Use of baseline data at the end of the year

Task: Explain how some of the data you have used to build a profile of the students’ learning will be used as baseline data at the end of the year.

Developed hypothesis (supported by research and preliminary data): A focus on critical thinking and causal reasoning when responding to texts will support increased levels of critical thinking and ability to create causal links in online written interactions with others.

My preliminary findings are made up data from:

- Reading ages (from running records)

- Reading ages (from a PAT test)

- Writing overall 'age' (from E-asttle writing)

- Writing 'age' for ideas (from E-asttle writing)

- Blog comment level: Critical thinking and Interpersonal skills

- Evidence of causal reasoning being encouraged through tasks

- Observations through running record

All of this data will be able to be compared to that at the end of the year to compare level of critical thinking. Running record data is necessary to ensure that progress occurs when using collaborative reasoning during guided reading sessions.

When looking at evidence of critical thinking/ causal reasoning, I need to decide whether I compare running record data from the same test, even if they have passed that level during the next 6 months or whether I do a comparison between different tests. I feel that a sound comparison for progress in critical thinking would only occur if I compare children's responses on the same test. That is, compare HOW they answer the questions. I have made detailed notes on how individual children responded to the comprehension questions in running record tests, which would make this possible.

At the end of the year, I would hope to see an increase in reading ages, writing 'ages', blog comment levels and evidence of critical thinking (causal reasoning) in all of the above as a result of using strategies of collaborative reasoning in guided reading sessions.

I might need to consider how I can better measure causal reasoning in running records, writing samples and on blogs. Do I look at the number of times children have used language associated with causal reasoning/ justification of their response? Do I use data gathering tools used in studies that have looked into collaborative reasoning?

This video is of Professor Anderson explaining collaborative reasoning. In the video, he mentions the modes from which data was collected and how this connected to their findings.