An interview with my favorite teacher...me.

As my first assignment for my EDLD 5362 Information Systems Management course I was asked to interview a teacher who has been teaching for 20 years.  The purpose of the interview would be to gain perspective on how the teaching profession has changed from implementation of the internet in schools.  My school district is a year round district and the past two weeks we have been on intersession meaning this wasn’t the best week to interview a colleague.  But because I have taught in schools in which the technology was not up to date and schools that are on the cutting edge of technology I can give some perspective on the difference between pre internet teaching and post internet teaching.

The first four years of my teaching career were done at parochial schools here in El Paso, Texas.  There are many benefits to sending your children to a parochial school. Unfortunately technology is not one of those reasons.  The two parochial schools that I taught in during those four years were housed in buildings that were a combined 100 years old. No classrooms were wired for internet and the computer labs were filled with donated and outdated computers. 

The teaching practices that I was broken in with at these schools included the handing out of lesson plan books and grade books being handed out at the beginning of the school year.  Students were assigned books and asked to read the section and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.  Lectures were given as I wrote notes on a chalk board (I can’t tell you how many neckties I ruined).   I created tests on my home computer and printed them out on my personal printer.  I would take roll and write down absent students’ names on a piece of paper and clip it to the outside of my door.   I discovered TEKS five months into school when they were handed to me in a 3” 3 ring binder. 

Instructional strategies were given during district wide seminars.  The seminars were normally split between instructional strategies and religious growth and development of students.  The students that I taught were from mostly lower income families who sacrificed many things to ensure their children had a catholic school education.  I would venture out and say that 70% of their homes did not have the internet.  Many of my students entertained themselves at lunch by playing marbles or tops. During my fours years at the parochial schools I was unaware of any research and learning theories that were in place in 2001.  This extent of my knowledge came from a Harry Wong book. This was not something that was high on the priority list.

In 2007, after earning my teaching certificate, I joined the staff at John Drugan School.  Drugan is a public K-8 school in one of the fastest growing districts in Texas.  Drugan’s doors had only been open two years and it was one of the most technologically up to date schools in the city.  Every classroom had a white board and projector in place.  The first time I met the staff at Drugan they were in one of three computer labs in the school.  They were all receiving training on how to update their page on the school’s website.  I received a class set of books to be used as reference to support the PowerPoint lectures that I had created during my last two years at the parochial schools.  My first day I was assigned a user name and password to access my online grade book and online attendance.  I was given a lesson plan template created on Excel and was asked to make sure I have lesson plans emailed to the principal by 3:15 on Fridays.  I received the itinerary for inservice week via email and signed my contract electronically.  I was taught how to call in sick days via the internet, look up student information via internet, and how to make my seating charts via internet.

During my six years in the public schools our monthly faculty meetings normally consist of teaching theory and practices portion followed by a technology portion.  Substitutes are called in so we can be trained on the latest online educational software the district has decided to invest in.  We are expected to spend time every summer attending seminars that will improve our teaching skills and to keep us up to date with the latest education theories. 

I teach using PowerPoint and I feel those days are numbered.  Students have to be entertained while they are learning.  Classrooms are now student centered as opposed to teacher centered.  I have to create lessons that will not only teach the required TEKS but that will also capture the students’ attention.  I access those TEKS via a website and it tells me how many days I should be spending on this topic. . I allow the students to use two thousand dollar lap tops to access the internet wirelessly to do research for presentations they will be giving to their classmates. I assign group assignments.  I have students email me assignments and I have even created “classrooms” on education social media sites.   I teach, reteach and then rereteach every topic I am expected to cover.  Students see information in at least three different ways.  I teach to the visual, auditory, kinetic, and even the olfactory learners.  I don’t assign worksheets unless I am absent (which is rare). And I do this all before the late April deadline where we all get to show off how well we performed our roles during the course of the year.

