Assignment 1EDN470 PROJECT RATIONALE AND PLAN

Student Name: Katherine Bamford2000 words-30 marks

Tutor's Name: Rachel DrewryDue: Wednesday 1stApril

.:. Please ensure Appendices A and B are attached

.:. The Project Progress Report marks are allocated on the extent to which the student does not meet. meets or exceeds thefollowing criteria: -

1) A clear statement of why this topic is important, why you chose tlus project, and how you think it will improve your teachingpractice

0-4 Does not meet requirements5-7 Meets requirements 68-10 Exceeds requirements

0-1 Does not meet requirements1-2 Meets requirements 2

0-1 Does not meet requirements1-2 Meets requirements 2

4) The main ideas of action research are discussed and used to justify the project approach (inclUding strategies, items ofevidence, and draft time line)

0-4 Does not meet requirements5-7 Meets requirements 68-10 Exceeds requirements

0-2 Does not meet requirements2-4 Meets requirements 3

Work is presented in a scholarly fashion using APA referencing, correct punctuation, spelling & grammar, clear headings.Assignment adheres to word limit, and includes a total word count (not including Appendices).

0-1 Does not meet requirements1-2 Meets requirements 2

This is looking good. I've made some suggestions in your text that you may need to consider as you move forward. Try to draw morewidely on the supporting literature to support your ideas where possible.

Ch,.S Rachel

c/ Your rationale and plan have been approved by your tutor

ASSIGNMENTCOVERSHEET Murdoch

UNIVERSITY

/Student Number 130282487 -- --lI

Surname i Bamford -- - -l• Given name _K_a_t_h_e_r_in_e~~~~~~~~~_~~ ~~ ~~~~ :I Email !adakat02@bigpond.net.au ---=--=-~-_-_---.--J-

Unit Code i EDN470 -- ---- IUnit name I-A-c-t-io~n-Le-a-r-n-in-g-fo-r~R~e-f1-e-c-t-iv-e-P-r-a-c~ti~tio-n-e-r-s-----=:

_~. __ E_n_r_o_lm_e_ntmode I ExternalDate 1 April 2015I

Assignment number 1Assignment name Project Rationale and Plan

Tutor Rachel Drewry-- -

Student's Declaration:Except where indicated, the work I am submitting in this assignment is my own work and hasnot been submitted for assessment in another unit.

This submission complies with Murdoch University's academic integrity commitments. I amaware that information about plagiarism and associated penalties can be found athttp://www.murdoch.edu.au/teach/plagiarism/. If I have any doubts or queries about this, I amfurther aware that I can contact my Unit Coordinator prior to submitting the assignment.

I acknowledge that the assessor of this assignment may, for the purpose of assessing thisassignment:o reproduce this assignment and provide a copy to another academic staff member; and/oro submit a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism-checking service. This web-based service

may retain a copy of this work for the sole purpose of subsequent plagiarism checking, buthas a legal agreement with the University that it will not share or reproduce it in any form.I

I •

I will retain a copy of the notification of receipt of this assignment. If you have not received areceipt within three days, please check with your Unit Coordinator.

Optional Comments to Tutor:E.g. If this is a group assignment, list group members here

EDN470

Action Learning for

Reflective Practitioners

Assignment 1:Project Rationale and Plan

Katherine Bamford

30282487

Tutor: Rachel Drewry

Page

1. Cover Page

2. Contents

3. Project Title / Project Rationale

5. Aims

6. Focus Questions / Strategies/Methods

8. Proposed Reading List / Proposed Items of Evidence / Timeline

9. References

10. Appendix 1

11. Appendix 2

14. Appendix 3

15. Appendix 4

Project Title

Finding effective ways of incorporating an IWB into 'Number and Place Value' /

lessons, in a Pre-Primary classroom.

