joint action research project

1. Learning Intentions (goals):
To raise the level of achievement with our
reluctant writers who are below their cohort level.
Marie Highley and Lyndal Lowans

2. Name(s): Marie Highley Lyndal Lowans
Audience for proposal (people who need to know about our project):
Cluster Share – end of year Ulearn?
Rationale/Issue/Puzzle: The number of reluctant writers has increased
across year levels. As part of our working on integration across the
curriculum with ICT, it is an opportunity to see if we can engage these
reluctant students.
Learning Intentions (goals):
To raise the level of achievement with our reluctant writers who are below
their cohort Level.
Timeframe: Terms 2 and 3 2010.
ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2010

3. Implementation (what we intend to do):
 Explicitly plan for those students
 Use the blog as a place to share.
 Use Astle (Term one writing sample) as base line data, and another
writing sample in middle of Term 3
 Reflect on process on our teacher blogs
 Ethical considerations (any consents we require):
 Initalled work on blog (check permissions for everything ie video)
Resources (help or support we might need):
 Access to web2 tools, some release time to do data collection
 Flip minio,
 Camera
 Easispeak
 Mimio and data projector
 Kidpix

4.  A small number of children had made little
progress in their writing .
 They found it difficult to write sentences.
 Had no idea of punctuation.
 Weren’t interested, as they felt they couldn't do
it.
 Lacked imagination
 Had poor motor skills
 Usually had poor reading skills as well

5. 1. Originally 5 students were targeted from Year 5 as reluctant writers and
1 from Year 6.
2. This was based on their writing sample and classroom observations.
3. One Year 5 and the Year 6 moved overseas. They are not included in
this report.
Student February Writing Sample
(Astle)
Female 2b
Male B 2p
Male J <2b
Male D (ESOL) 2b

6. Sample: Female

7. Sample: Male B

8. Sample: Male J

9. Sample: Male D

10. Modelling Strategy
One
 Students would
have model in
their book and
highlight and write
on their model
Using Mimio as my modelling book

13. Lots of teacher input required at the planning
stage
Male J

14. In The Basement
“Hi I am Tom I am 13 years old. I
have black hair, blue eyes and I am
very tall.”
“I am going Skydiving with my friend
Jack because it is my birthday.”
Today it is very cold .Jack is 10
years old he has brown hair, green
eyes and he isn’t very smart. We are
flying over the forest and we jump
and we are having a great time until
the wind picks up. We were
struggling to hold on and we crash
land in a clearing of a forest.
We walk around looking for
something. We spot a house in the
distance so we decided to check it
out. We walk up to the house and
knocked on the door ...
Male B: very keen and sent
plan from home via email

15. Female
•Good days and bad
days

16. Male D

17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=1ZVKu4pRWqw&feature=related

19. Sample: Term 4 Male B

20. FemaleSample: Term 4

21. Sample: Term 4
Male D

22. Sample: Term 4
Male J

23. Student February
Writing
Sample
(Astle)
October
Writing
Sample
(Astle)
Female 2b 2b
Male B 2p 2p
Male J <2b 2p
Male D
(ESOL)
2b 2p
Reasons for no
change.
Female: Student is thought to have
processing problem with language.
Work throughout year extremely
variable and even with strong
teacher input, no changes to work
would be made.
Male B: OTJ would suggest 2A as
evidence by paragraphing and
increase in vocabulary.

24. Year 2 Writing samples graded against Astle
All at Level 1 B
Girl KR Boy DN Girl TH

25. Year 2----Talking and learning about narratives
using data projector

27. Showing less structure in planning
sheet

31. Planning and
drafting

32. Using the mimio to scaffold alternative word to “then.”

38. First sample End of study
sample
Boy DN

39. End of study samples
First samples
Girl KR Girl KF

40.  Most students have made good progress
 All have benefited in using the ICT tools in class
 Less reluctance is now seen
 Students more confident to write independently
 They have consolidated their learning at the initial curriculum level
but need further input to reach their cohort level of expectation.
 Motivation did not always transfer when put back on paper
 Content and structure had improved but proof reading skills had not
improved.
 Where there was no change, it was often related to other learning
difficulties or home situations that impacted on desire to learn and
improve.
Findings

41. The need for
 lots of “talk” to prepare children
 oral storytelling from pictures/picture dice/ internet sources
 modelling “how to..”
 set formats for support
 word walls and resources
 exciting ways to publish their work
 an audience to share work with (blog)
 Need more time for further research
 As teachers we thought more about how we were going to teach
 Year 2 – all the students needed the same structured modelling
 Year 5/6 – a lack of computers caused jealousy, rub off effect on rest
of class in improvement of writing.

42. Storyboard template Writing modelling and
planning sheets