Assignment #2: Reflective Practice: Educational Problem and Purpose Statements
(CLOs 1-4)
30 Points
Due: Week 4 via the Submit Assignments’ link
(Online: Sunday, 11:59pm; Face-to-Face, prior to class)
Background of the Assignment in Connection with Action Research:
Educators practice the “Action” in action research in their daily practice. We deliver a lesson, assess in multiple ways our students’ progress, and reflect upon our practice. We consider what we could have done differently to promote further learning and/or engagement (reflective practice). We make decisions to improve the teaching and learning in our future lessons. We are problem solvers. To solve a problem, action (an intervention) needs to be taken. The only reason “research” is added to the title after “action” is due to the researcher writing it down. The findings are discussed, documented, and shared with colleagues. The findings and conclusions are used to benefit the population studied and other educators in the field. Educators do this daily – they just do not always write it down. This is just considered good practice, and not research.
This assignment, and the two EDU 550 assignments that follow, are designed to prepare students for their capstone project completed in EDU 580/605. The capstone project is a collaborative action research project, completed with a group of 2-3 students (you may refer to the Program Information course menu button to learn more about the capstone project). It is important to have some ideas about your research, and how to do it, prior to beginning the EDU 580 course. Therefore, you will be gathering some ideas that you may take into the capstone course with you.
There are two parts to Assignment #2: (1) Problem and Purpose Statements and (2) Potential Ideas for an Intervention.
So what does a problem and purpose statement, as well as a potential intervention look like?
The problem/issue/concern, for example, may be that a large majority of your students struggle with basic math skills; they cannot move on to the next skill level if they cannot grasp these basic skills. They are disengaged and displaying problem behaviors (this is a problem). You are concerned about their success in your class and beyond; since students are disengaged and acting out, you are concerned about the productivity of your instruction as a result of the problem. You wonder how to promote fun, motivation, and engagement in your lessons (the purpose for wanting to solve the problem). You may have recently attended an inservice and were exposed to a new strategy (an intervention) to implement during math instruction. It is quite different than the pedagogical practices you currently deliver and you wonder what impact, if any, it will make on your students. This is an issue that you have the ability to measure/assess.
Or, perhaps students do not complete homework and you have learned that many of your families have parents working multiple jobs, and/or children are heavily involved in extracurricular activities. Your students are coming to school without their homework done, or overly tired from the excessive amount of expectations placed upon them after their school day is over (a problem). You want to change this situation so that students are well supported at school and at home, and the homework assignments you plan/prepare are not a cause for stress (for you and the students) (this is your rationale, your purpose). You wonder (self reflect), how do I change this situation so that my students are thriving in school and not overwhelmed at home? What does the research say about homework? If I limit homework to reading and/or incomplete classwork, will this impact their academic skills? Will it affect their motivation and engagement in class? (Reducing or eliminating homework is your potential intervention).
- Problem and Purpose Statements (15 points)
Students are to reflect upon a problem, issue, or concern that you commonly experience in your educational setting. The issue needs to be one that you have the ability to assess. It should be one that you commonly question and about which you seek answers. You are passionate about this topic and have a desire to learn more so you may find solutions to the problem.
Discuss the following:
- Your educational role/s (i.e., 3rd grade teacher), broad setting (i.e., Title I elementary school in Southern California) and background in education. You may list any other information that provides a detailed picture of your current educational placement/students in order for the reader to understand the perspective you hold.
- Discuss a problem, issue, or concern you have reflected on that is in your ability to change (i.e., you have the ability to implement an intervention to assess its impact).
- Provide detailed information as to why this is a problem and why this is important for you to solve (consider your educational core values).
- Discuss what you would like to see happen if you were able to solve this problem.
- Cite a minimum of three different sources to support your stance that a particular problem exists in education and is supported by current and credible literature.
- In one paragraph, write a transition to the next section: Potential Ideas for an Intervention
Maintain graduate level writing skills, follow APA 6th edition formatting guidelines, and use the MAED Writing Template.
- Potential Ideas for an Intervention (10 points)
Now that you have formulated your problem and provided your rationale for solving the problem, consider some of the readings you included in section one to support your problem exists. Discuss the following:
- From the sources you reviewed (or others you may find), what were some solutions to the problem that the authors discussed? List 3 potential “Interventions” that could be implemented to improve the situation at hand. Provide a brief summary of each and whether or not you feel it could improve your problem (cite your sources).
- Conclude with your top choice of the three and why this would be your pick.
Graduate Writing Skills/APA Format (5 points)
Maintain graduate level writing skills, follow APA 6th edition formatting guidelines, and use the MAED Writing Template. A title and references page is required. When submitting, be sure to save as a Word document and submit as a Word file extension in Blackboard.
Reflective Practice: Educational Problem and Purpose Statements Rubric
30 Points
| Criteria | Needs Work
(0-2.5 pts.) |
Progressing
(3 pts.) |
Accomplished
(4 pts.) |
Exemplary
(5 pts.) |
Points
Earned |
| Educational Role, Setting, and Background | Did not describe/define or incorrectly describes/ defines educational role, setting and/or background. | Included cursory descriptions and/or definitions of the educational role, setting and/or background.
|
Included appropriate descriptions/ definitions of the educational role, setting and/or background. | Included thorough and engaging descriptions/
definitions of the educational role, setting and/or background. |
5/ pts |
| Discusses problem and purpose in detail, why it is a problem, and why it has personal importance. | Did not include, or incorrectly included, problem and purpose in detail, why it is a problem, and why it has personal importance. | Included limited
details of the problem and purpose, why it is a problem, and/or why it has personal importance.
|
Included effective details of the problem and purpose, why it is a problem, and/or why it has personal importance. | Included thorough and rich details about the problem and purpose, why it is a problem, and/or why it has personal importance. | 5/ pts |
| Discusses desired outcomes to improve the situation and a concluding paragraph. | Did not include, or incorrectly included, an explanation of the desired outcomes to improve the situation and/or a concluding paragraph. | Included a cursory explanation of the desired outcomes to improve the situation and/or a concluding paragraph. | Included an appropriate explanation of the desired outcomes to improve the situation and a concluding paragraph.
|
Included a thorough and accurate explanation of the desired outcomes to improve the situation and a concluding paragraph.
|
5/ pts |
| Lists three potential solutions to the problem (intervention) that are based on best practices. | Little to no discussion on a potential solution to the problem (intervention) and/or intervention was not based on best practices. | A solution to the problem (intervention) was minimally discussed and it may/may not have been based on best practices. | An effective solution to the problem (intervention) was discussed and research-based best practices were considered. | An effective and detailed solution to the problem (intervention) was discussed and research-based best practices were considered. | 5/ pts |
| Discusses the intervention that is the top pick and the reason for this decision. | Little to no discussion on the intervention that is the top pick and/or the reason for this decision. | Cursory discussion on the intervention that is the top pick and/or the reason for this decision. | Thorough discussion on the intervention that is the top pick and the reason for this decision. | Rich and detailed discussion on the intervention that is the top pick and the reason for this decision. | 5/ pts |
| Adheres to graduate level writing skills, APA format, and use of the MAED Writing Template, which includes a title and references page. | Extensive errors with writing skills, APA format, and/or use of the writing template. | Writing skills are not highly developed, and/or APA format/the writing template include errors. | Displays graduate level writing skills APA format, and use of the writing template with minimal errors. | Exceptional graduate level writing skills, APA format, and/or use of the writing template. |
5/ pts
|
| Total | /30 pts | ||||