Project RationaleThe topic of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) in a Pre-primary Classroom was chosen

as a result of discussing different ideas with my mentor teacher. I was initially drawn

to the idea of researching play in phonics lessons; however, I was reluctant to proceed

due to my mentor teacher informing me that the school in which I will be conducting

my research at, is not a 'play-based school' and that it would unfortunately be too

difficult to implement. I felt disheartened by this, as I am very passionate about play

in learning, however as my teacher is supporting me with my research project, I

decided to modify my topic.

I reflected on Brookfield's 'four critically reflective lenses' model (Diggins &

O'Connor, 2002, p. 41) and considered my personal experiences with Information and

Communication Technology (lCT) within the classroom and realised that my

exposure with IWB' s has been minimal. Therefore, my rationale for choosing this

topic is to investigate and learn what strategies IWB' s possess for enhancing learning

of all subject areas. For the purpose of this research project, I will look specifically

into its ability to increase the students' motivation and interaction with their learning/ of number and place value.

ICT plays a major role in our daily living and as we are surrounded by its benefits and

universal familiarity, it only seems just that children are also taught its 'power' at

school. I believe that "ICT can have a positive impact on pupils' levels of

concentration, self-confidence, self-esteem, independence and behaviour" (English,

2006, p.8). It is for this reason that discovering different strategies of using the IWB

is immanent for me to establish its potential. Only then will I be able to use it to the

best of my ability, through having the students interact in the lesson by giving them a

fun and positive approach to learning numbers. I aim to do this through different Vmatht:matical programs that engage the children with bright and colourful effects and

allow them to physically interact with the whiteboard, to help increase their learning

and understanding. ICT is prominent in the world we live in. Therefore IWB's have

immense "potential to increase student learning, understanding, achievement and

motivation. Students using technology can also learn collaboration, critical thinking

and problem solving" (Reys, 2012, p. 46) within all areas of the curriculum./

The context where I will be conducting my Action Research Project is at Lakelands

Primary School, Mandurah, in a Pre-Primary Classroom (Department of Education,

2015). Lakelands is a new school to the area, opened for Kindergarten and Pre-

Primary in 2014, and officially opened this year, catering for 430 students from

Kindergarten to Year 6. The Pre-Primary classroom I will be conducting my research

in consists of twenty-seven children, one teacher and one full time Education

Assistant (EA). The inclusivity is apparent through the range of different cultures that'nd\~"()\IS. l\."Va.\-a-lt ?

are enrolled at the school, for example, Aboriginal, Spanish, Philippine, British and

Chinese, just to name a few. Within the classroom, there are no children with English

as a Second Language (ESL), however, 3 children do have different cultural heritages,

they being Aboriginal, Spanish and Philippine. Although these children were born in

Australia, I still feel as though it is important to incorporate some of their heritage into

our lessons. There are no students with Special Needs in this class, however, there are

numerous children enrolled within the school with different disabilities ranging from

full hearing loss, to visual impairments.

Within each of my three ten hour cycles, I plan to conduct my research utilising the

Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) Planning Cycle of Reflect, Question, Plan

and Act (Early Years Leaming Framework, 2010, p. 12). I chose to use this cycle

because it allows me to observe and reflect on the context of the classroom, the

students' abilities and how the classroom is set up in order for me to complete my

project. The question component allows me to discover the programs the teacher has ~

previously and is currently using with the IWB, how the students are responding to

them and also by allowing me to communicate with the children to discover some of

their interests. This in turn will allow me to plan lessons that will engage the students

in what I am teaching. Ultimately, I am then able to act feeling confident that I have ;rpcovered all areas of my planning, allowing me to give a confident and successful -:J qrlesson, at the same time gaining experience with using the IWB. ..{t o~ \:

\ < ~

( _of5P-,;,Katherine Bamford 30282487 \J ( 4

(f ~_ S;)~

After discussion and much research into what area I will conduct my action research

project on, I chose to use the Number and Place Value strand of the Australian

National Curriculum. I feel this context will help develop my skills in the use of

