Susan+McDonald

=**My Profile:** = I am a fulltime Japanese Language teacher at Wodonga Primary School. Wodonga is a large regional town on the NSW/Vic border. All 700 students from Prep to Year 6 participate in a 45 minute Japanese class each week. I have been teaching as a classroom teacher at the school for the past 3 years, but this is my first year as a Japanese teacher. I have four children. My oldest son married last year. My youngest, Bella is in Year 6 and attends my classes. I have a lovely Japanese Year 11 Exchange student who is living with my family for the 2011 school year.

**Action Research Project Planner:** Which area/s of your practice would you like to improve? What will be your focus for this project in 2011? __Year 5 and 6 Student Motivation and Engagement__. How do I increase engagement of the Year 5 and 6 students in the Japanese class? What will be your focus for this project in 2012? __Advocacy for Japanese__. How do I best advocate for the value of learning Japanese within the School community? || Timeline for 2011 Early March 2011 (2weeks) Mid March Timeline for 2012 __Mid March 2012__ JLTAV conference UNE - LoTE mentoring subject discussions. Professional reading - Michael Clyne. - M __May 2012__ - Education week - Japanese day __June 2012__ Mentoree visit to Wodonga Primary School Budget for Resource Grant What did you do? __Mid March__: Survey results: Video reflections: __25th 26th March__. __28th March__. Some thoughts to concider: __WILD- Amazing Aminals__ __22nd June.-____Year 6 Excursion to Melbourne.__ Took a bus of 40 year 6 students to Melbourne for Japanese excursion. __2012 - using iitomo 1 as a resource for structuring planning and activities for Year 5 & 6__ __May 2012 - MLTAV conference__. Opportunity to explore the MLTAV conference. Met with Mentoree - Debbie West, organised visit to Wodonga Primary School. __23rd May 2012 - Education Week - Japanese Day__ A range of activities organised to promote Japanese in the school comminity. __12 June 2012 - Mentoree Visit__. What did you notice? What would you do the same/differently in the future? ||
 * =** Stage 1 ANALYSE ** – =
 * Discover what could be contributing to this lack of engagement.
 * What are their prior learning experiences ? What do they know?
 * What types of classroom activities do they enjoy? Why?
 * How can I redirect activities to support these interests and learning styles?
 * How do I create a student desire to be successful in Japanese classroom?
 * How do I create a sense of pride in their progress?
 * =** Stage 2 - PLAN ** =
 * =** Stage 2 - PLAN ** =
 * Video tape class in action to discover what's happening.
 * Survey students to discover what they like and dislike about Japanese.
 * Analyse collected data.
 * Use results ot build a plan.
 * Attend JLTAV conferance to explore ideas and resources to enhance student engagement.
 * $55 to purchase Flip camera stand.
 * $260.90 Iitomo 1 resources: Teacher companion, Audio CD, student book and workbook.
 * ==**Stage 3 – ACT ** ==
 * ==**Stage 3 – ACT ** ==
 * ==**Stage 3 – ACT ** ==
 * Survey conducted and results showed that most students enjoy participating in their Japanese class.
 * Students enjoy participating in a wide range of activities.
 * Purpose (why study it?) for learning Japanese seems to be an issue for some students, who have doubts about continuing the subject into high school.
 * Video footage showed that behaviour of 2-3 boys in the class effected the flow of the lesson and inhibited the learning and enjoyment of others.
 * Some students who I had assumed were not engaged were clearly engaged with their learning, dispite distractions around them.
 * Clear expectations for appropriate behaviour and participation in LOTE class covered with all year 5 and 6 classes.
 * Attended JLTAV conference to further explore ideas to enhance student engagement in the classroom.
 * Lyn Watts suggested, using Japanese to converse with others provides purpose; therefore I plan to use more opportunities for student to use oral language in the classroom through partner activities and flip camera activities which allow for students to observe their speech.
 * Explore the possibility of taking a group Year 6 students on an excursion where they are able to engage in Japanese experiences.
 * Explore the possibility of using texts which reflect the interests of pre-teen students.
 * Through ICT, use more contemporary Japanese music and visuals in the classroom.
 * Attend half day workshop at Victoria Museum.
 * Visited Museum Victoria WILD - exhibition with japanese worksheets.
 * Japansese bento lunch at Zakaya Hachibeh.
 * Shopping at Daiso.
 * A very big day for students as we left a 6am and returned to school 8 pm. However students were very engaged through out the day and this enthusiasm continued over the following weeks.
 * undertaking 1 chapter a term using Iitomo as a topic and guidline for curriculum content to cover.
 * Teacher resource book has ideas for additional activites to enhance cultural understanding.- incorporating many of these ideas into the lessons.
 * Using Ipad activities to support lessons with ICT as appropriate.
 * 2012** - Regular displays of Japanese work in school office foyer and school library.
 * Year 5 & 6 students taught a Japanese dance over the previous weeks
 * Performances by School Taiko Drummers, and Japanese dancers.
 * Local Sushi bar - supplied sushi for students
 * Tai Chi at lunch time in the courtyard. - local instructor visited school to demonstrate with students participating.
 * Sumo suits hired - 2 male teachers dressed in suits and performed for the students in courtyard at snack time.
 * Events reported in the school newsletter.;
 * great opportunity for mutual observation and discussion around Language teaching. ||
 * ==**<span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Stage 4 - OBSERVE ** ==
 * ==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Stage 4 - OBSERVE ** ==
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-size: 90%; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Student engagement has significantly increased.
 * <span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 90%; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Minimal behaviour issues within the Year 5 and 6 classes.
 * <span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 90%; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Student learning has improved.
 * <span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 90%; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Student learning is more assessable. ||
 * ==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Stage 5 - REFLECT ** ==
 * ==<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #00800c; font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Stage 5 - REFLECT ** ==