Data Collection

Data Collection

Data Collection        

Data is what drives my instruction. However, the data I collect and analyze must be rich and meaningful. Before you can begin collecting any data, you need to know exactly what you are trying to learn from the data that will be gathered (Lynch, 2019). I collect weekly data from reading tests that cover the skills that were taught that week. I also use the guided questions that pertain to the story as a data piece. In math, I will assign tasks in Think Central and I can quickly collect data on standards. I love using exit tickets after I teach a lesson. The exit ticket is a quick way to see who understood the skill being taught. It lets me know who needs reteaching and who will benefit from enrichment activities. I also collect data through simply observing my students. Data collection is an essential part of an effective classroom (Lynch, 2019).

I am a big fan of Excel and this is my choice for recording the data I collect on my students in reading, writing, and math. I first analyze the test and list the standards that it covers. I then create a spreadsheet where the standards are listed on the top and the student’s names on the left. I simply mark who met the standard and who did not. I also look at the reading graphs that are created in Benchmark Advance. This has helped me to organize my data. A spreadsheet helps users manage and analyze information, which can be in numerical, text, and graphic forms (Roblyer & Hughes, 2019). The data I collect is how I create my intervention groups.  My intervention time is differentiated so that each student is working on a concept that he or she is struggling with or students who need enrichment activities. Reading skills are also taught during my guided reading time.

My students also keep track of their own data by having a data binder. Each week, they track their assessment scores. Some data they collect are their weekly spelling, reading, and math tests, just to name a few. My students track their data by using a graph. By them being responsible for tracking their own data has made them strive to do better each week. For the sake of their growth and development, let’s allow students to take greater ownership of their learning, starting with their data (Li, 2017).

 

References

Li, D. (2017, December 11). Why student data should be students' data. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-student-data-should-be-students-data.

Lynch, M. (2019, November 28). The ultimate guide to data collection in the classroom. The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-data-collection-in-the-classroom/.

Roblyer, M. D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: transforming learning across disciplines. Pearson Education, Inc.