During the week I also spoke with a 20 year school secretary veteran.  I asked her how her job has changed since the internet has become a part of the education system.  She said there is much less paper that she deals with.  Communication has sped up and is better documented.  She does admit as much help as the internet has brought to her job there is always that feeling that we are helpless if the internet is not available,  a feeling that I know all too well.

The internet now plays a large role in today's educational system.  There is a model of technology use in the classroom in which a teacher goes from becoming familiar with technology to using the technology to integrating it into the classroom. (Hooper & Rieber 1995) I would think that many teachers need to be at this point in order to expect any success.  The model has two more levels which are used by teachers of the future.  The next two steps are to reorient the technology to fit the needs of the students and then finally to make the technology grow and evolve into something else.

According to Ronald Berks' paper and lecture No Teachers Left Behind, most teachers in the classroom today can be classified as Gen Xers (born between 1961 and 1981)(Berk 2009).  He describes our students as Net Geners.  He suggests that we take an Avatar  (tall blue aliens not bald headed element bender) approach and do some reconnaissance on students and find out what makes them tick.  Then we can use technology to hone into pathways that will most likely lead to the flash drive in their brains.

 

20 years ago teachers needed a strong pedagogy and content knowledge background.  Now not only do you need the pedagogy and the content knowledge but a strong technology background is  necessary to be a teacher.(Wallace 2004). The fact of the matter is that technology is hear.  Fearing it is useless and could be detrimental to your educational career.  Embracing the technology and showing no fear though you walk into the Silicon valley of darkness, hand in hand with your students is without a doubt the path to success.

 

 

 

Berk, R. (2009). No teacher left behind. Teaching strategies for the net generation.http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/NES_Publications/2011_09Berk.pdf

Hooper, S., & Rieber, L. P. (1995). Teaching with technology. In A. C. Ornstein (Ed.), Teaching: Theory into practice, (pp. 154-170). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Wallace, R.A Framework for Understanding Teaching With the Internet.American Educational Research Journal.  https://www.msu.edu/~mccrory/_pubs/McCroryWallaceAERJ04.pdf

 

Teaching with Technology Reflections

Week V in Review

This entire course has inspired me to incorporate more technology into my class.  I was too scared to jump in feet first, so I experimented with my Pre Advanced Placement class.  I started an Edmodo site and invited my students to join.  The idea is that we can use Edmodo (which is now being referred to as Nerd Facebook) as a medium to post and critique videos the students will be creating next 9 weeks demonstrating Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.  By using Edmodo I hope to avoid the long process of showing videos in class.  I will also follow the format used by Lamar, and I will have the students comment on their classmates videos on Edmodo.   I also plan on flipping my class for a unit on Physics calculations.  I will be creating a series of lectures using "Show Me" on the iPad  showing the students how I want them to solve certain problems.  They will be responsible for watching the lecture at home and then they come into class and do their "homework" using what they learned the previous evening.   I know that I have a long way to go to improve the technology in my class room, but I am taking baby steps in the right direction.  With the help of my students I do believe the options are limitless.  The main limits will be whether or not the students have access at home.  Fingers crossed.

Universal Design Lessons

After three weeks of discussing and now working on the creation of a Universal Designed Lesson I absolutely see the benefits of this type of design.  It does a great job of making the class student centered and it is easily integrated with technology.  I think that in order to catch and maintain today's student's attention different methods must be used and they and this design could make it easier for a teacher to do so.  I do think that if a student is able to see different methods of teaching they are able to make adjustments to the different techniques.  The major benefit for the student in seeing this and other teaching methods is that they can determine what works for them and really take the learning into their own hands.  I am concerned that students will begin to think that every teacher they encounter should be as entertaining as a teacher that uses this type of design.  There should be a balance in the classroom.  There should be a little bit of creativity. There should be a little of desk work.  There should be a little bit of lecture and there should be a little of desk work.  Finally in today's standardized testing era a student always needs practice taking multiple choice tests.  Maintaining the balance between these methods is in my opinion the best way to motivate and engage students.

