Final Presentation

Literature Review Wordle

Looking at this Wordle fascinates me. To get things going, I merely hit the random button on the website until I got a color and a pattern that I liked. However, once I had settled on a Wordle that I found visually appealing, I quickly became intrigued with how the words were grouped together. For example, around the word LEARNING are the words TECHNOLOGY, COLLABORATION, and ENVIRONMENTS. These three words are all directly related to learning.  For example, Learners collaborate within an environment and do so frequently through the use of technology. Furthermore, proper utilization of any of these factors will almost certainly have a positive impact on learning: technology engages students, collaboration unites them in purpose, and an environment that is conducive to learning brings it all together.It happened again around the word ENVIRONMENT. Around this word are the words TEACHER, PERSONALIZED, WEB, and TOOLS – each of which are integrally related to my particular classroom environment. In connection to my action research project, the most import factors were my students, their learning, and their environment, and these three words were also the ones that were used most in my Literature Review. Conversely, I was a little surprised to see the words TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGIES, and ENGAGEMENT in such small fonts – I had assumed that they would be bigger, given the prevalence of student engagement and the use of technology in my research. Nevertheless, overall, I am convinced that this Wordle is a solid reflection of the primary focal points of my action research.

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to create PLEs containing Web 2.0 tools that will increase non-fiction reading comprehension (NFRC) skills in 7^th grade students. Prior research shows that PLEs that are student-centered and that utilize Web 2.0 tools will increase student motivation and engagement, which will ultimately increase knowledge. Cycle 1, which was successful, showed a 27.6% increase in NFRC. I used an LMS, a web-based organizer, and a Wiki pages creation tool to create the PLE, and its implementation lead to an increase in engagement and comprehension. Cycle 2 was also successful, showing an additional increase of 22.4%. I discovered that playing hidden-object games immediately before reading non-fiction pieces increased focus, attention to detail, and overall comprehension.

Final Capstone Presentation

Evidence of Submission

1. I selected to submit my proposal to MOREnet’s M3 Technology conference
2. I choose to submit to MOREnet because they provide the Internet service to our school district, and the conference is for our area.
3. I have already been notified that I will be presenting at the conference in October. In addition, I will be presenting at a state-wide teacher convention in November. I am really excited about sharing my Full Sail experience with other teachers.