Research

This was my seventh week of implementation of my research. I'm researching the use of cooperative learning pairs inside the classroom. This week my focus was on a student created project. When students arrived in the classroom they talked with their partner about what book they wanted to complete their book report on. Students then read the story and began discussing how they plan on presenting the book to the whole class. I put up certain things that the students had to have in their report; title, characters, setting, what happened, how they liked it...etc. As I walked around I could hear students discussing how they were going to carry out this project. I heard that students were going to make a poster about their book, act out their book, and even rap about the book. What I really noticed was that students were extremely engaged in what they were doing. My teacher education coordinator was observing me and she even commented on how nicely the students were working. On Friday my students were starting to carry out their projects. I had materials that students had requested laid out and students got right to work. I have never seen so much work happening in the classroom. Each student was busy doing what he/she needed to do to complete their report. Sitting in class I hear my peers talk about how terrible their research is going.... in reality mine is going better than I could have ever expected!