Frank's The Outsiders Science Lesson Plan

As part of the unit lesson using the S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders I created a science lesson to have the students take a look at the effects of smoking.  All the major characters in the book are young smokers and we wanted to ensure the students understand the effects on the health of these characters.  Here is the lesson:

Frank's Lesson Plan

The Effects of Smoking on Teenagers Lesson Overview Title: The Effects of Smoking on Teenagers Author: Frank McDonald Subject: Science Grade Level(s): 6–8 Duration: 5 days Unit Description                This section would be part of a grade level study on the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  Students will be expected to create a presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi describing the long term effects and the short term effects of smoking on teenagers.           Lesson Description for Day Students will be divided into four groups.  Each group will be responsible for creating a presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi.  Each group will receive a topic in which to cover in their presentation; 1)Short Term Effects of smoking. 2)Long Term Effects of smoking. 3)Methods of quitting smoking. 4)Methods of prevention of smoking. Each group will create the presentation, present the presentation and provide an assignment that will allow students to practice their newly gained knowledge.  Each group will also be responsible for creating a 3 question quiz which will be given to the class as a formative assessment.             State Standards          TEKS 6th (5)  Health behaviors. The student engages in behaviors that reduce health risks throughout the life span. The student is expected to: (C)  Describe chemical dependency and addiction to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs and substances. (D)  explain the relationship between tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and other substances and the role these items play in unsafe situations such as drinking and driving and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) transmission; (E)  identify ways to prevent the use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and other substances such as alternative activities; TEKS 7th & 8th(5)  Health behaviors. The student engages in behaviors that reduce health risks throughout the life span. The student is expected to: (J)  identify ways to prevent the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs such as alternative activities;                  Goals Unit Goals: To read, comprehend, interpret, and analyze S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders using Universal Design Lessons.   Lesson Goals: To understand the short term effects of smoking on teenagers. To understand the long term effects of smoking on teenagers. To understand methods of prevention of smoking. To understand methods of quitting smoking. To create a presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi.   Methods Anticipatory Set: Students are to read S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders.  Student's will have had to have worked with PowerPoint or Prezi, along with technology basics such as saving work, accessing files, etc.                 Students are to read S.E. Hinton's <em>The Outsiders</em>.  Student's will have had to have worked with PowerPoint or Prezi, along with technology basics such as saving work, accessing files, etc.     Introduce and Model New Knowledge:   Student will be asked if anyone they know smokes and if they have ever been asked if they want to smoke.  Provide Independent Practice: Individual practice will be an assignment pertaining to the topic being covered by each group.  Each group will be responsible for including an assignment to go with their presentation.        Wrap-Up Review of long and short term effects. Review of methods of quitting and more importantly methods of prevention of smoking.                      Assessment Formative/Ongoing Assessment: Students will create a 3 question quiz as part of their presentation.                                                       Summative/End Of Lesson Assessment: Multiple choice test as created by Eduphoria.   When I give students assignments like this I like to tell them that I am tired of teaching and I want them to take over.  The amount of pride they take in their work is incredible and I normally have to be very clear on the amount of information that is included in the presentations.  I give them enough guidance to keep them from overwhelming their classmates with data.  I will normally have to edit the quizzes as well.  A lot of times the quiz questions are more specific than needed.  I will remind the students of their goals for the presentation.

Technology and self-esteem

"Significant gains in self-esteem were reported in a study conducted by Ryser (1990) in which computers were introduced into an experimental elementary school. A control group using traditional instruction methods in this same study reported no such gains."

 

It is my belief that once you have established confidence in a subject that a student will now be willing to invest the time to become better.  If technology can help increase that confidence, then it is well worth the effort of the educator to implement computer use in the classroom.

