education

Defining Action Research
With the annotated bibliography and literature review complete, it was time to begin my action research. For those new to research, or not familiar with the concept, action research is essentially the study of a subject (aka person) to monitor the effects of some kind of intervention. The research typically answers some kind of “yes” or “no” question, such as “Do graphic novels positively affect student comprehension when used in the classroom?” Action research quantifies the results of the study and typically includes graphs or charts.

Each year brings a new group of students to my room. So, to get a feel for where they are in their writing, I like to have them write a short story. Short stories and fiction are frequently used in younger grades and they have likely had the most experience with that type of writing, so it's their chance to be creative and show off their strengths in writing.