/ IWB's as Dr Karen Murcia and Dr Susan McKenzie from Murdoch University

discovered. They performed a 'Whiteboard technology' project and found that

"children had positive responses to the use of the IWB's in their classrooms and£1'/

teachers reported advances in children's literacy and/or numeracy over the course of

the project" (Murcia, K, p. 25). With positive research being achieved, I feel that if I

can enhance the learning of mathematics with my students through the use of IWB ' s,

then my ability to learn and develop appropriate skills in using this particular

Information Communication Technology (lCT) tool is encouraging. As my passion

for children's learning is through play, I am determined to use any method of teaching

in a school that is not a 'play based' school, by increasing their motivation and

engagement through collaborative lessons, whether it is in group or whole class work.

Numeracy is paramount in our everyday life, I believe that by making learning to

count fun from an early age, paves a positive path for our future generation, in turn

alleviating the negative stigma many older students hold about mathematics today.

By learning how to use IWB successfully, I aim to teach mathematics effectively

using IWB technology in my future classrooms. G-c:. c=.d Dt s c. . )

II +0 ( 6 re \J'o}'

Aims ~" s.-J~p~ \--."':) \\ ~ "-l ~ u) ~

Through exploring this topic, I aim to enhance my professionalism whilst further ~S'developing my ICT skills in the classroom. The purpose of my Action Research

Project is to enable me to gain appropriate knowledge and understanding of different

strategies used with IWB's, enabling me to enhance and engage students' number and

t/ place value knowledge. With my research project, I am also aiming to develop the

important and necessary tools that will help me reflect on my pedagogy skills.

Focus Questions

My focus questions are:

1. What strategies can I use with IWB' s when teaching Number and Place Value,

during whole class lessons?

2. What strategies can I use with IWB's when teaching Number and Place Value,

during a rotational lesson?

3. In what ways can I reflect on my teaching to improve my use of IWB's in the

classroom?~oa... ~

Strategies/Methods (;r' ~&To engage in a thorough research of my topic, I will begin by conducting a qualitative

research by interviewing my mentor teacher about the strategies she uses with

teaching number and place value lessons using an IWB. I will also investigate the

different programs she has used, what is available for use, along with the children's

level of interaction and interest in regards to the IWB lessons. In conjunction with

these, I will participate in observations of the children during their mathematics ./

lessons, observing both the teachers pedagogy as well as the level of interests and

interaction the children possess.

To perform this research, I will be using the EYLF Planning Cycle, which allows me

to Reflect, Question, Plan and Act; this will be integrated throughout my three cycles.

By using this model, I am able to reflect on all areas of my research, enabling me to

enhance my professionalism in the classroom. This reflective practice cycle is used

'to promote belonging, being and becoming and learning, both for children and

educators and learning in the five Learning Outcomes for children' (Early Years

Learning Framework, 2010, p. 12).

I am focusing my research project on a student-directed learning methodology. I

believe that by incorporating 'Vygotskian principles of scaffolding, social interaction

and the use of language to direct thinking through collaborative learning, in that peers

assist each other but learning takes place under the guidance of the teacher'

(Duchesne, 2013, p. 90), is paramount for the learning of mathematics.

As I am encouraging student interaction, engagement with learning and a fun

environment, I believe that basing my teaching methods towards a student-directed

approach, will facilitate my teaching as well as the students learning.

With Information Technology playing a major role in today's society, it is paramount

that I learn and develop appropriate skills for IWB' s for enhancing and encouraging

mathematical thinking of my students. I intend to gain this knowledge through the

use of different strategies and exercise it through collaborative learning with the

students in the classroom. In conjunction with this, it has been suggested that "there

needs to be connections between the tasks/activities undertaken using the leT device

and mathematical activities independent of the device" (Drews, 2007, p. 23).

With this in mind, I understand this suggestion to be recommending that to help

students make the cognitive link between the IWB and physical/practical components

with their number learning, I need to incorporate other activities for them to develop

these new connections. My main strategy for using an IWB during a whole class

lesson, will be creating practical activities for the students to complete so as too

consolidate what they learnt from the IWB.

