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.