Inquiry+Questions

Brian Tattam

LTT

__Middle Portfolio 2nd Semester__

My Mini Project For June. 6 2009 is going to be used in my Senior Media Arts Class. I want to try new ways on how to introduce new topics in my class. Students always want to get there hands on new technologies, but without proper introduction the projects seem to be misguided. I am going to use Youtube and have students find me samples of documentary film. Instead of me just talking with the over head projector, I will get students more active at the start of a new project.



My Fuzzie Inquiry Question The Starting point for my first field study Below is a brainstorm on my "fuzzie" question. I came up with a few questions. I went with the red question and elaborated a bit. I think many of my colleagues in LTT came up with this question. How do I engaged the students? That is a big one. I now have to look at what is engagement? What does it look like? Are my students understanding? I have a lot of technology in my classroom, but sometimes the computers are not enough to get them going. I want to change the way I introduce new assignments or projects.

**Inquiry Question Research**



I want to have the students to be hands on right away when I introduce a new topic or project. After the students have seen or played with the new topic we will come together as a class and discuss our new topic. I want to have a digital learning package for the students to start investigating on their own. I guess I want a new hook in my lessons.


 * __July 2009 update:__** My big question is still the same but I need to start thinking about details. The part above... come back together and discuss our new topic. What will that look like? Will students have a journal or will I then questions students n there own ideas?

(eg. "after watching some of the youtube video sample have you come up with a video idea? What was the best sample you watched and why did you enjoy it. Has the sample video helped you select your own topic?")

What will be n my learning package. I could have questions or brainStorm topics for students to complete in the Student share folder I will have set up. I could have links to websites for students to view and reflect. I could a place where students could share there own links. (Maybe a class wiki)


 * My question revisited:**

How can I engage students at the start of a new project. How will change the way of the introduction. I have all this technology in my class. How can I use it to benefit my Students. I don't need to roll out the overhead every time there are notes. Why can't the students discover their own notes. I just need to ask the right guiding questions.

My Question Revisited August 2009.

__After looking at chapter 2 in "The Art of Classroom Inquery"__ I started thinking about my question again. I wanted to rework my question the way chapter 2 did. I have to be honest and I haven't really started research yet. Yikes!

How will using a digital learning package increase student engagement? The way I introduce a new project or topic to my students with a learning package

Subquestions a) Will students be able to follow and understand the project by learning and reading on their own or in small groups? b) How will getting the students to discover the criteria change the out come of the project? c) How will the learning package change the flow of my classroom? d) How will I change to this teaching style and get the students on board? e) Will my students be able to work more independently or will they be off task? f) What kind of tools will I have in my learning package?  My question reworked again .....

October 2009

Lets see. I maybe should change the wording of "digital learning package" to the internet, but then I thought I have created some how "jing videos available on the class wiki for my students. Not all of my introduction to units will revolve around the internet. I will keep my question the same. However some of my earlier readings revolved around self directed learning for my students. ( //An Article by, Charlotte Silen, and Lars Uhlin: Self-directed learning - a learning issue for students and faculty//) I realized I will have to put self-directed learner out of my field study for now. That is too many things to try at once.

I now have my class WIKIs and I have posted questions and demonstrations there. The learning packages enable the students to work together on an introduction to a new project and to start a new project on their own, if I am busy helping students in the darkroom. I am not teaching self directed learning, but I am teaching independent learning. The question is the same. (for now)

= Feb. 2010 =

 Field Study 2 My question revisited again.

How will using digital space increase student reflection and engagement in course material? (The field study has moved toward a more collaborative space where students and the teacher can see, reflect and share projects/ideas in the classroom.) The students did not use the wiki site as much as I thought the site became a vehicle for my course content to be distributed and shared with students, however students did not add much content or add interesting or helpful links. Students did create their own pages and added their own work and projects.

Subquestions:

1. Will students help each other on the Wiki site? Students helped students helped each other on how to use the Wiki site but, did not use the site to post or share information regarding a particular unit. 2. How will I encourage Students to use the class wiki site? Students did use the site when prompted, but I felt the students did not use the wiki site unless they were prompted.  3. Will students post things that they have learned onto the wiki site? Students did not use the site to share knowledge or information. 

The kind of reflection on the wiki I am looking for is; students helping and giving feedback to other students in regards to their final project (summative assessment) and helping each other give feedback along the way of a project. (Formative assessment) =August 2010 =

<span style="color: #1ba4f3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Field Study 3: Reworking the question.

<span style="color: #1ba4f3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">How will using a digital space (Wiki Space) enable student collaboration or peer assessment in my Media Arts classroom? I want students to give feedback on each others' video projects and photography projects. I will have to scaffold what art critique looks like to students and model what is constructive criticism.

<span style="color: #1ba4f3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">1. How will student collaboration and peer assessment enrich/change student learning?

<span style="color: #1ba4f3; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">2. What kind of guiding activities/questions will I need to scaffold?

__ Field Study 3: Reworking the question again __
== There have been some technical difficulties this semester with WIKI spaces and I need to amend my field study question. The collaboration part of my field study this semester will have to be omited. Students were not able to upload images and documents to their spaces on most of the computers in the classroom. The WIKI spaces have evolved into a teacher tool and place for students to get resources and information from the teacher. I always try to teach to the multiple learner, (i.e audio, visual) etc..) through my lessons. ==