When the students are in small groups during 'rotational lessons' , I will endeavour to

use the Cooperative Learning strategy to enhance the children's ability to learn

number and place value utilising an IWB. The Cooperative Learning strategy is

characterised by five learning principals in the 'Learning Together Model', that being:

"Positive interdependence; Individual and group accountability; Promotive

interaction; Teaching students the required interpersonal and small group skills and;

Group processing" (Henessey, A, p. 54). During my small group lessons (rotational

lessons), I will concentrate on teaching the students about their required interpersonal

and small group skills, emphasising on their "communication, positive reinforcement,

constructive feedback and problem solving skills" which is essential to their

cooperative learning skills. I believe this strategy will help the students learn how to

work better in a group environment, as they are able to communicate and help one

another during their maths lesson. With the children being taught this significant life

skill, they will be able to convey it in other areas of their schooling in into adUlthOO~\'

•..\,~ 0. ~ ~" ~/ .'t. .a"

7,rQO'? r.JLli ~.

Although I am using the EYLF Planning Cycle to guide my research in this project, I

have decided to use Peters DATA model (Describe, Analyse, Theorise and Act)

(Diggins. A, 2007, p. 39) to help me reflect on my teaching style to improve my use

of IWB's. Throughout my university degree and my life so far, I have been

implementing reflective practices in almost every aspect of my life. However, I have

yet to link it to any particular theorists' model, hence my reasoning for trialling two

different types, so as to discover which best suits my way of teaching and reflecting.

Along with using the DATA model, I will keep a personal journal to help me reflect

on each lesson, including what was significant, what went well and not so well. This

J journal will also be where I record conversations with my mentor teacher about

different approaches I can apply in other lessons.

Proposed Reading List

See Appendix 1

Proposed Items of Evidence

To guide me through my Action Research Project and help develop the necessary

skills to become a confident and professional user of IWB' s, I will use a number of

items to help me consolidate my learning before, during and after the completion of

my project. Along with learning how to use an IWB, I will be focusing on applying

its holistic objective through teaching number and place value to Pre-Primary

students, both in this context and throughout all year levels in the future. The

following is a list of items that I will endeavour to use in the classroom:

• Observations

• Visual recordings

• Sample's of children's work

• Photo's

• Checklists

• Comments from my mentor teacher (critique's)

• Student and teacher conversations

• Personal journal of reflections

Timeline

See Appendix 2

Referencesepartment of Education. (2015). Department of Education: Lakelands Primary

School, Lakelands, WA. Retrieved from:http://www.education.wa.edu.au/home/detcms/navigation/about-us/building-our-schools/new-schools/?page=4. On: 1April, 2015Angela Hennessey, Rylee A. Dionigi. "Implementing Cooperative Learning III

Australian Primary Schools: Generalist Teachers' Perspectives." Issues inEducational Research, 23 (2013), http://www.iier.org.au/iier23/hennessey.pdf.

Diggins, Angela O'Connor & Cathy. On Reflection. Edited by Tanya Tremewan. NewZealand: Open Mind Publishing, 2007.

Doreen Drews, Alice Hansen. Using Resources to Support Mathematical Thinking,Primary and Early Years. Edited by Doreen Drews. UK: Learning Matters,2007.

Duchesne, Sue. Educational Psychology. Edited by Ann Crabb. 4th ed. Sydney:Cengage Learning Australia, 2013.

Early_Years_Learning_Framework. "Belonging, Being, Becoming."http://docs.education.gov.au/systemlfiles/doc/other/educators guide to the early years learning framework for australia.pdf.

English, Richard. Maths and Iet in the Primary School. London: David Fulton, 2006.Karen Murcia, Susan McKenzie. "Whiteboard Technology: Engaging Children with

Literacy and Numeracy Rich Contexts." edited by Employment andWorkplace Relations Department of Education. Perth: Murdoch University,2013.

