Kim Johnson

TheWalkingClassroom
NeedsAssessment
GreatExpectationsisanonlinecharterschoolservingadiversegroupofabout1,600students
fromkindergartenthroughtenthgrade.Forthisproject,thefocusisonaclassofsixtyseven
fourthgraders.Studentsareguidedthroughtheircurriculumbytheirteachersandparents
workinginapartnershipwiththeparentprovidingthebulkofinstructionforthisagegroup.
Generallyabouthalfofastudentsworkisonlineandabouthalfisdoneofflineusingaset
curriculum.Studentsmeetwithteachersandotherstudentsinanonlineclassroomforaboutan
hourtwiceeachweek.
Atthebeginningoftheschoolyear,severalassessmentsandsurveysaregiventohelpdevelop
eachstudentseducationalplan.Theparentsforthisgroupoffourthgradestudentswereasked
howtheirstudentlearnsbestkinesthetic,auditory,visual,orsomecombination.60outof67
reportedkinestheticorcombination,twolistedauditory,andfournotedtheirstudentswere
visuallearners.Alargenumberofstudentsthriveinalearningenvironmentthatallowsor
encouragesmovement.
Sinceourstudentsworkathome,generallytheymaytakebreaksandmoveasneeded.However
theydohavealargeamountofscreentimeandalargeamountoftexttoreadeachdaysothey
spendagooddealoftimesitting.ItisverydifficultforthosestudentswithADHDandthose
kinestheticlearnerstositstilltoreadandlisten.
Inaddition,todayweareseeingariseinobesity,lackofstrength,andlackofenduranceand
balanceinourstudentsnationwide.Toomuchtimesittingliterallysapsenergy,creativity,

Kim Johnson

motivation,andproductivity.Therearecorrelationsbetweencognitivefunctionandphysical
exerciseandacademicbehaviorsaccordingareportpublishedtheU.S.CentersforDisease
ControlandPrevention.NotedontheWalkingClassroomwebsite,exercisewhenyoungcan
improveacognitivehealthfromyouthintotheadultyearsandphysicalactivityinstudents418
positivelyaffectsbrainhealthandacademicperformanceinallareas.
Academically,writingseemstobethemostdifficultareaforourfourthgradestudentsaccording
tostatetestresultsoverthelastseveralyears.Whetherwritingessays,stories,reports,orjust
respondingtomathorreadingconstructedresponseitems,studentsstrugglewithwritten
expression.
Thepurposeofthisprojectistomeettheneedsofstudentswhoarekinestheticandauditory
learners,provideexerciseopportunitiesandknowledge,improvecognitivefunctionandattitude,
improveknowledgeandvocabularyinliteracytopics,andimprovewrittenexpression.

TheWalkingClassroomprogramisdesignedtomeettheneedsofauditoryandkinesthetic
learners,providingmuchneededmovementandexercisewhilesimultaneouslyaddressing
literacytopicsbasedonCommonCorestandards.Inourvirtualmodel,theprogramwouldhave
studentscompletingtheirwalkswhilelisteningtothelessonrecordingontheirown.Then
teacherscouldusethematerialasaflippedlessontobeaddressedlaterinasynchronousonline
classortoberespondedtoanddiscussedinablogthereforeprovidingsomeauthenticwriting
opportunitiesandasynchronousdiscussion.ThelessonsprovidedonaWalkKitwouldbe
availabletoreviewasneededtomastertheinformation.

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GoalandObjectives
Ourgoalistomeetthespecificacademicneedsofauditoryandkinestheticlearnerswhichinturn
willleadtohigherachievementforourentireschoolcommunity.
ObjectiveOneToincreasecontentknowledge,cognitivefunction,andthelevelofwritten
expressionthroughtheimplementationofTheWalkingClassroomandrelatedwritingactivities
sothatallfourthgradestudentsatGreatExpectationsscoreproficientoradvancedinELAonthe
statetest.
ObjectiveTwoToincreaseknowledgeofhealthandfitnessconcepts,andphysicalactivityby
thirtyminutesperschooldayforallfourthgradersatGreatExpectationsduringthe20152016
schoolyear.
Bothoftheobjectivesstatedabovewillbeaddressed