 

I do believe the programs that are used are very important to help build that confidence.  Programs that I have seen and used in my classroom follow a video game like format. The student acts as a character in the game and has to accomplish a set of tasks.  Progress is tracked as the student  navigates his or her way through some educational world.  Student is given information through video and that information is then used by the student to move through different levels.  Immediate feedback is provided given the student a chance to correct any mistakes or misconceptions. 

 

My 6 year old son's school subscribes him to IXL, a math website, and ReadingEggs, a reading website.  My son's class will go the compute lab and they will have an opportunity to work on these sites to improve their math and reading skills.  We can also use these sites to at home in order to build and reinforce lessons from school.  We used these sites this summer to help maintain concepts he learned during his Kindergarten year and to help prepare for his 1st grade year.  He could easily stay on these websites for hours, but we kept it to set time to insure boredom didn't become a factor.  He absolutely has a blast with the technology and he is learning at the same time.  Thus far he has shown that he loves the sites and he loves to learn and that should be the goal of any educational tool and educator.

 

 

What I learned in the 1st week of EDLD 5364.

During the first week of EDLD 5364 I have reconfirmed the type of teacher that I am and the type of teacher I want to become.  Although my classroom is set up in a very traditional manner in which all the students' desks are facing the front and they write notes as I lecture there is a very strong constructivist flavor.  I find ways to relate the information to things that hold my students' interests.  I am okay with having the students' help me build lessons and I ask how they would like to be able to show me they grasp the content.  We create projects that allow students' to both show they understand the information and to be creative in the process.  We don't read from the text and we don't answer the questions at the end of the section.  We do create foldables, they do have to link new concepts to prior knowledge, and most importantly we have fun while we are learning.

 

Probably the most important thing I have learned is that I need to start saving my money so I can become a cyborg.  I have a hard time not having the latest model of a cell phone.  I need to make sure that I catch this next technology wave.

Digital Graphics and Web Design course wrap up.

This course provided another opportunity to work in a group.  I enjoy the group work because it gave us an opportunity to network and to share ideas.  It always makes me happy to see when a group of people can manage to create a product even though they probably would not be able to pick each other out in a crowd. Being able to use Google Docs makes the group work quite a bit easier. The group work also presents a challenge to be able to coordinate time and work despite our varying schedules. This is the one thing that is a little nerve racking to me.  Our group work began just as my school year was beginning.  Knowing that my school district is the only district in Texas that has begun made me nervous.  I did not want my group mates to think I was not putting in the same amount of effort they were putting in.  My schedule allowed me to be the most productive on our assignments on the weekend.

 

    I really enjoyed several of the assignments during this 5 week course.  I particularly enjoyed the self logo assignment.  I appreciated having to stop and reflect on what I could use to represent me and what I want to accomplish as a teacher and a person.  I enjoyed it so much that I turned around and gave that assignment to my Pre Advanced Placement students.  Their self designed logo was used to decorate the composition notebook used for my class.

 

     In creating my logo and reflecting on the kind of teacher I wanted to be, I realized that I wanted to incorporate more technology into my class.  As our team divided up the portions of the web page I was able to work on the “How To” page.  This allowed me to research three Web 2.0 tools.  I researched an animation site in which you can manipulate a stick figure to create a flipbook type animation (www.stykz.com), a site that allows you to create a poster of words (www.wordle.com), and a site that allows you to share PowerPoints you have created with people around the world (www.slideshare.com). But my greatest find was the tool that I used to show how to use all these sites.  Screencast-o-matic (www.screencast-o-matic.com) is a site that allows you to record what is being seen the screen of your computer.  I was able to record my mouse actions as I navigated through each site.  Not only does it record my screen activity but I was able to record my voice as I narrated what I was doing on the site.  This site could play a crucial role in creating a reverse classroom in which my students can watch my lecture for homework and come into the class to apply their knowledge in class.  This group assignment also allowed me to triple the amount of posts I have on YouTube.

