11/8/11: My data collection

1. Describe briefly the data you collected since the last time we met:

I have surveyed my students about their experience and understanding of English, what they know about how words are built, and their interest in learning more English and questions they have about words in English.

2. What are your first impressions of what you can take away from looking at these data?

I thought it was interesting that my 5th graders had a lot more interest in language, words, and word play than my 4th graders did; my students have a deeper experience with other languages than I knew about and yet, some students who use another language in their home lives did NOT include it in their survey; about 1/2 of my students have further questions about words in English while the other 1/2 don't have any.

Saturday, 10/15/11 What I'm thinking now...

...I have too many questions and too many interests in how students use words, are aware of words, play with words, learn words, understand words and their uses.

I have to find time to do more reading and thinking about the data that will help me as well as finalizing my survey questions because I think the survey will help to guide me in the process of narrowing the question and my interest in what the students know and can do related to words.

And, yet, it's good that I have so many questions because I'm interested in my topic and that will keep me going throughout the year -- and through the long and rainy winter! :)

Saturday, 10/15/11

What I really want to know is …

• How can students' word consciousness (word awareness combined with interest in words) help to facilitate vocabulary growth in content areas such as science or social studies? 
• And how do students use this new vocabulary in their speech (both everyday and subject/content related) and writing?  How does this get produced by students?
• And how does student knowledge of words help them to build their own vocabulary?  
• Does one's interest in the subject influence vocabulary development and on the flip side, does student's ability to use the higher academic vocabulary influence their interest in a subject?
• What do students do with words "just for fun"? Ie: jokes, puns, riddles, double meanings, etc.
• What do students enjoy about learning words?

This is important because … 

• students need to have a 50,000+ word vocabulary by the time they graduate from high school and students who do not are more likely to drop out.

Therefore my question at this point is …

• How can students' word consciousness (word awareness combined with interest in words) help to facilitate vocabulary growth in content areas such as science or social studies?

Pre powerpoint information

The area I decided to focus my inquiry on is: math

This is important to me because: I have seen math overlooked at schools that are in Program Improvement.  Most schools and districts seem to be focusing a lot of energy on language arts, specifically reading.  However, students who only understand algorithms for math, but not the why and when to use them fall quickly behind.

The question I am asking is: How can students' understanding of how math is used in daily life situations help facilitate their math learning in the classroom?

The context I teach in is: I am currently not in an elementary classroom. I am, however, working in a university level classroom.  

The data I collected to answer my question: So far, I have interviewed 50 fourth grade students about their thoughts related to math and everyday uses.  I have also asked their teachers the same questions I asked them.  Within the next week, I will be returning to those same 2 classrooms (one in San Lorenzo USD and the other in Dixie SD in Marin) to have students write letters that demonstrate their mathematical thinking.  They will be given the following prompt:

Frankie is a 2nd grader in Ms. Tully's class.  He insists that 1 1/4 is larger than 1 1/3.  Ms. Tully is frustrated because he is certain he is correct.  She has asked you to help him understand his misconception or mistake.  Write a letter to Frankie explaining why 1 1/4 < 1 1/3, or write a letter to Ms. Tully explaining why 1 1/4 > 1 1/3.  You may use words, pictures, and symbols to help Frankie or Ms. Tully understand.  (Don't be worried about spelling or writing conventions.)

Also, Frankie thinks he'll never use fractions and learning about them is a waste of time.  In your letter, explain some real life examples that will help Frankie understand how and why fractions are used, or can help Ms. Tully explain this to him.

The changes I have made in my teaching practice as a result of my inquiry are: (The changes I hope to make in my teaching practice are:)  When I return to the classroom, I am planning on adding a discussion about how and why particular math skills are used in every day life as a part of my math routine.  Right now, I begin each unit with a pre-assessment and a math talk.  It is at this juncture that I plan on adding a class discussion about how they might use a particular skill or/and how they've seen adults use a skill.  
When I was at CABE last week, presenting a workshop on fractions, I discussed this with the participants and provided a chart for them (they are all teachers) to indicate how they use fractions in their daily lives. 

The changes I have seen in my focal students as a result of my inquiry are: This is a question I need to pose to the 2 teachers, as well as if they have changed their teaching and incorporated more talk about real uses of math into their instruction!

Class 2 - Looking at the data

Info: Class = 28 students, 26 were questioned

Dixie School, Marin County

4.2% free or reduced lunch

7% ELL

5.9% RFEP

Question 1: What is math?

