Week 3 Blog Response to web conference (Internship Supervision)

Blog Response to Week 3 web conference (Internship Supervision):

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This weeks web conference spent a lot of time discussing the action research project.  There was much discussion on resistance and what to do when this occurs. Also, we talked about the negative effects that talking about doing a ‘research’ project can cause and how this may come across within the district.  There was encouragement to focus on solving a problem and even using this language and not talking about it as research so much.  It isn’t formal research, but rather taking steps to solve a particular problem on your campus. 

Action Research Plan Update

There are no revisions to the plan currently.  As my site supervisor gives me more feedback over time I will post updated versions.  Until then, please see my action plan on my previous 2 posts. 

Thanks and I appreciate any feedback you all would like to give.

Action Research Plan - Part 2

Action Planning Template
Goal: Continuation of Action Research Plan – See previous
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
5) Compare data and establish level of effectiveness of student-centered over teacher-centered learning	Myself	May 2012 Also, May 2013 for additional trials	Data collected from action steps 1, 3, 4	Directly compare results from actions steps 1,3,4 and establish hypothesis from collected/compared data
6) Share results with colleagues	Myself	May 2012 and 2013	All data gathered from actions steps 1,3,4,5	Get feedback from colleagues on their experiences
7) Determine future planning strategies as a result of collected data	Myself, Site supervisor, colleagues	May 2012-2013	All data gathered from actions steps 1,3,4,5 and feedback from colleagues	Get feedback from colleagues after discussing future planning steps

Action Research Plan - Part 1

Action Planning Template
Goal: Determine the impact of student-centered learning, as compared to traditional teaching methods, on student academic achievement in math for grades 4-6 (specific to my classroom).
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1) Assess current academic performance relative to teaching style	Myself	March 2012- May 2012 Also, May 2013 for additional trials	Lesson Plans Work Samples Test Scores Observations	Develop a baseline to compare outcomes of different action steps (teacher- and student-centered lesson plans)
2) Develop teacher-centered and student-centered lesson plans	Myself, will be reviewed by my co-teachers	March 2012- May 2012 Also, May 2013 for additional trials	Lesson plans Manipulatives Computer Some type of projector	Peer reviews to determine if both types of plans exist
3) Incorporate teacher-centered lesson plans and collect data on the outcomes of student performance	Myself	March 2012-Weekly, maybe break down to every couple of days May 2012 Also, May 2013 for additional trials	Lesson Plans Work Samples Teacher-made quizzes and tests Test Scores Observations	Review students scores and observations made, establish relationship to original baseline
4) Incorporate student-centered lesson plans and collect data on outcomes of student performance	Myself	March 2012 – Considering different rotations with the teacher-centered lessons May 2012 Also, May 2013 for additional trials	Lesson Plans Work Samples Teacher-made quizzes and tests Test Scores Observation Data	Review students scores and observations made, establish relationship to original baseline as well as teacher-centered established baseline

Action Research - Week 2 thoughts

After viewing the videos of some leaders in education, I found a few common threads among them.  First, research is based on data.  Data must be used in order to really hone in on my research question.  It's what's going to help me pinpoint the very thing I am investigating.  By collecting data, I will be able to watch the trends in my research and note where progress is being made and where I was off track.  Second, I continued to hear how important it is to research an area that is practical.  It doesn't make any sense for me to ask a question that I can't answer or that I don't have experience with.  The inquiry must be measurable and if measurable, then close enough to me that I can gain sufficient exposure. 

Blogging and Education

The world of blogging is constantly expanding and changing.  Concerning education, there are so many things to be shared, taught and learned that can't be communicated in a classroom.  Why not enter the blogging sphere? A blog can be used to share stories and other pieces of information when and where they happened.  It creates a place where learning can go beyond the walls of a classroom.  Why risk losing important aspects of what you want to share while waiting for the first bell to ring the next day?

Action Research - Defined

Action research is turning out to be a beautiful thing.  Simply put, action research is as follows: asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, making changes based on your findings and sharing this information with others.  I have always loved the idea of learning from my mistakes and action research is a great facilitator of just that.  Action research allows a person to look within at what they are doing and determine what areas need to be adjusted, added or completely removed. 

Action research can be used in a variety of settings.  Within education, action research can be used in the classroom for a specific teacher's look into his or her own teaching practice.  This would allow a person to find weaknesses in student learning and discover how those weaknesses are related to his or her teaching methods, style and mentality.  Accordingly, the teacher could them make adjustments in order to better accommodate student learning and growth.  Another area where action research can be applied is in administrative positions.  An administrator can use action research to question and analyze their own methods of leadership and communication and make adjustments accordingly.  As my understanding of action research grows, I look forward to seeing more reasons and possibilities for implementation in my own career.