Data, data, everywhere!

Making sense of an overwhelming amount of information

Collecting data can be, in a word, overwhelming. While attempting to have my Algebra 1 students improve their procedural understanding of mathematics through writing, I have collected attitude surveys, student samples, test scores comparing those who took the time to write to those who didn’t, and more. It seems like I have a flood of evidence that writing has been happening in my classroom, but none to point to if it has made a difference or not.

This year my Algebra 1 students have been doing well, compared to prior years’ classes, but including writing is not the only difference. I have smaller class sizes this year than I have had in the past. I have introduced Unit Plans for each unit outlining what we are learning in each unit and giving students a chance to reflect upon how well they are learning each target. I have also incorporated more real-life examples and applications. It is my belief that all of this in conjunction with writing has lead to more student success.

Although the writing project has had a positive impact on my students, in my biased opinion, I have come to realize that a year long study for this is not enough. I could collect even more data on my students and the truth could be that my approach to writing this year may have helped this group of students, but may not work next year. This technique may not translate to larger classes. Students are not machines, they are complicated human beings who are not all taught by a magic key.

I would love to attribute the success of my Algebra 1 students to the use of more writing, but the truth is, even with all the data I have collected. I don’t know that students have shown success. The difficulty with education is that it takes time to see if a technique works. I would argue one school year is not enough. The questions I have:

• What can I do to improve upon what I did this year next year?
• Even though I won’t be in the project, should I collect similar data?
• How can I turn this procedural approach into one where students can write about their own processes for solving math?
• With more initiatives coming down the line, will I even have time to focus on this?

I have seen enough success to value writing in my classroom. I struggle with all of the data and all of the variables to know if this year’s approach is the best. I guess I want what all teachers want: more time to figure out what is best for my students.