geographic Kids, Science News for Kids, and the national historic site pages to be some of our most frequently used resources.

Another way that the Kindles were very frequently used was simply to access educational practice sites.

The students all had Spelling City, Odyssey, Study Island, and Georgia Studies Weekly accounts which could be accessed through the Kindle Fires. In addition, my school has Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. accounts that can be accessed. Access to these accounts allowed my students to spend a much greater portion of their day working on assignments tailored specifically to their needs and interests and gave me much more power to differentiate in efficient ways that respected my students while helping me to more effectively use my time.

Results In using the Kindle Fires, my students made dramatic improvements in their learning of social studies content. As part of the grant process, I wrote a S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound) goal. My goal was the following: Three to five percent or more of my students will achieve at a level higher in 2013 and 2014 than in 2012 on the CRCT in Social Studies.

The 2011-2012 Social Studies CRCT was used as the baseline. On the 2012 CRCT, seventy-six percent of the students to whom I taught social studies met or exceeded. Fifty-five percent met and twenty-one percent exceeded.

The 2013 CRCT results showed that just over ninety percent of the students to whom I taught Social Studies met or exceeded standards. Sixty-seven percent met and twenty-four percent exceeded. This meant that fifteen percent of the students achieved at a level band higher in 2013 than in 2012 on the CRCT. The 2014 CRCT results showed that just over eighty-two percent of the students to whom I taught Social Studies met or exceeded standards. Sixty-two percent met and twenty-one percent exceeded. This meant that seven percent of the students achieved at a level band higher in 2014 than in 2012 on the CRCT. It should be mentioned that the 2014 CRCT data was likely skewed by students transferring to other schools due to apartment closings that affected our students at Park Street. The closings forced many of their families to relocate during the school year. Based on their work at the time that these students transferred, it was predicted that all of the students that transferred would have at least met standards on the CRCT. Conclusions and Next Steps Based on the data, utilizing the Kindle Fires in the way outlined was an extremely effective treatment. The goal of the treatment was to have at least three to five percent of the students achieve at a level band higher in 2013 and 2014 than in 2012 on the CRCT Social Studies test. In fact, fifteen percent of the students achieved at a level band higher on the CRCT in 2013 than in 2012, and seven percent of the students achieved at a level band higher on the CRCT in 2014 than in 2012. This surpassed expectations.

In both 2013 and 2014, the students that had access to the Kindles during their social studies instruction performed better than other students at Park Street. The school as a whole had a sixty-seven percent pass rate in 2013 and a seventy-two percent meets and exceeds rate in 2014.

Teachers and schools looking for a cost effective way to give students better access to technology could consider purchasing Kindle Fires. Purchasing electronic texts for Kindle Fires is far more cost effective than purchasing traditional books for several reasons.    

An electronic text is almost always less expensive than a paperback text and is far less expensive than a hardcover text.

When one copy of a text is purchased, it can be loaded onto six devices.

The texts can be read over and over without any wear and tear occurring. A paperback chapter book typically begins to fall apart after 3-5 readings.

If a reader fails, the texts can be transferred onto another device.

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

Kindle Fires are less expensive than other tablet computers.

This project improved my professional practice, and it taught me about the power of using technology as a way of motivating students. I learned how truly effective use of technology allows students to work more independently and effectively when the teacher plans assignments based on students’ needs. In addition, I learned that greater access to technology can contribute hugely to student achievement. I will continue to find ways to implement the use of Kindles in my classroom in ways that lead to greater student achievement, and I encourage others teachers to explore ways of using technology to integrate social studies and reading and research.

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25

The Flipped Classroom: Student Response to an Inverted Approach

by Jennifer Santi Ms. Santi, M.Ed., currently teaches American Studies at Marietta High School.

Introduction As new initiatives and technologies emerge for teachers, it is important to distinguish between those that have academic merit and those that do not. There is also a need to use the technology available to engage students in the learning process as much as possible as research shows that engaged students have higher achievement results. Technology, at its very core, offers educators and students endless opportunities for learning and growing.

