Key Area 5

My research classes were some of the most challenging that I took while studying for my degree. I am still not convinced that I am completely proficient in all of the statistics involved in research, but I feel much more competent about reading and understanding research articles. Prior to taking my classes in this area, I tended to take research articles at their face value. Now I know how to read them more carefully and evaluate them on both their strenghts and weaknesses. I also feel I have a greater understanding of what it takes to conduct my own research as needed in the classroom.

Research Proposal

One thing I appreciated about my TET classes was how the instructors allowed us to personalize our assignments to our own professional situations. This made my classes much more meaningful. My research proposal focused on block scheduling as my school recently switched from a traditional to a block schedule, and thinking about this situation from a research position was interesting to me.

Intro to Distance Learning Final Project

This was a project I very much enjoyed. When I was taking LT 741 Introduction to Distance Education, Platte High School was just beginning to expand its distance education program. I used my final project for this course as an opportunity to evaluate how it was being received by students, staff, and parents. I remember this project taking much longer than I anticipated, but I was pleased with the result.

Research Article Critique

Keeping up with current research can be a difficult task when you are a practicing teacher. Many of the classes I've taken have required me to take the time to search educational journals for articles that interested me and pertained to my work towards my degree. This helped me to look for fresh perspectives and new ideas for my classroom.