Cell phones continue to affect the amount of engagement that students show in an English class. However, I've noticed that there are two different types of cell phone usage in class. There are the students who are using their cell phones excessively. These students let their phone usage get in the way of accomplishing their work. There are not many students who fall into this category. However, it does reflect in the quality of their work and the frequency in which their assignments are turned in. The other type of cell phone usage is shown by students who use their phone, but also work on their phone at the same time. These students tend to turn in their work and the work seems to be quality. This tells me, that although students can be distracted by their cell phones, they also can be used as a coping mechanism of a sort that is not necessarily detrimental to the students. I can honestly say that I learned just as much from this unit as well. For example, finding the perfect ratio of lecturing to student work time could possibly increase the amount of engagement this brought forth from my students. However, the ratio of percentage in which formal and informal assignments are assigned should also be adjusted to best fit the needs of the students.
How has the action research impacted my teaching?
The results and experience of the action research experience exemplified the importance of teaching with purpose. It is my belief that many of the students did not like the mini nine assignments because they felt that they did not have nearly as much purpose as some of the other assignments. Therefore, this experience has given me the tools that lead me on a path of ensuring that every portion of a unit has a purpose and that purpose is a stepping stone to the learning goal at the end of the unit. This idea stems from the implementation of the choice strategies that I chose to use. The use of choice novels did show me that students find value in their interests being recognized in the classroom. However, I believe that I gave the student too much freedom in creating their reading schedule and assignment schedule. This led students to push many of their assignments to the last minute and created stress on the students who had fallen behind. Further, I noticed that because this was a fast paced unit, students who fell behind had trouble catching back up with the class. This issue would then persist throughout the unit.
How did this action research impact my growth as a professional?
Professionally, action research has expanded my professional collaboration tool belt. This can mean that my action research has provided me a way to implement research by utilizing previous research and other professionals in the field of education. The collaborative relationships that I have built in this experience can be expanded in many different possible studies of the future and can be utilized to further our professional skillsets. The end goal being that we create a cohort of well-equipped teachers who can be champions for students at all walks of their lives.
What would I change if the research was repeated?
Next year I will work on adding more purpose and structure to the assignments that the students view as less than necessary. The addition of a set assignment schedule (as opposed to a student set assignment schedule) could impact the amount of assignments turned in. This would be the direct result of a set due date for assignments. The result leading to an end goal in mind as we begin and continue to work on this unit. If students have the end goal in mind, they will feel like each assignment has a purpose and thus would increase their value in the assignments.
What do I plan to do next year?
The next school year will be another year in which I will try to increase the amount of student engagement in an urban school district English classroom. While a choice novel unit will not be the only technique that I continue to fine tune, it will be one that I will continue to use and reflect on to make the unit the most effective for all students in my classes. The goal being that this unit promotes learning for all students regardless of their learning levels, their feelings about school, or their feelings about English class.
What impact will the research have on future teaching?
The implementation of controlled student choice can have a lasting effect on teaching regardless of the subject in which it is being implemented. If a person is given the power of choice, they are likely to stick with that choice and defend that choice. The same can be said about giving a student a choice in how they learn and what they learn. While this can be easier to attempt in some subjects than others, the effects that this research of choice has in the classroom should be implemented to increase student engagement in all subjects that students take in a typical school day. The time has come to step away from teacher led learning, and move to student-centered learning that ultimately leads to a successful future.