Area of Inquiry

The area of inquiry for this project is written communications between teacher and student. The goal is to improve communications between student and teacher so that longer-term asynchronous communications may be carried on. I currently use writing prompts with my math students to get a better idea about how they are doing in class and how they view themselves as learners in the class. I did have them create a weekly report, turned in every class period, but the comments and questions were not as in-depth as I would have liked, and I didn't have an easy way to check back on what the students had written a couple of months ago.

Construct

The construction will be a web-accessible method for communication between teacher and students.

Reflect

Reflection Web Log

Exhibit

Digital Portfolio - Using the Web to Communicate with Students

Apply

Specific technology will be FrontPage^® database bots and Active Server Pages. The ASP code will either be modifications of FrontPage ASP or prewritten ASP scripts. In addition, I will look at other possible software, such as web logs, Manila, etc.

Join

I am a member of two appropriate list servers. The first is the Independent School Educators List (ISED-L), and the second is Wizards-l, the list for technical staff of independent schools.

Teach

Several other teachers at the school are interested in doing the same thing, so I will teach and review my results with them.

Write to an Expert

Now, I just gotta find an expert...

Timeline

September	Create and finish learning blueprint Try simple feedback for progress reports from students
October	Read "Community Building on the web" Build and test FrontPage methods of managing the discussion such as discussion groups or database entry. Create or download ASP scripts designed to do the same thing. Go to KEEP with the 6th grade (October 17-19). Sleep the following weekend. Look into commercial packages (e.g., Manila) or other possible methods, such as weblogs through weblog sites. Let students and parents know what I am doing. Join a list serve. Remember to keep writing in the log.
November	Test out methods for feedback for report card comments Get feedback and ideas from students for improvement. Determine if it is efficient enough or if it can be made more efficient.
December	Complete the website explaining the project. Convince myself it was all worthwhile and that sleep deprivation built character. Go on vacation with the laptop.

 

 

Created Fall, 2001

Last maintained 11/15/2003