To check out the web site we created go to https://sites.google.com/site/everyoneelseleftovers/

Movie Maker video podcast

This morning I had never podcasted in my life.  Now at 9:15 pm (Mountain standard time) I have not only podcasted but I have video podcasted as well.  Here is a link to my effort at creating a video podcast using Jing a free screen recorder.

http://screencast.com/t/HGEmWouulb

 

Podcaster...the Evolution of a Blogger

For my week two assignment I was to record a podcast using the open source application Audacity.
I had used Audacity once years ago to create my own custom ringtone.  I thought every one would enjoy Dane Cook's car alarm song every time I got a phone call.   I was wrong. 

I chose to explain how to download and install Audacity in my podcast.  I could definitely feel the pressure of recording my voice as I read from a script I had written.  I fumbled over a couple of words but I was able to edit those flubs out using the user friendly Audacity tools.  I also found myself editing out a lot of my breathing.  I could have pieced together the clips I cut and created a pretty good obscene phone call.

Here is a video of my podcast.

I know what I did last summer.

The first assignment for my EDLD 5363 Multimedia Video Technology course was to create an autobiographical video using a movie creator. In this case I chose to use iMovie for Apple.  In making this video using video clips and still pictures that I took last summer reminded me how productive my summer was last year. 

 

This assignment began with creating a script for the movie.  I was able to create a theme for the video.  Our principal constantly reminds us that she lives her summer through our adventures and travels.  I imagined having this video cue up when she asked, "Did anyone do anything interesting this summer?"  I would answer with a "Well Mrs. Cook, this is what I did this summer...start the video."  So the script took a direction of me speaking to my colleagues and my principal.

 

Next we had to create a storyboard that we had to share with a classmate for critiquing.  I created a story board using the Show Me application on the iPad.  This was my first show me and it has opened my eyes as to how I could use this application in my classroom.  Here is the link to my Show Me storyboard.

http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=JDrXWGu

 

Finally we had to post our final product to Youtube or Teachertube websites.  This was my first posting onto either site which completed a goal that I had had.  Here is my final video product.

The search for action research.

I think the whole action research topic has been very enlightening and refreshing.  I now have a name for something I have done in my classroom throughout my ten year career.  I was able to see examples of action research in my school and in my school district.  I saw I had been involved in action research as both a researcher and as a participant.  I saw how informal action research was used by my administration to improve faculty meetings and teacher inservices.  I also saw how formal action research is used to plan for the year within the school and by the district.
One specific area in which I want to learn more is using action research to improve as a leader of adults as opposed to a leader of children.  If I decide to go into administration the style of leadership I use with the kids will have to be altered to lead adults.  I am constantly observing our administration to see how they handle themselves in different situations. I watch how they talk to faculty, staff, students, and parents.  
In order to improve on my leadership skills I plan on seeking out more leadership positions.  Recently I took on the task of organizing our school's Pre Advanced Placement scheduling.  Students were offered the opportunity to take a test which score along with the students grade point average and teacher recommendation would determine if they were eligible for Pre AP.  I had to work with teachers to obtain their lists of qualified students and to organize a Pre AP night in which parents and students came to get a general understanding of Pre AP and to sign district created contracts to be apart of the program.  Once contracts were signed it was my responsibility to give our registrar a list of the students and the courses they had agreed on taking.

This was an action research project in which I learned how important communication is in order to create a successful event.  I jumped into the situation with both feet and I had a tremendous amount of help from a colleague who did the organizing last year.  I did learn that I have to improve on my communication skills.  I also learned the timing of the communication is very important.  I look forward to making more mistakes and learning from them in a leadership role.

Finalized Research Plan

Title: When used as a supplemental material, can the educational software Compass Learning increase academic performance of low performing 8th grade science students?

Compass Learning is an online educational software which is in line with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).  The software can be used to determine a learning path for individual students based on the results of a pre-test. The learning path includes video modules, interactive activities, and quizzes.