*      21/26 answered come form of computation: +, -, x, /

*      2/26 included counting

*      2/26 included solving problems

*      2/26 said something about $

*      Unusual answers:

o   “I don’t know how to describe it, I just go with it.”

o   “applies to life”

o   “a hard subject in school”

o   “The new math program (Every Day Math) is fun, but sometimes I feel like ‘ugh’, it’s math.”

Question 2a: How do you use math at school?

*      ½ of the students indicated some sort of computation in their answer

*      7/26 made a reference to math program either by name, “math book”, “work sheets” or “tests”

*      10/26 used the word “problem” in their response, mostly indicated doing math problems or word problems

*      Unusual answers:

o   “We use it to know how much water you need to water the plants.” (I later observed a student watering the plants with a measuring cup.)

o   “In music – to count rests and beats.”

o   “At recess, like when we play basketball, we use math to count and make sure our teams are even.”

Question 2b: How do you use math away from school?

*      12/26 students indicated some use of money, paying for things, shopping

*      2/26 stated that they use it for computer games or programming (one of these students actually creates his own games)

*      9/26 stated homework as a way they use math away from school and 3 of those students also indicated that they get parental support either in the form of homework assistance or “quizzes” from parents

*      8/26 students indicated some kind of measurement  - measurement was indicated in a variety of ways: time, length, space, amounts of things, cooking/baking

*      3/26 students indicated fractions – the topic they are currently working on

*      3/26 students indicated counting in some form

*      Unusual answers:

o   “At church, I use multiplication to figure out the number of words in a the hymns.”

o   “To figure out the video game, like if you have four players and only 2 controllers you have to use math to figure out how long each person’s turn is going to be.”

Question 3:  Why is math important? (This question had the most variety of responses.)

*      6/26 indicated some use of computation in their response

*      2/26 indicated that math is used for building: “Without math, your shelter would come out ‘lopsided’.”

*      5/26 indicated some use of measurement or knowing amounts

*      6/26 spoke about $ uses

*      1 student said it’s important for tests and 1 student indicated homework

*      7/26 students gave only 1 response

*      4/26 said math will be important for your job or when you grow up

*      7/26 students indicated it’s important but were not clear or specific about why: “need it for a lot”; “won’t learn anything without math”

*      Unusual answers:

o   “Without math, you couldn’t read music.” and the same student said, “We couldn’t do anything with steps or counting.”

Question 4: How do you think grown ups use math?

*      16/26 students somehow indicated money usages

*      9/26 indicated adults use math in their jobs and of those, 5 indicated that the skills of the job included some type of measurement

*      8/26 said that grown ups use math to help children ie: with homework

*      2 students indicated that math is used in planning birthday or children’s parties (equal goody bags, sorting gifts)

*      2/26 talked about computer programming again

*      Unusual answers:

o   “For building space shuttles, or every day objects.”

o   “I don’t know”

Conclusions:

Overall, I would say that the answers these students provided are similar to the students from the low-performing school in San Lorenzo.  These students have a stronger command of vocabulary and a broader exposure to how their parents use math (taxes, jobs) and are able to include that information in their answers.  However, there remains an overwhelming connection between math and computation as well as math and money. 

Because these students were interviewed later in the year, they had covered more topics than the previous class.  I attribute the discussions related to fractions and equally sharing to that.  I also attribute part of their knowledge and connection to measurement to that.

It seems that students best identify “what math is” with what they are currently learning or have just previously learned. 

Just don't want to lose this info!!!  So I'm posting it.

Feb. update

“I am planning to collect the following data before the next meeting …”: I need to get into ONE more classroom and collect data and analyze it before the next meeting so I can start to compare the classes and come to some more solid conclusions.

I also want to interview the three teachers.  Aija suggested I ask them the same questions I'm asking the students as it may be very telling as to why I'm getting the responses I have been getting so far!  Great idea!!!

“The most important change, or changes, I will make in my teaching practice as a result of my inquiry is/are …” If nothing else, doing this work solidifies for me the absolute necessity to help students make connections between the work they are doing inside the classroom and the work they do or will do outside of the classroom.  After listening to the other presentations last week, I heard at least 2 other scholars make that same connection.  Specifically, Aija made that connection when she was presenting her work around reading comprehension.  Students didn't "know" they were supposed to be doing something other than reading the words!  Once they knew they needed to think, their reason for reading changed.  Do we tell students about reading for enjoyment, reading to learn a new skill, doing math as a part of that new skill, doing math as a part of our daily lives, or the inquiring and thinking we do that can be found in a science lesson? 