simultaneouslyusingthemethoddescribed
below.Anorderfor
TheWalkingClassroom
programforfourthgradewillbeplaced(see
AppendixAforprograminformation).ThentheWalkKitswillbeshippeddirectlytoourfourth
gradestudentsthroughoutthestate.StudentswillreceivetheirWalkKitspreloadedwith
recordingsofCommonCoreliteracylessonsthatareunabletobeerased.TheseWalkKitsare
reusableyearafteryear,sothenextgroupoffourthgraderswillbeabletousethem.Students
willalsoreceiveenclosedinstructionsandawalking/listeninglogfromtheirteacher.Fourth

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gradeteacherswilleachreceiveacopyoftheextensiveTeachersGuide(seeAppendixBforthe
fourthgradeprogramtableofcontents).
Atthestartofschool,eachstudentwillbegivenahealth/fitnesspretestusingaGoogleForm
survey.Theneachschooldaystudentswillspendaboutthirtyminuteswalkingandlisteningto
thedayslesson(whichmayincludeanonlinecomprehensionquiz)whichwillbepostedonthe
classwebsite.Eachlessonwillbelistenedtotwicewhichwillprovidetheinitiallistening
experience,reviewofcorecontent,enoughlessonsfortheentireyear,andsomeexercisefor
eachdayoftheweek.
Thistimeofphysicalactivitywillprovidearespitefromscreentime,inactivity,andtoomuch
sitting.Itwillgivestudentsachancetoburnoffsomeenergy,getbloodpumping,andimprove
attitude,focus,andcognitivefunction.Parentswillinitialthewalking/listeninglogeachdaythat
thestudentcompletestheactivity.Itwillscannedandemailedinattheendofeachquarter.A
studentsdegreeofparticipationwillcountastheirPhysicalEducationgradeandaLanguage
Artsparticipationgradeeachquarter.
IfthestudenthasaLiteracysynchronoussessionscheduledwiththeirteacherintheonline
classroomthatday,thestudentwillneedtowalkandlistentotheWalkKitlessonbeforelogging
intotheclass.TheWalkKitlessonwillserveastheflippedportion(likeaprelessonto
introducevocabulary,content,andconcepts)ofthesynchronoussessionthattheteacherwill
buildadditionalactivitiesaroundforguidedandindependentpractice,collaboration,and
assessment.

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TheTeachersGuideprovideslessonplansforeachpodcast.Eachlessonplanaddressesoneor
moreCommonCoreliteracystandards,targetsseveralvocabularywords,makessuggestionsfor
discussion,andprovidesatenquestioncomprehensionquiz.Teachersmayusetheseresourcesin
theirsynchronoussessionand/orsupplementwithotherresources.
Theymayusethecomprehensionquizasapreassessmentwhenstudentsfirstcomein,putitin
aGoogleFormsurveythatstudentscandoimmediatelyfollowinglistening,orattheendof
class.Usingasurveyformatwouldprovideinstantdataintheformofaspreadsheet.Teachers
mayalsohavestudentscompletetheLearningLabskillthatassessesthetargetedstandardwith
stateassessmentlikerigorattheendofclass.TheWalkingClassroomprogramoffersflexibility
sotherearemanyoptions.
Toimprovewrittenexpression,severaltypesofactivitieswillbeused.Ofcoursesomeclass
discussionswillbeverbal,butmanytimesstudentswillrespondtodiscussionquestionsin
writing.Someofthewritingactivitieswillbesynchronousandsomeasynchronousmaking
writingactivitiesaccessiblearoundtheclock.Studentswillhavetheopportunitytowriteinthe
chatboxintheonlineclassroomprivatelyorcorporately,sendorattachadocumenttoaemail,
postonourclassblog(discussionboard),orcollaboratewithanotherstudentinaGoogleDoc.
Severaloftheseoptionswillgivethestudentsachancetoreadeachotherswriting,compliment,
critiquepolitely,askquestions,andlearnbyexample.Ourstudentsenjoythesetypesofactivities
andtheinteractiontheyprovide.
Attheendoftheschoolyear,resultsfromthestatetestwillbein.Weexpectthatdatawillshow
allfourthgradestudentsproficientoradvancedinreadingandwritingasaresultof