Reys, Lindquist, Lambdin, Smith, Rogers, Falle, Frid, Bennett. Helping ChildrenLearn Mathematics. Australia: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

i~l' Appendix 1 - Proposed Reading List

Writing and Doing Action ResearchMcNiff, J. Writing and Doing Action Research. Edited by Katie Metzler. London:Sage, 2014.

On ReflectionDiggins, Angela O'Connor & Cathy. On Reflection. Edited by Tanya Tremewan.NewZealand: Open Mind Publishing, 2007.

Helping Children Learn MathematicsReys, Lindquist, Lambdin, Smith, Rogers, FaIle, Frid, Bennett. Helping ChildrenLearn Mathematics. Australia: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Educational PsychologyDuchesne, Sue. Educational Psychology. Edited by Ann Crabb. 4th ed. Sydney:Cengage Learning Australia, 2013.

leT in the Early YearsPrice, Harriet. The Really Useful Book of ICT in the Early Years. Edited by HarrietPrice. axon: Routledge, 2009.

Learning with TechnologyHowland, Jane L. Meantingful Learning with Technology. Edited by Kelly Canton.4th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2012.

Programming and PlanningAuthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, Farmer. Programming & Planning. Edited by AnnCrab. 5th ed. Australia: Cengage Learning, 2012.

Power & Voice in ResearchSoto, Swadener. Power & Voice in Research with Children. Edited by Lourdes Soto& Beth Swadener. New York: Peter Lang, 2005.

Research Project: Step by Step GuideRoberts-Holmes, G. Doing Your Early Years Research Project: A Step by Step Guide.Edited by Marianne Lagrange. London: Sage, 2014.

Introducing ResearchLambert, E.B. Introducing Research to Early Childhood Students. Edited by E.Beverley Lambert. Austraila: Social Science Press, 2003.

Qualitative Research in ECEHatch, J. Qualitative Research in Early Childhood Settings. Edited by J. AmosHatch. London: Prager, 1995.

Developing Your PortfolioJones, M & Shelton, M. Developing Your Portfolio: Enhancing Your Learning andShowing Your Stuff. Edited by Marianne E Jones. New York: Taylor & Francis.

ICT and Primary MathematicsWilliams, J. & Easingwood, N. ICT and Primary Mathematics: A Teacher's Guide.Edited by John Williams and Nick Easingwood. Oxfordshire: RoutledgeFalmer, 2004.

Teachers Engaged in ResearchSmith, S & Smith, M. Teachers Engaged in Research: Inquiry Into MathematicsClassrooms, Prekindergarten - Grade 2. Edited by S. Smith, M. Smith. UnitedStates: Information Age, 2006.

Learning & Teaching MathematicsTaylor, H & Harris, A. Learning and Teaching Mathematics 0-8. Edited by HelenTaylor & Andrew Harris. London: Sage, 2014.

Maths and ICT in Primary SchoolEnglish, R. Maths and ICT in the Primary School. Edited by Richard English.London: David Fulton, 2006.

The Early Years HandbookBoo, M. The Early Years Handbook: support for practitioners in the foundationstage. Edited by Max de Boo. UK: Geographical Association, 2007.

April 2015MON TUE WED THU FRI

1st 2nd 3rdReview proposedliterature_ Plan first

Assignment 1 Due observations School Holidays

6th 7th 8th 9th 10th

School Holidays

13th 14th 15th 16th 17th

School Holidays

20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24thEYLF Planning Group rotations_ DATA Reflection_ Group rotations.Cycle before class_ Observe Reflect on previous Conduct firstPrepare classroom. Begin day's observations, lesson, IWB only.observation journal link to literature, Conversation with

plan first lesson. teacher. Reflect In

Reflect in journal journal - ...•II 2 hours 2 hours

27th 28th 29th 30thDATA Reflection. EYLF Planning Whole class. DATA Reflection,Reflect on previous Cycle_ Check prior reflect on previouslesson, question knowledge. lesson. Reflect inmoments, plan for Conduct lesson journalfollowing lesson incorporating

practicalcomponents_Reflect in journal

2 hours Teacher at PO.