Participants for the research will be determined by averages in science after the 1st 3 weeks of the 1st 9 weeks on the Fall of 2013.  The students will be asked to come in before and after school in order to access the program and to complete the learning paths designed for each student.

Compass Learning maintains records of the students performance on assessments.  I will also use unit exams designed by CSCOPE to track progress of participants.  Most importantly the participants overall grade will be monitored as well.

The Action Research will continue for the duration of the 1st 9 weeks.  Results will be analyzed and perhaps more inquiries will arise during that time.

Action Research Draft

Action Research Report Draft

Abstract or Executive Summary

This is a ½ to 1 page executive review of the completed action research study - basically, an overall summary.  Wait until you have the results and conclusions of your research study to write this.  The purpose of an abstract is for the reader to quickly see if this is a report that they wish to read.  So, be sure to include the basics, i.e., school, location, problem addressed, intervention, and results as clearly and succinctly as possible.

 

Title and Author

The title of your research report should clearly describe your problem and intervention.  Although some titles need to be longer than usual, please try to limit the number of words you use.   More information on the title will be given in EDLD 5398.

 

When used as a resource for tutoring, can the online educational program Compass Learning increase academic performance in low performing 8^th grade science students?  Compass Learning is a program purchased by the district and I want to know if it is worth the cost.

 

Introduction / Background (Section One) 

This section sets the stage for the reader to better understand the overall action research project.  The first part is typically several paragraphs describing the overall scenario or context of your study, e.g. name of school, location, relevant history, demographics (ethnicity and socio-economic level of students, grade levels, urban or rural, etc.), your position, and any other relevant information that will assist the reader in understanding the context of your study.  Include any significant challenges or biases discovered that might impact the project.

The next part is a description of the problem you confronted, e.g., students disrupting class, detention hall not causing any improvements, low levels of knowledge or skill in reading or computer applications, etc.  In general terms, try to describe to the reader the nature of the problem including severity, how long the problem has occurred,  or any other relevant information so that the reader has a full understanding of the details of the problem or issue.

The next part is typically a brief paragraph stating what you want to find out.  This may be in the form of a research question or simply a statement describing the purpose of conducting your action research.

The next paragraph explains who will benefit from the information that your action research project will provide, and how, or in what ways they will benefit.  Be sure to add a sentence noting that your study will add to the knowledge base of your topic (e.g. middle school discipline, elementary peer tutoring, etc.)

The last part of this section will be a listing of terms that you believe need to be defined so that readers outside of your school or field can better understand.  Education seems to have its own language.

 

John Drugan School is a kindergarten through 8^th grade public school located in El Paso, Texas.  Drugan is a part of the Socorro Independent School District.  The school opened its doors in 2005.  The students involved in the research are of varying socio-economic backgrounds and are mainly of Hispanic decent.

 

The researcher is a 7^th and 8^th grade science teacher with 10 years of education experience.  The researcher has been teaching middle school science at Drugan since 2007.

 

Compass Learning was introduced to Drugan during the Spring semester of the 2012-2013 school year.  The program is designed to provide additional support to teachers of all levels and all subjects.  The version of Compass Learning made available to teachers of Socorro ISD is for middle school Math and Science.  Middle school Math and Science teachers received two, day long professional development courses on how to use Compass Learning.  

 

Teachers were encouraged to work Compass Learning into their weekly lesson plans but with limited computer lab access it quickly became an issue.  Compass Learning modules were designed and assigned to middle school students to complete at home.  Issues with internet access soon arouse and a different use for Compass Learning was then sought.  The educational program was then used with students during intersession tutoring.  Smaller groups of students made the computer lab more accessible and for a longer period of time.

 

Because of the limitations of using the educational program with an entire class it was decided that perhaps it could become a resource for low performing students.  This research will determine if Compass Learning would benefit these students.

