1.+Wondering+for+Exploration

=** POSSIBLE INQUIRY QUESTION: **=

How does digital storytelling facilitate a student's expression both in their native language as well as their second language? --writing process, student growth, motivation through projects, motivation with technology...

What are the impacts of that teaching on the different learners in the Costa Rican classroom?


 * Step 1: Finding a Wondering**

As mentioned in the book "The Reflective Educator's Guide to Classroom Research," I view my first official inquiry as a journey. As with any journey, I will need to gather certain equipment and items before proceeding. Just as I researched prices, airlines, accomodations, calendars and travel restrictions before booking a flight to Costa Rica, I have brainstormed and explored in order to plan my future workshop.


 * PASSIONS:**

In developing my Research Question/Wondering, I internally analyze my "classroom" and focus on distinct "passions," as illustrated in Chapter 2. These passions are actually pieces of a framework one utilizes to examine daily work. I find that my passions are interrelated and all play a part in my teacher inquiry.

Student growth should be fostered and therefore **helping individual children** is my personal goal. I plan to create a written list of particular students, and focus on their individual attributes (strengths and weaknesses) by marking them down. Speaking to them individually and posing questions directly to individuals may help me figure out how to best coach them. When teaching a second language, yearly I review the **curriculum** in hopes to **enrich** it. On the internet, through Personal Leaning Networks, conversations with like-minded colleagues, graduate school classmates or fellow teachers on educational social networks, I prospect new methods. I ask the question, "How can I take a Spanish/English unit heavy on content, and make it more inquiry or project based for the students?" When **developing content knowledge**, a teacher should "investigate their own students' cognitive, physical, social and emotional levels regarding the content area investigated (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey 2009)." As well as deciding how to teach the content so it is developmentally-appropriate for the Costa Rican children, I will also need to explore further how the environmental lessons will be relevant to them, before I travel. The workshop may necessitate finding resources that represent a variety of perspectives, such as those in developing countries, or by persons of different ages. In my **desire to improve teaching strategies and teaching techniques**, I will attempt to successfully pair students in work groups and integrate more technology into my content presentation. Classroom management may be easier in a controlled lecture classroom, but higher-order thinking may be better accomplished by peer groups actively working on projects. In **exploring the relationship between my beliefs and my classroom practice**, as I hope to develop higher-order thinking skills within my students, I need to develop appropriate tasks. My teacher position will be as facilitator, and thus, I will need to actively check on student progress by walking around the computer lab, and posing clarification questions of student steps. Prior to the workshop, I will create organized and purposeful instructions for scaffolded tasks. I have come to strongly believe in the importance of developing 21st Century Learning Skills in my students because of research in my graduate coursework. It is beneficial to me to learn using similar methods, as I will encourage like-practice from my students in my teaching methods. As for **personal and professional identity,** my passion for the Spanish language and culture, and my creative license through technology are evident to my family, peers, and students. I am a person who pushes the "practical" upon others, especially my students. I teach content briefly, and then figure out authentic ways for students to use the language, whether it be written or oral exercises. I give them the tools to deal with practical as well as new situations. "Be brief, be bright, be gone" is my D.I.S.C. personality mantra, and this aids me in designing lesson plans that provide the basics for effective communication. As a teacher, I address the basics in the simplest language possible and later focus mostly on student practice. I find that through consistency, I give my students tools in which to develop and function at a high level. My personal focus on closing the gap in opportunity and academic achievement for children in a developing country led me to the idea for this teacher inquiry and project. **Advocating for social justice** is important to me as a human being, whether dealing with my own students in the U.S. or with poor students in rural Costa Rica. Finally, the contextual characteristics of the low socioeconomic school and my understanding of the students themselves will determine my future activity. Recognizing and **focusing on the Teaching and Learning Context** should provide hints on how I may potentially and successfully influence these Costa Rican students.

=** //LIBRITO PENSEMOS VERDE// PROJECT **=


 * Context:** I will be teaching both English and Technology to Spanish-speaking students in rural Costa Rica. A school computer lab will be made available, as well as a public "Internet Center" for student use. By accessing the internet, students will have access to Web 2.0 tools such as Audacity, Flickr, Animoto and VoiceThread. The computers are also equipped with Microsoft Office, so Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Windows Movie Maker may be utilized. Students will also have access to microphones and a couple digital cameras. I will bring a digital camera/video camera to share.


 * Content:** "How can using technology enable a student to better learn a second language?" "Can a student transfer the skills of oral storytelling to written storytelling and later translate it to a second language?" "How can I weave in the Association's theme of environmental awareness into the lesson?" "How can I teach students to use their power of personal perspective to deliver a powerful story?"


 * Childr​en:** Considerations will be made for cultural differences between the teacher and students; the diversity of learning styles of individual students; the variety in grade level representation; their interest in learning a second language; and their interest in learning new technology.


 * Act of Teaching: ** Lesson plans include writing activities on paper, short teacher lecture, oral discussion, and hands-on technology activity. Within the lesson plans will be brief English vocabulary-building exercises, short oral “immersion” exercises, and some explanation and student questioning with regards to Web 2.0 tools. The “storytelling” component of the workshop will be emphasized each day during the lessons. Both the teacher and the student-peers will be actively involved in the “teaching and learning” process.


 * Teacher's Beliefs:** My attitudes towards the benefits of using technology, the importance of learning a second language, and the need to develop 21st Century skills will influence my lesson planning. I will be dealing with a different cultural background in my students that may or may not mesh with my own.

When it comes to teaching Spanish, former students frequently noted that their goal was to be fluent in the language. They were motivated, but at times, memorizing vocabulary and grammar structures was just not enjoyable for most of them. I discovered early on that the more meaningful or authentic the activity was, and the greater need for true communication, the better the students retained the knowledge, and sometimes, the more fun they had. I know I want to DELIGHT my students! I would like to present the curriculum content where I teach during a short period of time first. Then afterward students may experiment themselves with the language, use processes to formulate communication structures, and **//create//** their own items. Technology, namely Web 2.0 tools, will facilitate the creation phase.

How do I create lessons where students are the ones who "figure it out/inquire?"
 * Note to self:**