2. What topic and why?

Hello,
I'm Lorraine. I'm still struggling at this moment to identify the wording for my topic or research. At Trent Park the other day I said it would be something to do with Leadership and management as I am a Head of a Children's Centre in Haringey with a developing management team. I am struggling to identify exact roles and responsibilities as we never have time to meet!!!!!! as we all seem to be caught up in the operational day to day managment. I am now considering parental involvement also. I hope to have come up with the area and title over this week-end.
best wishes
Lorraine

HI Lorraine,
I am Fiona .I am also struggling with the final area and question I wish to research .I am thinking of something around the enviornment and children talking perhaps now !!!!
I need to sit and really think it through .
best wishes

Hi Fiona,
Have you looked at Elizabeth Jarman's info re communicating friendly spaces? It may give you some focus.
I hope you are feeling better.
Lorraine

I am trying to decide whether to keep the focus of my topic wide thinking about literacy as a whole of on just speaking and listening or writing? I want to investigate whether looking at literacy specifically will help EAL students to acheive more highly in their projects at BTEC. At present the school I work at has a speaking and listening focus and in previous years EAL students have tended to underacheive at BTEC in terms of less distinctions/merits and also some only acheiving the certificate rather than the diploma. I think it is important to look at these students literacy needs combined with the syllabus requirements as a vocational course. I need to research with the EAL specialist teachers in school and gian feedback form the students involved as to their needs to be able to define the specifics of my topic. Any ideas are very welcome! Thanks April

Hi Aelsmore,

This is not an area I know much about, however it has similarities to SpLD. You say that there has been a speaking and listening focus, which must have been monitored and evaluated. Is there an area that has not considered, like you suggested writing or perhaps reading comprehension (i.e. understanding the questions)?

Marion

Apologies April, I miss read your name. Marion

Thanks Marion for your input. I like your suggestion to look at writing or comprehension as these areas have not been a focus yet and as BTEC is all cousrework, the students have to complete a lot of written work independently. I shall investigate.

Hi
Like yourselves I similarly can't get a real focus for my project. I listened to the others and thought their's sounded much more interesting. I fancy gobal dimension - working in another country; not I concept I had heard of before. The furtherest my children in my school looks at is living in the old part of our town!
My focus has to be based on Inclusion and SEN/SpLD therefore my target group has needs that are similar to each other, but not to the bigger year 5 cohort. In a few weeks time I have to carry out structured conversations with parents and children, which may give a clearer or different picture then what I think now. I know I want to promote the embedding intervention into the triangular partnership; as this is very weak, where intervention is carried out in isolation to the classroom and home practices. But is this enough for a project, or do I need to be more specific like with developing self esteem/perception, or are these likely to be outcomes from the project?
I have in the back of my mind an idea of a project, which focuses on spelling where the teachers, 6 parents and their children are given and taught to how to use the ACE spelling dictionary. The dictionaries are then used in class and at home. Various things are measured before, during and after. But the question is, is this going to find out enough for my MA.
I am rambling on because last year I found that by focusing to an audience (whether they were listening or not didn't matter) I was able to explore my thinking.
Marion

Hi Lorraine,

You have made contact with my world!!!!

I thought your first comments highlighted issues that needs addressing - time to meet and defining roles - perhaps through your project. Such a project would force things to happen. I don't know enough about your situation to know how you would focus it. Enlighten me!

Marion

Hi Fiona,

I went to visit a primary school, which did most of their learning outside with an emphasis on speaking and listening. I was inspired and thought about how I could make my own groups (SEN) more active. Working out side was not an option so I introduced time to play games and following through discuss points that the children bring up. The children love it and are more motivated to 'work' when asked.
What have you decided to focus on?
Marion

I want to evaluate the effectiveness of a new parental support group that is starting at my school. I am wondering how to evaluate the effectiveness? I was thinking perhaps interviews? I want to research this as it is an area of school life that I am not too familiar with and would like to learn more. Can anyone suggest any starting points in the literature?

Thanks

Rosie

Hi Rosie,
Not sure if Stake matrix could help with evaluation.

Marion

Google is a good enough start for literature.

We need a plan first. we discuss literature later

Hi all - advice/comments sought

I want to research the effect/impact of dyslexia on the school attendance figures in Primary & Secondary edn in children from the Gypsies & Travellers Community. Am I casting my net too widely? I envisage setting up a dyslexia awareness group for parents - should I just concentrate on the emergence/effects of this?
Are there too many variables involved?
eg more than normal/usual no of transfers to different schools due to lifestyle - perhaps giving rise to effects of skills gaps rather than learning difficulties;

Cultural tradition of early-teens taking up employment rather than continuing in 2ary edn;

Ethnic/cultural attitude to learning difficulties in all ages- giving rise to difficulties in carrying out research.

- I have recently attended a Gs & Ts Conference and made good contacts with members of the Notts Traveller Education Team, Ethnicity, Culture & Achievement Service, who are willing to assist me in my research. I am self-employed and work for OU among others, as well as undertaking voluntary work connected with dyslexia with various groups in Notts as a member of NAVO (Networking Action with Voluntary Organisations).

