Selection of Topic
As I was completing my Independent Learning Module questions about the use of classroom displays were starting to emerge. I felt it might be useful to continue the theme on to my Action Enquiry Module. I used the questions from Kemmis (Kemmis and Mc Taggert 1982) to provide focus. These allowed me to look at the current situation, isolate what was problematic about it and explore possible action which I could take. I decided to start with a research situation rather than a hypothesis or a question.
Explanation of context
• I'm spending many hours a week on displays
• So are other TAs in my school.
• The Workplace Agreement means that TAs all over the country will be more involved in the making of displays.
• I need to find designs for 'good' displays that can be used to enhance learning or promote ownership etc.
• All over the country people in schools are creating fantastic displays from scratch.
• People from my degree course tend to have access to digital cameras.
The problems:
• This is often time when I could be working 1-1 with children or small groups.
• Some displays are purely decorative and are not used to serve any other purpose.
• Ideas for 'good' effective displays are hard to find. Books are rare and often expensive. The designs they recommend are impractical and often over-ambitious
• Courses in this area that I have attended have not been very useful.
• Good practice in this area is not being shared even amongst our local NLC
Action Enquiry
I intend:
to promote the use of the Classroom display group on Flickr.
to find out what teachers and TAs want from such an archive.
to look at the impact classroom displays have on children and start to find out if they are effective as learning objects.
to examine more closely at how TA time is used I can collect advice and shortcuts to save time in the making of displays.
I chose these actions carefully so that they were all within my control.
Brief review of literature
The literature about classroom displays is fairly limited and was reviewed in some depth in my ILM1. I have used it to inform my planning to some extent. The difference between documentation and display highlighted by Emilia (cited in Tarr 2004) seems worth exploring. Emilia contends that to count as documentation there must be
"explanatory text and the childrens' own words". My instinct is that this is true if a display is to be a learning object but I'd like to explore this with children to see if this is the case.
Learning facilitator
I discussed my intentions with my learning facilitator and my peer-review group. In particular I was concerned that my enquiry did not include enough action but was too focussed on exploration of the current situation. My learning facilitator was able to reassure me that this was a valid way to approach the action enquiry process.
index
As I was completing my Independent Learning Module questions about the use of classroom displays were starting to emerge. I felt it might be useful to continue the theme on to my Action Enquiry Module. I used the questions from Kemmis (Kemmis and Mc Taggert 1982) to provide focus. These allowed me to look at the current situation, isolate what was problematic about it and explore possible action which I could take. I decided to start with a research situation rather than a hypothesis or a question.
Explanation of context
• I'm spending many hours a week on displays
• So are other TAs in my school.
• The Workplace Agreement means that TAs all over the country will be more involved in the making of displays.
• I need to find designs for 'good' displays that can be used to enhance learning or promote ownership etc.
• All over the country people in schools are creating fantastic displays from scratch.
• People from my degree course tend to have access to digital cameras.
The problems:
• This is often time when I could be working 1-1 with children or small groups.
• Some displays are purely decorative and are not used to serve any other purpose.
• Ideas for 'good' effective displays are hard to find. Books are rare and often expensive. The designs they recommend are impractical and often over-ambitious
• Courses in this area that I have attended have not been very useful.
• Good practice in this area is not being shared even amongst our local NLC
Action Enquiry
I intend:
to promote the use of the Classroom display group on Flickr.
to find out what teachers and TAs want from such an archive.
to look at the impact classroom displays have on children and start to find out if they are effective as learning objects.
to examine more closely at how TA time is used I can collect advice and shortcuts to save time in the making of displays.
I chose these actions carefully so that they were all within my control.
Brief review of literature
The literature about classroom displays is fairly limited and was reviewed in some depth in my ILM1. I have used it to inform my planning to some extent. The difference between documentation and display highlighted by Emilia (cited in Tarr 2004) seems worth exploring. Emilia contends that to count as documentation there must be
"explanatory text and the childrens' own words". My instinct is that this is true if a display is to be a learning object but I'd like to explore this with children to see if this is the case.
Learning facilitator
I discussed my intentions with my learning facilitator and my peer-review group. In particular I was concerned that my enquiry did not include enough action but was too focussed on exploration of the current situation. My learning facilitator was able to reassure me that this was a valid way to approach the action enquiry process.
index