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implementingthisprogramandrelatedactivities.Ahealth/fitnessposttestwillalsobegivenvia
aGoogleFormsurvey.Asimpleanalysisofthepretestandposttestshouldshowgrowthinthat
area.Finally,thewalking/listeninglogswillbekeptandtalliedtoshowtheincreaseofphysical
activityforstudentsduringtheschoolyear.
Budget

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Evaluation

Evaluator (internal) Kim Johnson

ObjectiveOne
Toincreasecontentknowledge,cognitivefunction,andthelevelofwrittenexpressionthrough
theimplementationofTheWalkingClassroomandrelatedwritingactivitiessothatallfourth
gradestudentsatGreatExpectationsscoreproficientoradvancedinELAonthe20152016state
assessments.

EvaluationCriteriaObjectiveOne
th
All4
gradestudentsatGreatExpectationswillscoreproficientoradvancedinEnglish

LanguageArtson20152016stateassessments.

ObjectiveTwo
Toincreaseknowledgeofhealthandfitnessconcepts,andphysicalactivitybythirtyminutesper
schooldayforallfourthgradersatGreatExpectationsduringthe20152016schoolyear.

EvaluationCriteriaObjectiveTwoA
th
All4
gradestudentsatGreatExpectationswillsubmitlearning/activitylogseachquarter

showingthirtyminutesofphysicalactivityforallschooldays.
EvaluationCriteriaObjectiveTwoB
th
All4
gradestudentsatGreatExpectationswillshow
growthinknowledgeofhealthandfitness

conceptsasshownintheanalysisofpreandposttestdata.

Kim Johnson

ProcessEvaluation

Activity
ProvideProfessionalDevelopment

Evaluation
SignSheet
Agenda
EvaluationSheet

PurchaseEquipment

PurchaseOrder
RecordofSerialNumbers

PurchaseMaterials

PurchaseOrder
DeliveryReceipt
DistributionofMaterials

ImplementationofProgram

ProgramDescription
Timeline
Activities

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ProgramEvaluation

Activity

ProfessionalDevelopment

Evaluation
ApplicationofLearning:
LessonPlan
Observations
Learning:
Assessments

EquipmentandMaterials

EaseofUse

Program

Participation:
QuarterlyLogs

DataGatheringMethods
Datawillprimarilybequantitative,includingsummativeEnglishLanguageArtsstateassessment
scoresforthefourthgradeclass,quarterlylearning/activitylogs,andhealth/fitness
preassessmentsandpostassessments.

Kim Johnson

DataInstruments
Quarterlylearning/activitylogswillbedesignedandprovidedtofamilies.Theywillprintouta
newlogeachquarterandsubmitthemattheendofeachquarterviaourinternalmailsystem.On
thelogeachschoolday,thestudentwillnotethedate,lessonnumber,andminutesofphysical
activity.Theparentorguardianwillprovideverificationbyinitialingtheformeachday.

Afterreceivingtheteacherguides,identicalhealth/fitnesspreassessmentandpostassessment
surveyswillbecreatedusingGoogleForms.

Takentowardtheendoftheschoolyear,thestateEnglishLanguageArtsassessmentforfourth
gradewillassessmasteryofliteracystandards.

DataAnalysisProcess

Attheendofthe20152016schoolyear,datafromlearninglogswillbecompiledtoshowthe
averagenumberofschooldaysstudentsparticipatedintheprogram.Thehealth/fitness
preassessmentswillbecomparedtoshowthepercentageofgrowthinthesescores.Finally,the
stateEnglishLanguageArtsreportswillprovidestudentindicatorsnotinglevelsofproficiency.
Afinalreportwillbecompilednotingtheextenttowhicheachofthegoalsweremet.

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AppendixA
TheWalkingClassroomInformationSheet(fromprogramwebsite)

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AppendixB
TheWalkingClassroomFourthGradeTableofContents(fromprogramwebsite)

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