Unfortunately, as I live in Edwinstowe, Notts, there's not much chance of my being able to attend any of the live meetings - unless of course you decide to have one at Sherwood Forest Centre Parcs which is next door!

Meanwhile I have ordered some books from the list and am wading through the material on the site.

Looking forward to replies, Ann

Hi Ann,
I am also on the distance learning course - Inclusion. I have managed to get to a couple of the live meetings because I couldn't see anyone on line to talk to. It was good to put faces to names.

I am hoping to look at the attitudes of becoming a partner (parent/teacher/child) in providing intervention for children with SEN/SpLD. This has similarities to yours and therefore it would good if we can share ideas and findings.

Somewhere I read that it is very hard to control the variables in education projects. I have decided not to have a control group.

It sounds like you are well place to develop your project.

Speak soon

Marion

Hi Marion

I can't imagine how I could have a control group...

I would like to get to a live meeting. Have you been assigned to a tutor to talk over your ideas? I would feel more confident if I could discuss what the tutors think may be viable/suitable and would be very grateful for some feedback on this.

Are you, or anyone else in this group, based near me in Notts? I have done some voluntary work with support groups as well as providing private coaching sessions to parents + children post-assessment.

Talk again soon, Ann

Hi Ann,

Having been to a couple of live meetings I feel there is some benefits including being able to ask quetions, but the biggest one is that I think is that with no real correspondence on here it will keep me on task.

I have been given Sarah Rosenweb as my tutor, but I have still had no contact from her - if you are doing Inclusion then she will be yours as well. There are meant to be four of us on distance inclusion (with Sarah,)but other than yourself I have not had contact with anybody else. It would be quite good if poeple identified themselves as ditance learners.

We have to get approval from Ian first - however people that live locally get to discuss their with their tutor face to face now. Have you contacted Ian about your idea?

At the live sessions we spoke to Ian about our ideas, but we were all told to refine them. I then gave mine another slant but i have had no feedback about my new idea. I have put my plan in but I am now waiting for confirmation that I can go ahead. However after waiting 5 days I have decided to draft my introduction which has helped to focus it better. My project has to be along the same line evne if it got rejected because my school has funding for inclusion and partnership, so therefore it is not a waste of time.

Last year (and even this year) I used the online converstations a lot - it gave me an audience it which last year I know nobody was listening! But it helped me to focus on my thoughts and ideas, and I solved my own problems! Why don't you dump your thoughts and try to refine them to me.

I live in the West country! Probably to far to meet up but you never know. Let me know if you can attend the next one then we could exchange telephone numbers/emails.

It is great to talk, Marion

Hi Marion
Had an emailed reply from Ian today (I too have Sarah as my supervisor) and I am very disheartened at the moment re my intended topic. I am going to look through the successful examples & see if I can't be reinspired in another direction.

When is the next live meeting? What time?

I am in Bristol for 3 days for the PATOSS Conference 25 - 27 Nov, any chance we could meet up?

Talk soon
Ann

Hi Ann,
 
I have had quite a few emails with Ian yesterday - going around and around - which angle am I taking. I have decided to take a few days off.

The next meeting is Wednesday 11th November about 4.30 in Trent Park, which is just off the M25.

Are you driving down to Bristol for the conference? If you go down the M5 I could meet you.

Is there anything that you could improve within the assessment side using case studies. Other than assessment what else do you currently do with regards to SpLD? Is there anything else you could look at within the voluntary side?

Are you going to the Dyslexia Guild Symposium?

Keep talking and exploring your options - if you can survive the Diploma with Dyslexia Action you can survive anything!

Hi Marion

Im driving down to Bristol on the morning of Wed 25 Nov & dont need to check in to hotel until after lunch so could meet you off M5 - just give me a postcode for satnav. I can't manage the Dyslexia Guild as it clashes with a dyslexia in the workplace conference which I definitely do not want to miss. I feel saturated with the Rose Report at the moment.

I would like to do something with assessment - haven't found any past research on it yet though. Will ask Ian's and Sarah's advice when I put in a tentative plan tomorrow.

Keep in touch, Ann

Hi everyone,

I am intending on focusing my project around the effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning. It will have a leadership focus and will involve working alongside key teachers to improve their understanding and use of assessment and APP materials.I hope to develop teacher's practice by developing a the way assessment is carried out in the school. I want to look at how/if the analysis of data of gender and ethnic groups can be used to set targets and inform clear planning for individual children and whether it can accelerate learning.

Many thoughts, but now need to find some clarity and clear focus.

Hi Bronwen,
Just thought I'd say - look forward to working with you and meeting you on Thiursday 5th Nov at 3.30 L201
x Cary

My project is linked to how can my leadership help raise attainment in communication, language and literacy in R and KS1. This is a major area that needs development within the school.

So its a study of the concpets of leadership? The success or failure of the literacy work is only one peice of data on the success of leadrship then?

Sounds good and clear.

Hi all

Just wanted to mention my project. I will be setting up a debate society in school. The main focus of the society is to enage students in higher order thinking and use dialogic teaching as a medium. Its my hope that the project will produce some interesting and exciting results.