Fall+2008+Action+Plan

Field Study Action Plan ** ** FALL '08

** ** My inquiry questions: **

What type of technological mediums influence students? (i.e. media influences through TV, Internet, magazines). · How do these different types of mediums influence students differently? What is the role of these technological mediums in affecting students’ self-esteem? · What areas of a student's self-esteem are influenced by these types of technological mediums? How do technological mediums affect student's attitudes and behaviours in the learning process? How are boys and girls affected differently by the same influences? ** How my inquiry connects to a significant educational purpose: ** I hope to discover how technological mediums, specifically the Internet and how it is used by adolescents today, influences students' self-esteem. I believe that a student's ability to succeed in school is very much related to their level of confidence and self-esteem. Nowhere in the school setting is this more obvious than in Physical Education, where I believe that if students have the opportunity to develop a positive self-image and have the opportunity to develop into confident young people, they may learn on a much higher level. ** How my inquiry connects to recognized educational research: (Describe the theoretical and/or philosophical ideas that frame your inquiry. Please also include a list of readings you will consult.) ** I found the article below which I can possibly use to support one of the theoretical ideas behind my field study concerning how "digital technology" affects the environment of the learning process today. Article #1:   "The (Mis)Education of Generation M" by Ziegler, Susan G.; __Learning, Media and Technology__, v32 n1 p69-81 Mar 2007. 13 pp.

** How my inquiry connects to the Program Capacities: ** ***Autonomous-Lifelong Learner** **-** I believe that I will always be taking risks throughout my career and I know that I have learned a lot about this through my TLITE journey. For this field study, I will have to learn about new technology, namely the discussion board, and how I can use it as a tool to shape the learning environment of a classroom, both in a real sense and a virtual one. ***Reflective Practitioner** **-** By delving into the technological world, a place I was afraid to go to before TLITE, I have learned so much about not only the tools and mediums that are available for us to teach with, but so much more about myself as a learner and educator. I know that I will always strive for that quest for knowledge and growth in my future career. ***Critical Practitioner** **-** I think that success for students in the subject of Physical Education is so closely connected with self-esteem and therefore, needs to be considered through one's teaching practice if students are to fully realize their potential. By studying how today's digital technology, in all it's many forms, affects a student's self-esteem and self-image, I hope to be able to learn how to counteract any negative feelings of self-esteem by using technology in a postive way through my every day teaching practice in the P.E. setting. ***Facilitator of Learning** **-** I think that by discovering how students collaborate and learn through the use of a discussion board, I will be able to uncover how digital technology affects the environment of the learning process today - a theoretical idea that some of the articles I looked at touch on and one that I hope to explore further in this field study. ***Knowledgeable Educator** **-** My goal is for the students to feel invested in the process of sharing in the discussion of technology and it's influence on self-esteem. I want to provide a safe, positive environment where they can collaborate with eachother and possibly learn things in a new or different way. ***Supportive Colleague** **-** I hope to be able to share my findings with my departmental colleagues as a springboard for further research into the area. This lends itself to the Critical Practitioner capacity. ***Educational Leader** **-** It feels good to learn something new and be able to share it with students or other colleagues. I hope that I can offer more help with the school's portal and with discussion boards in particular to the teaching staff at Heritage. ***User of Technology** **-** I will be using the school portal (my site) and discussion boards.

** An outline of the design of my inquiry: (Data collection – how? what? who? when? *//3 types of data collection having a common focus.// What are the steps in your plan?) ** I think a survey will probably be the best way to collect data initially. I will create a survey to measure students' self-esteem and body image. From these results, and depending on which direction they may take me, I plan on forming a focus group of students whom I can further discuss certain areas with in a collaborative face-to-face setting. Specifically, I hope to discover how these students compare themselves with influences from the Internet, magazines, T.V and the media. In an opposing way, I will also create a virtual, collaborative learning environment where students can respond to questions and post their thoughts and opinions on these issues on a discussion board which I will create on my43 site. An outline of my plan is as follows: ** My plan for sharing my conclusions: (How will you communicate what you have learned?) **   I will summarize my findings through the presentation of data collection and interpretation, any journaling or reflecting I've done along the way, research from various articles that might support my study and also any visual pieces of information I can share such as the discussion board. I can present my findings through TLITE opportunities within my cohort group and the rest of the TLITE people. But I think that if my colleagues in the P.E. department would be willing, I could present my findings to them as well, as I'm sure they could find something useful from the study to take away with them into their own teaching practices. There are other means of presenting to people as well. I could present my findings like I did at the end of last year in our school, at the final Alan November workshop, which I was participating in throughout the year. I found it extremely rewarding to be receiving positive feedback about my focussed inquiries from, not only colleagues in the district, but from Alan November himself.
 * My plan for organizing and interpreting the data: //(systematic and recorded)//**
 * To conduct a **survey** with students on positive body image and self-esteem
 * To study these results and use them as a framework for creating a **focus group**, where I can discuss areas of interest with students such as how they feel about their bodies and how they compare themselves with people on the Internet, in the media, etc.
 * To use the students' responses from the **discussion board** as evidence to support my findings