Fighting against time

Well, I´m still working with my data analysis. I could not find the best way to do analyze my data. I know that I want to keep the cyclic feature of Action Research, Project work and reflection. However, I have to find out the best cycle. I have thought of having action, reflection and changes,but I need to check if it really applies to my findings.
Good news is that I have now some categories to look at: role of  the teacher, assessment, reflection, foreign  language concept, concept of project, planning. I want to check how those concepts and categories have changed throughout the research. My main doubt now is if I should check those changes inside each cycle and then look at the changes through the three cycles or if I should go looking at the changes from cycle one to three.
 Another good thing is that one of the teachers is working on a writing report about her experience with the research. She read some articles and wrote about what she understood about them. I´m very happy with her progress. I thought it would be so much more difficult for her. Now, I´ve asked her to write about what happened to her during the research that illustrates those ideas.
Let´s keep working.

Sharing

Last week  Katherine and I just tried  Google Hangout for the first time. We had some trouble setting up the link and that is why Carlos could not take part in int. However, Katherine and I just had a very nice chat. She told me about her experience with her second year flipping the classroom and her expections for changing the classroom setting. I talked about my action research project. It was nice talking to her because talking to someone else makes you organize your thoughts. But I think I just talked too much. I have to learn how to listen more.

Moving foward - analyzing data

Well, I´ve been through 3 cycles now and I´m in the process of analyzing data. I must confess this is really hard. Finding categories and patterns is not easy at all. Also, writing academically is a difficult step.
I´ve been thinking a lot about it, and I know I want to respect the cyclical feature of Action Research, Project  and Reflection. All of the concepts start with some action that generates some reflection that ends up in some kind of change and that is what I think I should be looking at: the actions, the reflections and the changes. My main objective in this action research project is to observe the possible changes that the implementation of project-based teaching ( through collaborative reflection)can cause in a teacher´s practice.
I´m happy with my cycles. I saw some very positive changes. Unfortunately, just one of the teachers has decided to write an article about her experience. She is foccusing in the importance of a teacher reflecting about his/her teaching. While discussing with her about the theory she read, as well as listening to her description of changes in hre class I got very emotional. I just felt like I was trying so long to give somebody a valuable gift, but nobody was interested in receiving it. And she was interested in learning about project -based learning. It is so pleasant to share all I have learned with iEARN and my experience with projects.
Righ now, I´m in the process of describing each teacher´s cycles. I think I should not be comparing them as they have different experiences , backgroung and a totally different approach towards teaching a foreign language. Thus, I do not think it´s fair to compare them, but show throughout the cycles how far they have changed  their believes about teaching a foreign language, project, their role as a teacher, their relationship with the students.
Something that I have learned about this experience is that the more a teacher knows about himself/herself ( about their believes,competences and habilities) their feel more comfortable to be open to new ideas , to other people and their needs. It´s just like one has to be secure enough, to have his/her own needs fullfilled to be able to look around.

Research questions

 Here are some possible project questions to my action research project:

How can I share my passion for project-based learning with EFL teachers ?

What changes to a teacher`s teaching might create students` engagement in class?

How can I inspire teacher to try new methods in class in order improve their teaching?

Values Search

Well  what drives me? This is really a good question. I think that what challenges me is finding solutions to problems. I do not like to think that there is something wrong or the be done and one should only ignore it. If I am intelligent enough, how come I can not find a way to change something that is not working.
Also, I do not believe is right to do things the same way over and over. There  must be a change ( for good!). Life changes, we change along our lives. So, the way we teach and learn also changes.
And I totally attracted to the new. I like to feel that I can improve and learn new things.Maybe  this is why I am interested in technology and how it can improve learning.
I'd like to be able to use technology more efficiently in my classes in a way that my students can learn English in a more significant way. If my students were able to not only produce more in class,but also be able to take what they learn in class and change their community that would be wonderful.I`d be really proud to see my students being able to interfere in a positive way in their community. A learning that would produce deep changes.
If I could be more of an expert in one area, I`d love to an artistic designer. I love art and I think it`s important to incorporate it in teaching.

Understanding Action Research

Well, I think that something is not so clear is about participation in action research. I mean, I see different authors defining action research and stating the only teachers should do it. But what about university researchers? Aren't they important to the process to help teachers with theory and reflection? To what extent should be all the participants be involved? Who sets the rules and roles?
I think the best way to increase my understanding is by reading more articles about it.
I believe that action research will help me learn more about how can I be a good researcher, how can I listen to other people, if I can help other teachers to improve their practice and to help my school by showing how project-based learning can provide students with a great opportunity to experience meaningful learning. If I can work collaboratively with a few teachers maybe the others will see the change and start to think about it. Also, by collecting data and writing a dissertation based on Applied Linguistics findings I think I can achieve other teachers as well.

About myself

I am an ELF teacher in a public language center in Brasília, Brazil. Right now, I am taking my Masters in Applied Linguistics and looking at how teachers behave when using projects to teach a foreign language.
I like to think myself more as an educator than a teacher. I believe it is important to think in education as a whole. And I think it is important to that my work affects  other people in a positive way.
My freedom is really important to me. I like to think that I am free to chose when and where to go to. And education is, somehow , empowering students to move on to other levels by their own.
In five, years, I´d like to have finished my Masters and to be in class. I do like teaching. Also, I´d like to be able to share some of my experience with other teachers that may be willing to share with me their own experience. My living legacy would be  learning and teaching.