HTH GSE Conceptual Framework: Inquiry and Design
* Develop curricula, policies, and learning environments based on the HTH design principles.
* Draw upon students' diverse backgrounds and learning styles to enhance teaching and learning.
* Conduct scholarly inquiry that enriches practice and contributes to the larger educational community.
This link leads to a web version of the complete action research project. Through the influence of my work with the HTH GSE, I have started to implement project-based learning (PBL) within my classroom. Scheduling barriers and mandated curriculum plagued my first attempts, but as teachers and administrators witnessed the results of our final products, incorporating PBL has become easier with less resistance. As the students in my class adapted to this new type of learning, one challenge that they continued to struggle with was the ability to to articulate their thoughts and reflect about their learning. This investigation focused on determining the best practices and support that allowed the students to develop into reflective learners who can share their learning comfortably and confidently.
For a full downloadable version, click here: Action Research Project - E.Macalaguim
Differentiation: Breaking the Mold of One Assignment for All
In this reflection, I discuss the affects of applying differentiation strategies to student assignments. Prior to taking the Implementing Inclusive Classrooms course (HTH 240), most of my assignments were designed as One-for-All activities. My first attempts to redesigning my assignments, yielded positive experiences for my students. The idea of choice and providing multiple access points has allowed every student in my class an equal opportunity to apply and present their learning in an unique and personal way.
The Pay It Forward Project: Endangered Species Edition
The catalyst to launching this first attempt to implementing project-based learning came about from a fieldtrip to High Tech Middle Media Arts (HTMMA). My partner Natalie Alli took my fifth graders and her class to visit Cady Staff and Jamie Holmes. During the visit, their students where finishing their Pay It Forward Projects. Our students where so excited, that during their trip back to our school, a buzz started around the bus to work on a similar project within our two classes. Natalie and I decided to take their momentum and split our kids into two groups, one working on a humanitarian approach, and the other working with endangered species.