Statement of Inquiry (Draft)

Here is a draft of my Statement of Inquiry

Where have I been?

I taught kindergarten for 5 years, first grade for 8 years, and ELLs for 2 years.  During that time I have worked with 12 different co-teachers with varying strengths and weaknesses.   Getting the best out of students requires getting the best out of their teachers.  How can I best build my co-teacher’s capacity to actively engage students in writing across the curriculum?

Increasing student engagement has redoubled in importance now as students in poverty further dominate public school populations.

Where am I going?

Next year I will be co-teaching with a 3rd year teacher in 4th grade. I will have some of the same students that I had last year. I have been placed in 4th grade to serve as a coach to a young teacher. What techniques will work best to foster her capacity to engage her students? Will her youth make it easier for her to embrace coaching and technology? Will I be co-teaching in 1st or 2nd grade? If so, how will I need adjust my coaching techniques to support an older teacher?

What do I know?

Engaging teachers and students in writing increases academic success across the content areas.  When students find their voices as writers it augments their ability to communicate successfully both in school and in life.  When students participate in written discourse with others, their sense of self-efficacy is enhanced, so is their motivation and engagement in the writing process

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Negotiating the digital landscape can be tricky and stressful at times.  The logistics involved in many programs can be counter intuitive. These challenges increase when paired with the other demands placed on a classroom teacher's busy schedule.

There are also many issues surrounding internet etiquette and safety. 

What do I want know?

How can I use digital media to create opportunities to make meaningful contributions to conversations relating to issues that they care about?

What are benefits of engaging students in sharing their writing on the internet?

What are barriers to engaging students in sharing their writing on the internet?

What skills will students need to have proper internet etiquette so that they can avoid misinterpretation and confusion?

How can I protect students' identities and anonymity on the internet, especially at a young age?

How can I best coach/support my co-teachers as they implement new/different strategies in their classrooms?

Heather J.