"What I need to do before I present my inquiry in May ..." A LOT!!!  Get into both of the the other 2 classes.  Interview a few students more in depth!  Think about what next steps will be as I reenter the classroom next year - what will I do differently as a result of this learning?  What will it look like in my classroom?  What will it look like as I work with my colleagues?  What might it look like as I continue to present at conferences?  In fact, what impact does this information have NOW as I prepare my presentation around fractions @ CABE in a month????

Food for thought!

Looking at my data - class 1

I have interviewed 25 students in the first of three fourth grade classrooms.  I am at the point of looking at and thinking about what the data tells me.  Thanks to Dina for helping me to figure out a way to organize it on Saturday!

Here are some overviews of what I am discovering and some thoughts around this:
Question 1: What is math?
Overwhelmingly, the students identified computation (+, -, x, /) as what math is (over 1/2 of the students).  7 students identified numbers as being part of math.  And 4 students identified math as being related to solving problems.  A few students included a connection to buying and/or making change in outside of school life, and 2 students said that doing math is like being a scientist.

I wasn't surprised that students identified computation with math.  I was surprised that so few students identified solving problems as math.  I was also surprised that only 1 student included any other subtopics in math besides computation (fractions, measurement).  The 2 students who identified math as being like science both explained it's because they answer questions.  I thought that was interesting and will be curious to see if a science connection comes up in either of the other 2 classes I'll be visiting.

Question 2a: How do you use math at school?
Again, nearly 1/2 of the students identified some kind of computation as how they use math at school.  7 students equated using math at school with what the teacher teaches or learning something.  And, 4 students identified it as solving or working on problems. 

No students talked about specific day to day school tasks that may involve math, such as taking the lunch count or attendance.  When I interviewed the initial 6 students, those types of tasks were discussed.  It seemed to me that most students in this class understood math as being "done" only during their math period and not necessarily stretching out into other subjects throughout the day.  Deeper interviews with 2 focal students in this class will help me get a better understanding of this.

Question 2b: How do you use math away from school, such as at home?

Sixteen students identified that they use math at home by studying, practicing, or learning in some way.  Of these 16 students, 3 students specifically identified that a parent helps them with this, either directly by quizzing them or indirectly by purchasing math practice books for them.  One student said he used math by playing board games and money games.  Does this mean that many students are not playing board games at home or that they're not making the connection between board games and math?  Something to consider and ask about!  A different student identified that she uses math by helping her brother with his train tracks so that he knows he has enough pieces to create the shape he wants.  Only 1 student identified using math for making purchases.  And 1/3 of the students identified some kind of computation involved.

Question 3: Why is math important?

Students seemed to have interesting ideas as to why math was important, and most students indicated more than 1-2 reasons.  6 students talked about money and making change with several indicating that you could lose your job if you can't make the right change.  8 students said you'll need math in your job.  Outside of money, one student indicated that, for example, in a construction job, you need math to calculate the amount of wood and other supplies you'll need.  14 students indicated math is important to learn and get a good education with several indicating you can't go to college without math!  The most unusual response I received to this question was, "You need math to be able to ask and answer questions, like if the police catch you."  I did not delve further into this answer...sometimes it's better to not know!

Question 4: How do you think adults (your parents, grandparents, teachers) use math?

Thirteen students talked about money, making change, shopping, and/or paying bills.  5 students said adults use it for studying.  4 students said for measurement, with 1 student specifically stating measuring fabric and another student stating his father uses measurement in his job and his mother uses measurement when she cooks.  A couple of student alluded to the adults not knowing the math and having to check the book and/or get the answer sheet.  One student said that the adult uses math when sorting the laundry!  This one made *me* think!  And, sure enough, grouping by attributes is certainly math I remember teaching my kindergartners.

Overall, I think I got mostly responses I expected.  I was hoping that these students would have a clearer picture of how math is important in their daily life.  When I spoke briefly with their teacher, she told me that she does not discuss those connections for them, so I'm thinking that unless they're referred to in their textbook, they are not being instructed in the daily connections.  She then said, "You know, maybe I ought to make those connections for them."  Yes!!!!  I will have to interview or survey her more thoroughly to determine exactly how she does teach math.

I'll be interested to compare this group's answers to the next 2 classes as the teachers' styles and understandings of math are different.

This is all certainly food for thought!