May 2015MON ruE WED lHU FRI

1st

Group rotations formaths Check priorknowledge Conductlesson incorporatingpracticalcomponentsReflect in journal

Teacher at PO

2 hours

4th 5th 6th 7th 8thDATA Reflection. Research different Group rotations for OATA Reflection.Prepare and plan IWB programs and maths. Conduct reflect on previousIlext lessoll. plan new lesson IWB lessoll. Reflect inreflecting on program. Reflect in journalprevious lesson journal

2 hours

11th 12th 13th 14th 15th

18th 19th 20th 21st 22ndAnalyse data and

Assignment 2 DueReflect previous Group rotations for

prepare for lessons lesson. question maths Check priorWhole class for theories and plan for knowledge. Conductmaths next lesson lesson incorporating

practicalcomponents.Reflect in journal

3 hours 3 hours >

25th 26th 27th 28th 29thAnalyse data and Whole class for Reflect previous

Group rotations forprepare for lessons maths. Check prior lesson. question maths Check prior

knowledge Conducttheories and plan for

knowledge Conductlesson incorporating

next lessonlesson incorporating

practical practicalcomponents. componentsReflect in journal Reflect in journal

4 hours 3 hours

June 2015MON TUE WED THU FRI1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

EYLF Planning Whole class lesson OATA reflections. Group rotations forcycle. Prepare -IWB & maths. Reflect previous IWB&maths.following lessons to Video record lesson, question Video recordbe recorded lesson. Conduct scenario's, plan lesson. Conduct

Jesson IWB only. next and final lessonReflect in journal lesson incorporating

practicalcomponents.Reflect in journal,-.-

4 hours 3 hOurs 0

8th 9th 10th 11th 12thAnnalyse Data.Reflect. Write finalreport.

15th 16th 17th 18th 19th

22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th

Assignment 3 Due

29th 30th.':\(.,

(/rr- /)'

~v ..r\(-~

1< .

EDN470 Action Learning for Reflective PractitionersARPendix A- attach to Assignment 1

ETHICS CHECKLIST

1. Is your Professional Action Learning Project being conducted with studentswhom you normally have teaching responsibility?

YES NO*2. Is your research based around activities that are the normal learning/teaching

activities of the program that you are involved?YES * NO

3. In the box below please indicate who your students are (use pseudonyms ifrelevant) including their age, what you want to research, and one sentenceabout how you want to do it.

I am conducting my Action Research Project at Lakelands Primary School, /Lakelands. I am in a Pre-Primary classroom, where the children range from four tofive years of age. I will be researching effective ways of incorporating an IWB in'Number and Place Value' lessons. I will carry this out with a group of 6 studentsand whole class lessons.

Assignment 1Action Learning for Reflective Practitioners

PROJECT RATIONALE & PLANAQpendix B: attach to Assignment 1

Your Name: Katherine Bamford Student No: 30282487

Your Email Address: adakat02@bigpond.net.au

Your Education Course Code: Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)(Bl269)

Classroom DetailslY ear Level (where the project will occur): Pre-Primary

Name of School: Lakelands Primary School

Name of Mentor Teacher: Mrs Christine Dingli

Email of Mentor Teacher: Christine.Dingli@education.wa.edu.au

Number of students involved in your project (no less than six): 6

Your Previous Teaching Experiencerreaching Background

Area ofteaching experience (list previous Murdoch University teaching practicums):North Mandurah PS - Yearl

Secret Harbour PS - Year 1

Secret Harbour PS - Year 3Riverside PS - Pre-PrimarySingleton PS - Pre-Primary/Year 1Identify any other professional or other information that is relevant to your project: