Thursday, April 14, 2011

Wicked Problem Project

PROBLEM
There is a huge push for students to be fluent readers and unfortunately so many students are simply not.

SOLUTION
After being introduced to the concept of pod casts and video casts, I thought that it would be a good idea to video my students and let them watch themselves do their reading.  I figured this would be a great way for them to make improvements to their reading fluency.  By doing this, students would hopefully begin to take greater interest in how they could improve their own reading fluency.


TPACK
What is the TP knowledge for the solution?

I have chosen to use Flip cameras and/or the video option on digital cameras to record my students’ reading.  I always try to incorporate many different learning styles into my teaching and this is one way I can do that.  It reaches students who learn by hearing and seeing because of the use of videos.  I first thought maybe audio technology would be all it takes, but I think actually seeing themselves read will be a greater benefit to the students.  It is also a hands-on approach because I intend to have the students actually do the videotaping and hopefully a few of them will take interest in learning how to upload them onto the computer.  I believe this process will make the students feel as though they have ownership of this project.

What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
The technology that I am using will make the content accessible to not only my students and their families, but also to others out there who would like to see this project actually being implemented.  Once students have begun taking part in this approach to increase reading fluency, they will also be able to reflect on their own progress- successes as well as challenges.  Because the video recordings will be video-casts online, other educators, parents, and students will be able to view the progress that the children are making.  Since the readings are recordings, we can truly study what the students have done and try to figure out ways to better teach reading fluency.  Other teachers have done things very similar to this.  One of the videos I found, shows how students independently record and keep track of their readings.
Click here to view video.

What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
I have designed this project so that students are getting the opportunity to learn in a variety of methods while striving to reach one goal- fluent reading.  The primary focus of this project is on the students.  I am looking to improve students’ fluency by increasing the number of words they read per minute.  Secondary to that is the way they sound- expression and clarity.  Once my students begin to watch themselves and hear what they sound like as they read, I am confident that they will begin to take greater interest in how they can improve their own reading fluency.  Jonathan Kantrowitz's blogs about the positive effects of web cams to help students' reading specifically because of the "I can see me" procedure.  This goes hand-in-hand with my belief that students need to see, hear and do in order to really learn something well.  Check out his posting.  Jonathan Kantrowitz's Blog

Take a look at my final project!
Wicked Problem Project

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