Both populations seek to find the newest and most competitive tool they can to do just that. Technology is changing the face of education almost faster that teachers can recognize. However, as each new innovation or approach is fostered in the classroom, there is a need to see the critical impact of that technology. What a teacher finds engaging is not always what students find engaging and interesting. At times, it is quite necessary to test the waters and look deeply at the effect of certain technologies on the students’ levels of connection and attentiveness.

Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to explore the engagement of students in the Flipped Model classroom. The new model of teaching and the inverted classroom may sound exciting and inviting to educators who have extreme amounts of content to cover in a limited time, but it warrants further investigation to determine if students are of the same mind. The following objectives will be addressed:  Examine student’s viewpoint of what role technology plays in their engagement in the classroom.  Examine if students find the Flipped model more engaging or rewarding than in the traditional model.

Research Question Are students more likely to be engaged and interested within the inverted classroom model than in traditional models?

Importance of the Study From the beginning of teacher education, "modeling" has been a teaching strategy beyond comparison. In the world of technology, there is still a great need for this. How can we expect to provide students with the skills they will need in the highly-networked future workforce if we are not engaging with and in those forms ourselves? How will we model? If blended and fully online education platforms represent the future of education, it is imperative that teachers have a knowledge base that comes from experience as well as theory. We must understand the language that our students speak if we are to reach them and teach them.

Using technology is so much more than creating a blog or a wiki, but applying those platforms in new and creative ways that connect and join ideas and people. According to Richardson (2010), it is also more than using the blog to simply post assignments, but to create engaged and critical thinking assignments that could not be otherwise developed. He also reminds us that with the use of this technology comes the responsibility of authority. We have to teach our students that they must only publish that which is true. Yet, as Richardson also explains, it is that accountability that can make the Web an amazing tool for creating authentic and relevant activities that deepen the learning experience for students.

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When looking at the specific innovation of Flipping, many blogs, articles, and teacher responses have populated the internet, but little has happened in the way of action research. There are many studies that have been conducted to help teachers understand the impacts of different modes of technology that would be a part of Flipping, but not the inverted classroom as defined as a whole. Teachers must discover if students will be more likely to engage in this method and how they feel about the use of technology as a teaching tool.

Literature Review Acun (2013) encouraged teachers to be careful when attempting to increase student attitude, as it is not a straight-forward correlation to technology. Acun examined the difference that web-based instruction has on the attitude levels of the students in a quasi-experimental design. Acun found that students who begin with high selfesteem seem to have more positive attitudes toward the use of technology in the classroom. He also implied that students begin the experiment with positive attitudes were the ones who maintain those attitudes until the end of the experiment.

Oh, Robinson, and Lee (2013) investigated the impact of specific web-based actions on the attitudes of the students. As they examined the impact of a page-flipping technique versus a page-clicking interface on the engagement of the students, they created an online experiment that will give the participants experience with both platforms. They found that there was a preference with students for the page-flipping method. The researchers offered the suggestion that web designers take more care in their approach between the visual appeal and the specific learning outcomes desired. The authors cautioned teachers to take the time to evaluate a certain aspect of technology on the impact of student learning before adopting.

One aspect of Flipping that has been addressed comes from the study conducted by Chilton (2012) in which he looked at the use of video links in experiential learning. He asserted that the links can create a classroom that encourages participation but also discussed the implications of possible issues that can occur. To assess the results of his findings, Chilton included what he termed “feedback sessions,” class participation surveys, project deliverables, and software artifacts. In his assessment of participation, Chilton showed that students were quickly influenced by penalization for not completing the video links; however, through his surveys the enjoyment of this mode of delivery was increased. Students found this an interesting and effective method of learning.

Blended learning research is more commonly found than that of Flipping. Kirkgoz (2011) sought to find a positive response from the blended use of face-to-face instruction and the use of video technology for homework.

After conducting pre and post tasks, he then analyzed video-recordings of the students, informal interviews, and a written end-of-course survey to collect the data. Through his many varied tasks and year-long study he found that students were positive in their interactions with the technology of the class and felt more able to critically reflect on their learning.

