Research and Reflections
RAR (Read 1- Ask 1- Reflect)
The RAR is an analysis of one research articles and one interview, with a synthesis of how they can impact our problem of practice and inform our teaching.​
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Annotated Bibliography
​The annotated bibliography is a compilation of sources used throughout this course, EDU 580. It includes a short summary of each source and analysis of how they can help inform our problem of practice.
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Literature Synthesis
This text is a synthesis of different subtopics that were studied during the duration of our lesson study. They are synthesized to come to a greater understanding on a larger issue.​
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Reflection on Lesson Study Cycle 3
This journey through our lesson study cycle has been insightful about how we can foster empathy in our students and make them more aware of injustices in the world. It has made me more aware of my students' needs, how I can better engage them in learning, and how I can creatively provide them instances to practice empathy in the classroom.
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Our problem of practice was around how to develop criticality in our students. In addition, we wanted to foster empathy in them. Our PDSA cycles focused on empathy: students were exposed to content from primary source interviews as a way to better connect their emotions and humanity with what they were studying. We used both written interview and video/audio interviews and found that students preferred to see the interviewee rather than simply read about them. In the data we collected, we found increased student engagement when utilizing interviews and a preference towards podcasts or video interviews.​
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This lesson study cycle also helped us grow together as educators. Our KO (Knowledgeable Other) mentor Dr. Michelle Pledger helped guide us along the way. Her guiding questions and revisions helped us focus the lesson down to something manageable. She also provided creative ideas about how to simulate a unique, equitable experience for students to collectively learn from. Lastly, she provided a plethora of scholarly articles and readings for us to learn from during this cycle. We also learned from each other, as the main lesson was a collaborative effort that we all participated in. Each of us supported the host teacher by acting as one of the "rule enforcers" in the utopian classroom. This extra effort motivated students more and gave the simulation a more real sense of urgency.
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Overall, this lesson study cycle provided opportunities for creativity, meaningful discussion, and pedagogical growth. By collectively learning from research, our KO, each other, the lesson, and the students, we have all grown as educators and will continue on our path towards being impactful educators.