My action Research PLAN, man.

SCHOOL VISION:
To better equip our students of today to be the leaders for tomorrow…

GOAL:
Provide data and resources to prove that web 2.0 tools used by instructional staff will promote higher student achievement.

Outcomes:
Data will provide evidence to suggest that students are more engaged and successful in classrooms where new technologies are used.

Activities:
Four 11th grade English teachers will use the same short prose to prepare a lesson. Two will use multimedia and Web 2.0 tools. The other two will prepare the lesson without them.

Resources/Tools Needed:
Meet with teachers to discuss project
Training the two teachers on web 2.0 tools and various multimedia skills.
Interviews with the teachers prior and after assignment.
Interviews with students prior and after assignment.
Monitoring of each classroom, with notes taken on percentage of students who are engaged with lesson using a rubric.
Polls for the students after assignment.
Standard benchmark test on text for all four classrooms.

Responsibility: Using a Professional Learning Community
Meet with teachers: PLC group
Training: Member 2 and 3
Interviews: Member 1 and Member 5
Monitoring: Shared by PLC group
Develop participation rubric: Member 2
Poll developing: Member 3
Poll administering: Member 4 and 5
Develop test: Teachers with member 4

(I used “members” here since my PLC is obviously not been made yet)

Timeline:
Three weeks, one for training and planning, the next for monitoring and teaching, the third to compile our data and do any necessary additional interviews.

Assessment:
Polls for the students after assignment to gauge participation and enthusiasm regarding the lesson.
Standard benchmark test on text for all four classrooms.
Data on the percentage of engaged students in each classroom.

Week two reflections

This week was an interesting one where I could focus on my action research topic. There are many things that I would like to see improved at my school, but based on the specificity of my degree (technology) I felt it best to research the gap between teachers in regards to this. I don't want to make it appear to be an us vs. them type study but rather through this study to change the minds of some educators who are stuck in the 80's. Listening to the video interviews this week I was quite shocked by some of the answers from Dr. Timothy Chargois. Especially when he stated that small moments of "getting through to one student" were no longer valid, that we have to look at the big picture. That made me mad, i believe that if we forget about those individuals then we lose the heart of education. Without the human presence we are just robots, regurgitating information.

How could educational leaders utilize blogs?

According to the Dana text blogs are "another excellent way principal-researchers can capture their thinking as inquiry unfolds." Blogs are an instant way to organize and share. Inquiry researchers can post text, photos, video or any other data that may be relevant. Blogs can stay up over time as well and promote even more reflection when you look back at past thoughts and references. In my use of blogs they are particularly useful in giving immediate feedback and dialogue. They would work well with small groups and departments to share thoughts and ideas outside of outdated and overused email. Obviously blogs are are a new web 2.0 skill that will promote any individual into being techno savvy. One of the best parts, blogs are free and immediate!Any educational leader that wants to appear up to date and collaborative must use them in this new era of teaching and learning.

Action Research!

Action Research is a viable tool in school improvement. It is a great form of professional development where leaders can take control of their own professional growth. It is also validating and incredibly school specific. Instead of educational leaders relying on data from outsiders such as universities and outside programs they look intrinsically. Action research allows us to use the skills and opinions of the ENTIRE campus in order to promote change. What is particularly nice about this approach is that everyone has a stake in this game. We all are allowed ownership in the positive change on our campus. According to the Dana text this makes more fluid change possible with teachers and far less resistance when teachers are part of the decision making process. In my own experience I heartily agree and believe that as a staff if we were more informed of the "why" and "how" involved in our changes I would be more likely to accept radical or small changes. Action research also promotes a heavy amount of self and campus wide reflection. Instead of being reactive when a problem arises we could constantly be reflecting on our campus and then in turn become more proactive. Overall though I just like the fact within this type of research I can have a voice and one person does not make all the decisions that effect me and my school.