Forster and Washington (2000) remove the blended aspect and speak to the concept of distant learning, based solely on the availability of technology. Even at the article’s publication, the authors agree that the research on such technology and its effect was far from complete. Although many aspects of their investigation have little bearing on the average traditional classroom, some of their findings are universally sound. As such, Forster and Washington (2000) emphasized that it is crucial that a “well-conceptualized curriculum plan” be set before implementation. The particular course must be evaluated for its adaptability to a technology-based delivery system. The authors suggested that courses will not simply transfer in their current state, but must be adapted for the program. Another finding of this study was that, in terms of participation, technology can provide students with unnecessary distractions at times that need to be deferred by the structure and nature of the class as much as possible. Overall, they found that complete distant education causes a feeling of loss for the student.

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Student attitude and student achievement were at the core of the study completed by Smith and Smith (2012). In their work, these researchers agreed that there needs to be more work done to identify the use of technology on student achievement at the high school level. In this, they studied the impact of screen-capture technology versus that of traditional text-based instruction. Their results showed that students learning in the traditional text-based delivery method did not score as well as the screen-capture delivery taught students. There were significant differences in their scores on the posttest as well as in their attitudes. The students engaged with the technology preferred this method and showed more satisfaction and favorability in the survey.

Classroom-based research also investigates the use of technology in terms of student achievement.

Simpson (2010) created a project that considers impact of integrating communicative technology and information on student’s critical responses to literary texts. Through reading and responding (book raps) via email, data was collected in terms of student progress toward critical awareness. By using videos of classroom discussion, journals, rap sheets, and interviews of teachers and students, the data found that the gains in critical thinking were not significant and the email technology was not as engaging to the students as hypothesized. Simpson (2010) acknowledged the need for creating more open collaborative opportunities in order to create a more engaging learning environment.

Using video conferencing to teach is a component of Flipped learning. Pickering and Walsh (2010) explored this idea with pre-service teachers and their certification requirement of live observations of students in their given fields. The research looked at the use of video conferencing instead of pre-service teacher visiting classrooms and being a presence in the room. They set up the experiment to allow for a group of students to be observed at a distance while professor and pre-service teachers observed. The researchers were able to conclude that the students using the video-conferencing method were able to provide fuller explanations and observations with greater detail. They also reported greater enthusiasm about that approach for conducting the behavior observations.

Kennedy, Thomas, Aronin, and Newton (2013) considered the use of podcasts to delivery content instruction. In their study, they report the findings of one of five tests done in the area of applied theory in special education. The pre-service teachers received their instruction in two possible formats, traditional text delivery or podcast delivery. They data showed that students receiving their instruction through the podcasts had a significantly higher score on the posttests and maintenance assessments that the students who read the text traditionally.

Methodology Design Overview of Research Design The research was done over the course of two units of study in an IB (International Baccalaureate) Approaches to Learning course. The class was meant to be one that develops the soft skills students need to have for any workplace or personal environment. The participants in this course are diverse in both socioeconomic 28

status as well as cultural/ethnic backgrounds. There were 18 students, all of whom voluntarily participate in the eleventh-grade (International Baccalaureate Career Certificate (IBCC) program. The class was asked to participate daily with technology, participating in technology-based lessons and solo-learning, completing homework and turning it in via technology, etc. As the semester began, a preliminary survey was given via Survey Monkey to establish a baseline of how students thought and felt about technology before experiencing a Flipped or Blended Model Classroom. At a midway point in the semester, the survey had a few additional questions added and was administered again to see if the Flipped Model changed or enhanced the initial opinions of the students.

Participants The targeted sample of students was 18 students in the eleventh grade, ranging in ages from 15-17 years old. There were seven boys and 11 girls who were registered for the course. Of these there are three Latinos, one Caucasian, 13 African American, and one other. In terms of a comparable sample to the overall school population, the demographics were slightly heavy on terms of the African American student number.

Data Sources/Instrumentation/Procedure At the beginning of the semester, preliminary surveys were given via Survey Monkey to establish a baseline of how students thought and felt about technology before experiencing a Flipped or Blended Model Classroom.

At a midway point in the semester, the survey had few additional questions added and will, via technology, be administered again to see if the Flipped Model changed or enhanced the initial opinions of the students.

The survey consisted of a multitude of question types: multiple choice, yes/no, forced response type, Likert-type responses, etc. While most of the survey was developed specifically for use in this study, some questions were adapted from Jeremy Riel’s 2012 Technology Use Survey. The survey had been created with the use of student-friendly language to ensure that an accurate understanding of the questions and the answers were assured. In addition, it was hoped that the language would invite students to participate completely without reservation or confusion.

The survey consisted of a number of questions and a range of types that were gathered anonymously through Survey Monkey. The survey was given during class time, before any instruction in the class had begun, even before the class syllabus had been distributed.

Analysis The primary method of analyzing data was in the form of descriptive statistics, where the aim was to summarize the sample, rather than use the data to learn about the population that the sample represents. Central tendency and dispersion were reported. Primarily, the information was hoped to show a historical account of behavior or the possible change in attitude regarding the use of technology in the Flipped Classroom.

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Results After looking closely at the questions originally asked, it was quickly realized that this is a place for improvement for the future research time, as there could have been more clarity. This study included the individual responses to the questions from the initial and final surveys, followed by the comparison of the data.

However, the entire survey was not represented, as after a closer examination, the majority of questions asked did not match or address the Research Questions asked. Here are the best-suited questions from the survey for addressing the Research Question:

FIRST SURVEY – administered at beginning of semester Question 7: Do you feel that watching lessons at home and then doing the work during class is an effective way to learn?

Response PerResponse Answer Options cent Count 33.3% 6 Yes 22.2% 4 No 44.4% 8 Sometimes

answered question skipped question

18 0

Question 8: Do you feel that watching video lessons at home helps you to understand a concept or idea?

Response Percent 22.2% 11.1% 66.7%

Answer Options Yes No Sometimes

answered question skipped question

Response Count 4 2 12 18 0

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SECOND SURVEY – administered at end of semester Question 7 Do you feel that watching lessons at home and then doing the work during class is an effective way to learn?

Answer Options

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes

31.3%

5

No

31.3%

5

Sometimes

37.5%

6

answered question

16

skipped question

1

Question 8 Do you feel that watching video lessons at home helps you to understand a concept or idea?

Answer Options

Response Percent

Response Count

Yes

35.3%

6

No Sometimes

17.6% 47.1%

3 8

answered question skipped question

17 0

The following charts detail the comparisons between the two surveys.

For Question 7: Yes No Sometimes

survey 1 6 4 8

survey 2 5 5 6

A group of 18 students was evaluated to determine if the use of video homework instead of traditional reading would impact engagement in homework. The studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pre- and post- survey questions were compared to determine the change in student engagement. Following the homework experiment, the engagement was lower (M=5.333) than before the experiment (M=6). A paired t-test showed that the difference between surveys was insignificant (t=0.756, df = 2, p < .05, one tailed) which indicates that the homework experiment may have had little impact on student engagement in homework.

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For Question 8: Yes No Sometimes

Survey 1 4 2 12

Survey 2 6 3 8

A group of 18 students was evaluated to determine if the use of video homework instead of traditional reading would impact engagement in homework. The studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pre- and post- survey questions were compared to determine the change in student engagement. Following the homework experiment, the engagement was lower (M=5.67) than before the experiment (M=6). A paired t-test showed that the difference between surveys was insignificant (t=0.437, df = 2, p < .05, one tailed) which indicates that the homework experiment may have had little impact on student engagement in homework.

References Acun, I. (2013). Attitudes in a wed-supported learning environment. Education, 133(4), 556-563.

Chilton, M. A. (2012). Technology in the Classroom: Using Video Links to Enable Long Distance Experiential Learning. Journal Of Information Systems Education, 23(1), 51-62.

Crawford, E. O., & Kirby, M. M. (2008). Fostering Students' Global Awareness: Technology Applications. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 2(1), 56-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.3776/joci.2008.v2n1p56-73.

Forster, M. & Washington, E. (2000). A Model for developing and managing distance education programs using interactive video technology. Journal of Social Work Education, 36(1), 147-158.

Hohlfield, T., Ritzhaupt, A.D. & Barron, A.E. (2010). Connecting schools, community, and family with ict: four year trends related to school level and SES of public schools in Florida. Computers & Education, (55), 391 -405.

Kennedy, M. J., Thomas, C.N., Aronin, S. & Newton, J. (2013). Improving Teacher Candidate Knowledge Using Content Acquisition Podcasts. Computers & Education, doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.08.010 Kirkgoz, Y. (2011). A Blended Learning Study on Implementing Video Recorded Speaking Tasks in Task-Based Classroom Instruction. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 10(4), 1-13.

Oh, J., Robinson, H., & Lee, J.Y. (2013). Page Flipping vs. Clicking: The Impact of Naturally Mapped Interaction Technique on User Learning and Attitudes. Computers In Human Behavior, 291334-1341. doi:10.1016/ j.chb.2013.01.011 Pearson, R. W. (2010). Survey Research [Chapter 8]. In Research Design and Data Collection (pp. 159-187). http:// dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452230122 Pickering, L. E., & Walsh, E. J. (2011). Using Videoconferencing Technology to Enhance Classroom Observation Methodology for the Instruction of Pre-Service Early Childhood Professionals. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 27(3), 99-108.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Riel, J. (2012, March). 2012 Technology Use Survey Questions [Scribd]. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/ doc/96178280/2012-Technology-Use-Survey-Questions Simpson, A. (2010). Integrating Technology with Literacy: Using Teacher-Guided Collaborative Online Learning to Encourage Critical Thinking. ALT-J: Research In Learning Technology, 18(2), 119-131.

Smith, J. G. & Smith, R.L (2012). Screen-Capture Instructional Technology: A Cognitive Tool for Designing a Blended Multimedia Curriculum. Journal Of Educational Computing Research, 46(2), 207-228.

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Improving Student Achievement in Science Classrooms through the use of interactive science notebooks: An Action Research Study

by Valerie Trotter Ms. Trotter, M.Ed., teaches biology at Marietta High School.

Marietta High School values student achievement and constantly works to improve levels of student performance. The goal of my study was in keeping with this spirit of school improvement. I wanted to study the use of interactive science notebooks as a tool for improving studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; science literacy and achievement.

Specifically, I used interactive science notebooks with students in my tenth-grade biology classes during the 20132014 school year in order to answer the following research question: Will the use of science notebooks be effective in increasing achievement for low-performing students?

Literature Review Traditionally, science notebooks have been used as a document library for a prescribed work. The idea behind interactive notebooks looks beyond the prescribed work and gets a child thinking and working with the information in a way that not only helps with retention of information but also understanding at a high level and thinking beyond the material presented (Shapiro, 2010). The type of information typically displayed in common science notebooks has been very low order thinking, such as definitions or answers to basic questions where students are required to recall class information rather than making connections using higher order thinking skills.

The key to successful science notebooks seems to lie in the composition of information that is in the notebook and the amount and level of reflection carried out by the student (Zuber, 2004).

A study carried out by a graduate student at the University of Montana showed that students who maintained their interactive science notebooks using the instructions given scored higher on summative assessments. In addition, students who used interactive notebooks as compared to those who did not scored higher on the application questions on these same assessments (Johnson, 2013). The key to effectiveness in interactive notebooks is in the interaction of the student with the information given. It is intuitive to think that a high achieving student would also make greater use of an interactive notebook and therefore increase achievement.

However, the question I wanted to explore was whether or not the interactive notebook will have the same impact with low-achieving students.

Johnson (2013) focused on students using interactive science notebooks to improve student achievement.

The model used a right-side input and left-side output approach to set-up the notebook where the left side of the notebook is the output and right side is the input side. On the input, or right side, the teacher directs the student activities. On the output, or left side of the page, the student reflects on the information on the right side.

Students in the Johnson study had significant gains in test scores in units of study where this type of notebook was used.

Methods Students were given instructions for an interactive notebook design at the beginning of a unit of study.

The approach follows the right-brain, left-brain mentality where the right-hand side of the notebook is the input side, which includes classwork that the teacher assigns. Left side of the notebook is the output side where the student chooses how they will reflect on the information learned. Notebooks were checked twice during a unit of study, once at the midpoint and a second time at the end of the unit before the unit test.

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Data The following charts detail pre- and post-test scores for students. Performance Plus was used to run reports by standards for two unit assessments from the 2013-2014 school year. Results are presented as values between 0-3. Does Not Meet standards equals values between 0-1.49; Meets standards equals values between 1.502.49; and Exceeds standards equals values between 2.50-3.00.

