Refl. Ed. Guide - Chapter 1

Relfective Educator's Guide - Chpater 1

The Teacher Inquiry - focuses on the concerns of the teacher and includes them in the research.

Benefits of TTI:

theories are created from actual experiences in the classroom
teachers contribute to research by looking at their own problems
because they are participating in this process they are able to induce change

Two paradigms that lead to the teacher inquiry -

1. process-product research: portrays teaching as a primarily linear acitvity and views teachers as technicians

2. teaching is viewed as very complex and filled with interactive activity

4 spirals in research:

1. clarifying a sitaution that needs to be fixed

2. creating a strategy to solve the problem

3. implenting the strategy

4. clarifying the situation with results

Inquiry - developing a plan of action to do something about a problem, performing the plan, collecting data, analyzing the data, making meaning of the data and sharing your findings.

teachers have no say in anything so with teacher inquiry we try to preserve the one area that we have a choice in.
is exciting because teachers get to test ideas in real life
lets teachers choose their own growth
is a learning process that keeps teachers passionate about what they do

Teacher Inquiry vs. Teacher Growth:

- T.I: systematic, intentional study of one's abilities and practice.

- T.G: traditional professional development which mostly focuses on the knowledge of an outsider being shared with teachers.

Benefits of T.I: When teachers stop doing the basics and participate in the supervision process they expand their own growth. They develop a sense of ownership in the content created and helps benefits the chance for change to occur.

T.I & Differentiated Instruction: remember that every student has different experiences and students can get lost in traditional school systems.

D.I applies an approach to teaching so students can learn in multiple ways
teachers need to be flexible and adjust the curriculum when needed rather than make the students change themselves
action research: uses topics the kids are interested in

Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM):

- lead to improved student learning

- teachers use assessment data and background info to plan and implement

Progress Monitoring:

- identify students' current level of performance, establish learning goals that will be targeted, monitor student performance regularly, campare expected and actual learning and adjust instruction.

Data Literacy: basic understanding of how data can form instruction and what is valid