We are always interested in what our faculty members are doing to advance their careers in education.
Math teacher Megan Kurtzman has been completing her second internship for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at Mount St. Mary’s University. She started the program in January 2013 after finishing up her undergrad at High Point University in December 2012. During this semester, she was to engage in a reflective inquiry project in which she could identify a topic of interest related to classroom teaching using current research contained in professional journals.
She chose to focus on the study and organizational habits of her Geometry students by creating an interactive notebook for them to use throughout the entire course. Her inquiry was: "How does the use of an interactive notebook support student achievement in College Preparatory Geometry?"
"The interactive notebook is just a five subject spiral notebook in which students complete all warm ups, homework, and written assignments," said Kurtzman. "All note sheets, worksheets, and graded assessments are then taped within the notebook to allow the students to have access to them later in the year."
This research project was one of the final steps in order to complete her master's degree, along with an additional professional portfolio following the guidelines issued by the Maryland State Department of Education.
"I decided to research this topic with my sophomores in Geometry to address their organizational skills," said Kurtzman. "Overall, the results have been expected throughout the first semester. However, I have been inclined to continue looking at the effect the notebooks will bring to their midterm exam scores."