Biology GPS Standard

Students average level before treatment

Students average level after treatment

Net gain(+) or loss(-)

SB1.b

1.61

1.77

+.16

SB1.c

1.26

1.3

+.04

SB2.a

1.68

1.83

+.15

SB2.b

1.81

1.98

+.17

SB2.c

1.39

1.76

+.37

SB2.d

1.51

1.74

+.23

SB2.e

1.30

1.28

-.02

SB2.f

1.66

1.63

-.03

SB3.a

1.67

1.62

-.05

SB4.a

1.44

1.42

-.02

SB4.b

1.40

1.38

-.02

Analysis and Conclusions Two units of study, Energy Transformations and Growth & Heredity, were used in the treatment. Unit test score data were used and compared to previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data where interactive notebooks were not used. In addition, data for previous year was compared to current year for a unit where interactive notebooks were not used for either year to show the difference was not attributable to any differences in student population. The two units of study were during two different semesters. After the first unit during fall semester, students were given an 35

interactive notebook survey to determine student perception of effectiveness. Adjustments were made for unit two during the second semester based on student suggestions from semester one.

Data show that for the two units of study where the treatment was applied, students had achievement gains in the units where the interactive notebook was used as compared to the units where it was not used. Where the units were compared between two years without interactive notebooks being used either year, no gains were noticed.

In reflection, between semesters one and two, which coincide with the beginning of units one and two, changes were made in response to student suggestions at the end of unit one. In using the notebook instructions as they were originally created, it became apparent that the way the notebook reflection was structured provided too much flexibility and not enough guidance in the reflections. In addition, the original instructions called for the student to complete the reflections at home which did not happen for many of the students.

The use of a spiral bound notebook, as suggested, had logistic problems with cutting and pasting and keeping track of class hand-outs. It required more maintenance than many of the students were willing to put into the task. For second semester, changes that were made included using a three-ring binder, and fewer more indepth reflections that were completed in class and not at home.

The format of the reflections was also modified second semester to follow the following format:  I already knew that…  I learned that…  I still do not understand…

Use of this second stem allowed the students to use one of the creative approaches given in the interactive notebook instructions to expand upon what they learned in class. The changes in format between the two semesters helped me as the teacher to know where students were in their learning and where they still needed help in understanding the information. Such an approach made our in-class review focused and meaningful for the student.

In moving forward with this project in the future, I plan to survey students more frequently throughout the semester in order to ascertain the effect on student motivation and student metacognition. Future considerations include a second student survey following semester two to determine whether the students perceive the changes to the interactive notebook were effective. Based on the data, how the class is more cohesive, and the increase in my understanding of the student needs facilitated by the interactive notebooks, I intend to continue using interactive notebooks and continue modifying the procedures to increase student learning in science.

References Johnson, S. M. (2013). What is the impact of interactive science notebooks on student success in science? Professional paper, Montana State University. Accessed online October 1, 2013 at: http://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/ bitstream/handle/1/2815/JohnsonS0813.pdf?sequence=1 Shapiro, D. (2010). Enhancing Learning With Science Notebooks. NSTA WebNews Digest. Accessed online October 5, 2013 at http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=57384 Zuber, B. J. (2004). An Interactive Science Notebook: An Effective Student Resource Tool. Mathematical and Computing Sciences Masters. Paper 53. Accessed online October 5, 2013 at http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=mathcs_et

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Beyond Recognition

by Romar L. Blackmon

Romar Blackmon, M.Ed., is the 2015 Teacher of the Year at Park Street Elementary, where he currently teaches fifth grade.

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why am I here?” I am sure this question has crossed the minds of many, and for me this question is the most pertinent I have struggled with over the past few years. As theoretical and fanciful as it may sound, I have been determined to understand the true essence of my existence.

Through this pursuit, I had a realization that my precise purpose in life is to teach and inspire a new generation of students that will make an impact in the future.

As a teacher I have endured many trials and hardships that made me uncertain about my career in education. However, I have come to the conclusion that I teach because there are children who need me as much as I needed the teachers who taught me. Many would not believe that I was once that student all teachers dreaded to see on their roster. I often misbehaved—and since the rules were not meant to be broken—I made it an absolute point to break each and every single one of them. Ultimately, I lacked motivation and did not see the value of a quality education. It was not until I met Mrs. Johnson, my 5th grade teacher, that my life turned around.

Mrs. Johnson understood me and gave me the confidence I needed to thrive. Of course, my parents continually pressed the importance of education, but it was a teacher who made the greatest impact.

This year marks my eighth year of teaching, and I was recognized by my peers for the love, hard work, and dedication I have displayed throughout my years of service. I was extremely humbled and excited to receive the Teacher of the Year award. This award seemingly spoke volumes about my accomplishments in education, yet this recognition was really not about me. For me, it was about the memorable experiences and overall impact I have made in my students’ lives.

As I reflect on the time I spent as a teacher, there is one student in particular who stands out. This student was highly unmotivated and did not recognize the value of a quality education. It was like looking in the mirror.

This student had to repeat the fourth grade, which diminished his confidence completely. I made it a point to reassure him that he was smart, capable, and had full control over his behavior. I wanted to make it clear to him that anyone can change. In order to give him a full understanding of what I meant, I had him speak with my parents who told him all of the atrocious things I put my teachers through. After this experience, this student’s behavior changed, and he began to shine academically. Ultimately, his performance on the CRCT exceeded his expectations. Once he received his scores, he ran over to me with a huge smile and tears in his eyes. He simply stated, “I did it!” He later thanked me for understanding and believing in him. That was the point when I realized that I was his Mrs. Johnson. However, he is unaware of how much he inspired me to become a better teacher, mentor, and friend.

I understand that teaching is a high-pressure job that requires skill, patience, and a true desire to make a difference. I also understand that the payoff is not always immediate, and may never be revealed until later in a child’s life. In this profession, we must continue to remind ourselves that what we do is beyond the recognition from our friends, family, and colleagues. Teachers across the world are a special class of people who are strategically placed in students’ lives to make an impact on their futures.

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Life Lessons from a Ten-Year-Old

by Katy Eason

Ms. Eason, B.S., is the 2015 Marietta City School Teacher of the Year.

She currently teaches fifth grade at Sawyer Road Elementary.

Reflecting on our educational experiences can certainly remind us of teachers that made a difference in our lives and impacted our futures. It can remind us of classmates and colleagues that we admired with qualities that we aspired to attain. It can remind us of students that, perhaps, had a greater influence on our lives than we did on theirs.

Some of the most powerful influences in our lives can come in unexpected forms. A former student quite possibly taught me more about life than I was able to teach her. A ten-year-old girl with an insatiable appetite for learning, love, and life has broadened my perspectives and bettered me not only as a teacher but also as a whole person.

She reminded me how a sincere “how are you” sounded. Not the “how are you” when you’re passing someone in the hallway with no time to listen to an answer longer than great, but a genuine “how are you.” How often do we take the time to listen to how someone’s life is really going and really care? I was fortunate enough to be greeted with a hug and a real “how are you” every day of the 2013-2014 school year. She would always be sure to ask about my husband, my son, and even my dog. Reciprocating, I always asked how she was, but I did not always listen. Most teachers have hectic mornings. Between breakfast, transportation notes, field trip forms, news crew, morning news, homework collection, attendance, e-mails, etc., those 30 minutes before the “official” school day begins are rather busy. Looking back, I realize that my “how are you” conversation was the most important part of my morning. She taught me to take more time to listen and more time to care.

She taught me that your best work does not always get you the results you had hoped for – and that’s okay.

I recall going over a math test that she received a “B” on. After reviewing mistakes, she proudly stated, “I think a ‘B’ is good, Mrs. Eason. I really wanted an ‘A,’ but I studied hard and I did the best I could.” She deserved to be proud. We all deserve to feel proud when we have tried our best. Life is not a competition with people around us, but rather a competition within ourselves. How can we become better people? She told me that next time she would make and “A.” She reminded me of why I love teaching. I grew as a result of this student. I was able to build an invaluable relationship with her and her family that I will forever treasure. Her love for life, people, and learning is truly inspiring to me. Her endless smile, optimistic attitude, and compassionate ways are qualities that I will always remember and take with me as I continue on my life’s path. If more people were like this ten-year-old, the world would be a far better place: hopeful, positive, and loving. I hope that I am able to positively influence lives around me just as she does.

