Week 4 Reflection

The focus of this week was to learn about four strategies for sustaining improvement.

• Force Field Analysis
• Delphi Method
• Nominal Group Technique
• CARE model

The assignment required me to summarize each of the strategies and then explain how I might be able to use the stategies in my action research. This really helped me to learn about the strategies and see how they could fit into my action research.

I am enjoying blogging and the professional learning community that is being created because of it. I like having a place to summarize what I have learned each week. I really appreciate my followers and check often to see if anyone has commented. I valuable the input from the comments and have made some revisions based on the comments. I am also enjoying following the blogs of others and I learn from them as well.

Week 3 Draft Action Research Plan and Reflection

Draft Action Research Plan

SCHOOL VISION: To provide quality instruction that enhances student academic performance.

GOAL: We have two schools in our district that have academically unacceptable ratings. During audits of these schools by an external SIT, it was found that the students need to be more engaged with technology. A professional development initiative called Bloomin’ SMART will be provided to assist the teachers with technology integration to engage the students. This professional development is voluntary and will be designed to train teachers to use interactive whiteboard software to create lessons that are aligned to district and state standards and provide differentiated learning. The course will be both online and face-to-face. It will begin March 20, 2012 and continue through July 9, 2012. The teachers participating will implement the lessons from the professional development with their students this year and next school year. In an effort to understand the effects of increasing student engagement through technology, the following wondering was born.

Is there improved academic performance of the students whose teachers participated in the Bloomin' SMART professional development program and implement the lessons from the
professional development in their classes?

1. Examining the Work: Setting the Foundation –
During external SIT audits of unacceptable campuses and meetings with principals and directors, the issue of the lack of integration of technology in the classroom to engage students with differentiated instruction is identified as a concern. Create course to provide professional development, Bloomin’ SMART, to train teachers to use interactive whiteboard software to create lessons that are aligned to district and state standards and provide differentiated learning.

2. Analyzing Data –
Use a variety of data collection strategies. Probable findings might include data that supports research that shows interactive whiteboards are effective tools for increasing student achievement. Analyze quantitative student achievement data by comparing 2011-2012 benchmark tests, and standardized test scores to those in 2012-2013.

Conduct electronic searches (Perform Google searches about the use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) and student achievement).

3. Developing Deeper Understanding –
Engage in additional data analysis completed from a combination of qualitative data
collection strategies. Including field notes, teacher and student interviews
and student work.

4. Engaging in Self-Reflection –
Participate in self-reflection of the Bloomin’ SMART professional development course and the interpretation of the data.

Is the online format of the professional development conducive to teacher learning and participation?

Are the teachers successfully creating lessons that meet the criteria of the rubric?

Are the teacher’s successfully implementing the lessons from the Bloomin’ SMART
training in their classes? If so, what is the effect on student engagement and
achievement?

5. Exploring Programmatic Patterns –
Explore the patterns and gaps that surface as a result of further analysis and reflection. Discuss outcomes of project with Site supervisor, principals and curriculum director. Formulate and answer applicable questions that will address the issues.

Is the program making a positive difference in student
achievement? Do any gaps exist?

What are the pros and cons of the Bloomin’ SMART
project?

Could anything be done to improve the project?

6. Determining Direction –
With Site supervisor, principals and curriculum director look at all of the previously gathered information and make decisions about project’s direction.

Should the program continue and be implemented on a larger scale?

7. Taking action for school improvement – See Plan of action to guide the action research.

8. Sustaining improvement –

Learning to use the tools of action research as an on-going process for professional development and school improvement.

Continue to implement the features of this project that improved student achievement.
Share these results with district stakeholder and Lamar colleagues.

Week 3 Reflection

I feel like week 1 and 2 assignments, readings and lectures have provided the foundation for the week 3 assignment. Because of the knowledge that I have gained and helpful comments and suggestions from colleagues, I have edited my action research question. It is now less wordy and more to the point. I am pleased with it. The Week 3 lectures, readings and assignments have helped me to develop my action research plan to conduct my action research project. I like having the written plan as a guide or blueprint to follow. Although I will still probably need to make revisions to the plan, the pieces are starting to come together for me.

Week 2 Reflection

Lessons learned from Week 2:

I am now better able to define my action research after this week's assignement, videos and web conference. It is, Does Bloomin' SMART, a professional development initiative to train teachers to use interactive whiteboard software to create lessons that are aligned to district and state standards and provide differentiated learning, improve the academic performance of the students whose teachers participate in the program and implement the training in their classes? I still might need to refine it and make it less wordy. However, it meets important criteria of an action research study that I learned this week. From the scholar interviews, the importance of practical research was pointed out. This study would fit that criteria because it is of interest to me, provides focus and benefits students. From the web conference with Dr. Abshire, I became more aware the importance of longevity of the study. This study will span a period of approximately 10 months which should be an appropriate length. In addition, the web conference made me more keenly aware of how to better focus the topic. Another tip from the web conference that I want to remember to do is to search for another similar research project and see if I can replicate it. Finally, reading in the Dana (2009) book about the nine topics that are ripe for action research, of which mine is one (professional development), helped me to better understand why these areas would benefit from action research. Also this helped me to better understand how to formulate action research questions.

Week One Assignment, Part 3 - Building a Blog on Action Research

What I have Learned about Action Research and How I Might be Able to Use It.

In this assignment I have learned that action research is a systematic discovery process. It is done by the insiders who are close to the issue rather than by outsiders who might not truly understand what is best for the school’s unique situation. The process of action research fosters collaboration and professional development among the leadership team or professional learning community involved in the process. This group identifies with the issue and by going through the process, they will feel ownership in the solution which increases the chances that the solution will have sustained success. The action research process begins with an issue or a change that is needed in order for there to be improvement. Then a clear and concise question is formed that will drive the inquiry. Data from a variety of sources will be collected in an effort to answer the question that has been asked. The data is scrutinized and then a decision will be reached based on the results of the inquiry. Then a plan of action will be developed, implemented and monitored to see if it produces the desired results. If so, it be maintained. If not, the process will continue to cycle until resolution is found.

Action research is a healthy process that requires a great deal of time, effort and reflection. However, the practice of inquire has many inherent benefits. It demonstrates to the rest of the school that the educational leader values learning and participates and collaborates in the problem solving process to make necessary improvements for the school. While at the same time, the reflection that is required by action research is helping those who practice it on a regular basis to become better decision makers and expert leaders.

Analysis of How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

Blogs are a valuable tool for educational leaders. For instance, blogs provide educational leaders with a medium to share and reflect with an audience of colleagues from around the world. It offers an anytime, anywhere, web-based way for the administrator to journal and to document his/her thoughts in a variety of formats ranging from written form to photographic form. Blogs provide the unique feature of not just one-way sharing with others, but with the comment feature, two-way collaboration and feedback provides valuable insight for the leader.

In addition, blogging is another way that educational leaders can serve as positive role models for their school. Blogging shows that the leader values the writing process and provides a good example for the students and staff to emulate.