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Lessons from the Kitchen

by Ginger Pratt

Ms. Pratt, Ed.S., is 2015 Teacher of the Year at Marietta High School, where she teaches Culinary Arts.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree at Capella University.

As a manager in the culinary field, it was always important to find ways to motivate the employees.

Without a happy working force it was nearly impossible to keep the business running. The difficult part is that each individual is motivated differently, and therefore it was a necessity to develop a relationship with each employee so that I could know how to professionally motivate them. I realized that as a teacher I do the same thing as I build relationships with my students so that I can better understand how to motivate them to appreciate learning.

The Self-Determination Theory developed by Ryan and Deci (2009) focuses on both types of motivation: internal and external. The theory focuses on the levels of motivation, stating that often motivation for a task may begin as extrinsic but eventually will become intrinsic as the individual sees value in the task.

When I began teaching, I was often frustrated on why students did not want to learn for the sake of learning. Learning is fun, right? Well, it can be, but it is important to motivate students their way first, often extrinsic, and then move them towards intrinsic. A few students take Culinary Arts because they think they want to pursue the culinary field, some students take the class to help their cooking skills for a future family, but most students take the class to EAT! Food is their motivator, and it is a big one. I have realized that students will work an eight-hour catering for the prospect of a ‘to-go’ box in the end. I have tried to explain to the students that we do the caterings to raise money for the program so that they will have more learning opportunities, yet all they hear is “free food.”

With this knowledge, I now use food as an extrinsic motivator in my beginner classes. I use it to motivate students to study for tests, clean up the kitchen, and to push them to their potential. The interesting thing I have learned over the years is that the extrinsic motivator of food has become more of an intrinsic motivator for students as they realize they are learning a skill that can be used to better the community.

Students enter the culinary classroom seeking self-gratification but often leave the class seeking to help others. This has been proven over the years as students have committed to many community service projects. In 2009 when the flood devastated much of Cobb County, the culinary students rallied to prepare lasagna for over 250 flood victims at the Cobb Civic Center shelter. The amazing part of the story is that it was not just current students who helped but former students and parents who volunteered to give their time and skills towards helping others. In 2011 students took the opportunity to prepare bread for MUST ministries when a friend gave me ‘friendship bread.” This bread multiplies as you feed it, and I had no idea what to do with all of the bread it was producing. The students proposed the idea of sharing with others.

In 2014 the metro Atlanta area experienced nothing like it had before: SnowJam 2014. Over 1,000 students were stranded at Marietta High School because the buses were unable to take them home safely. I knew students would become hungry, so I proposed the idea that the culinary program prepare dinner for the students.

Of course, I made this suggestion without knowing where the culinary students were or how I could reach them. I found two students in the cafeteria and asked if they could help. They did not ask questions but responded immediately with a “yes.” That is the great thing about my students: they will always jump on the opportunity to use their skill to help. Two students eventually multiplied into thirteen students who were ready and willing to do whatever they could to help those who were stranded. They cooked from three until nine that evening without any complaints and without a break. They did not eat themselves until everyone had been fed and the kitchen was clean. It is funny because I won an award based on this event, but honestly it had little to do with me and much more to do with my students. We were a team, and without them I would have never been able to accomplish such a feat.

I have learned from these many experiences that a teacher must be patient and allow students to discover the importance of what they are learning. I want them to appreciate the skill of cooking immediately as a way to 40

serve others, but I now know that this will come in time. I just need to be patient. Intrinsic motivation is strengthened when an individual has the opportunity to pursue an interest by providing choice and opportunity, encouraging competence and autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2009). It is important to allow our students to make their own choices, provide them with opportunities, and encourage them through constructive feedback in order to help them develop the motivation that will help them in their future endeavors.

References Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2009). Promoting self-determined school engagement: Motivation, learning, and wellbeing. In K. R. Wentzel & A. Wigfield (Eds.), Handbook on motivation at school (pp. 171-196). New York: Routledge.

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The Board of Education of the City of Marietta does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or gender in its employment practices, student programs, and dealings with the public. Š Copyright 2001-2014, Marietta City Schools, 250 Howard Street, Marietta, GA 30060. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this document may be duplicated or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the Board of Education of the City of Marietta.

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