 

 

 

Literature Review (Section Two)

 

This may be several pages or many pages that explain what the current research shows about your topic.  You will cite research from articles, studies, books, etc., including district or state information gathered that is pertinent to your study.  You do not need to review all the research, but try to find quality articles from experts in the field.   There is no limit on the number of references cited but typically, 6-8 studies will suffice.  The answer to how many or how long this section should be is stopping whenever you feel you have a good grasp of what the literature shows about your topic.  Remember that each reference cited in the literature review should be written in APA format and included in the references section of your Action Research Project Report.

 

Action Research Design (Section Three)

Subjects

Describe your target population and if you used a sample, how did you select your sample and the rationale for your sample size. 

 

The target population of this action research will be 220 8^th grade students of varying academic levels between the ages of 13 and 15.   The sample will be made of almost entirely Hispanic students with a small percentage of Caucasian and African-American students. These students are students at the school in teach 8^th grade science.

 

Procedures

Describe the actions (in research terms, this is the intervention) you took to address the problem you were trying to solve.  Include a timeline of when you began and the completion date.  If your intervention utilized steps of a longer process, include the timelines for each step.  Also include resources used and persons responsible, if others were involved in your action research project. Remember that other teachers and administrators may read your report, so think about how best to describe what you did so that they may replicate, if desired.

 

The goal of this action research plan is to determine if the online educational resource Compass Learning, made available to Science teachers by the Socorro Independent School District, is worth the expense based on its effectiveness on increasing the academic performance of low performing 8^th grade students.

I plan on beginning this action research plan next year.  I will determine low performers during the first three weeks of school.  Those students will then be brought in for tutoring for the remainder of the 9 weeks.  Three week progress report grades will be used as the baseline for the student’s performance. The research will end at the conclusion of the 1^st 9 weeks grading period.  Final grades will be used to show amount of growth.

 

Using the Compass Learning system I will be creating a pre-test that coincides with TEKS being covered.  Based on the student’s performance on the pre-test, compass learning designs a learning path best suited to address the student’s needs.  The students will follow the learning path which includes different modules made up of videos, quizzes, and interactive activities for the student to complete.  At the end of the learning path the student will then take a post test to evaluate student growth.

 

Data Collection

Describe the methods you used to collect data.  For example, this could be collecting data from observations, journals, surveys, interviews, homework, tests, office referrals, test score data, etc.  Be sure to accurately describe the method.  For example, if you used a survey, was it for the entire group or individually; was it a pre and post survey; or was it a checklist or open ended questions?  Give enough information that the reader fully understands what and how you collected the data.

 

Computers with internet access will be the main tool needed to complete this research.  The Compass Learning program not only provides the learning modules, quizzes, and tests, but it will also track student progress. Compass Learning will keep track of the student’s scores are each test they take on the program.  The student’s class grade will also be taken into consideration.

 

 

Findings (Section Four)

 

This section presents the findings from your study.  If you collected quantitative data (numbers of office referrals, grades, etc.) you should present the data in a clear fashion with tables, bar graphs, etc.  In short, present numerical data in a simple way that the reader can easily see the results.  If you collected qualitative data (observation notes, interview highlights, etc.) you may present your findings in narrative but bullets or sub-headings may help the reader better understand your results.  This is not the section for long explanations of how’s or why’s, but the simplest and clearest way for the reader to see your results.

 

Conclusions and Recommendations (Section Five)

 

The previous sections presented the facts of your action research project.  This final section is for you to present the conclusions that you believe can be drawn from the results you found.  This is your judgment, as you are now an expert on your study.   Your study may have shown major or minor results or no changes in the problem you were trying to solve.  Regardless of whether you got the results you hoped for, the findings of your study are a help to others.  To know whether a particular intervention in a particular context works or not, is good information for educational leaders to have.  So, be honest and do not feel your study failed if you did not have major changes or you completely solved the problem. 

Following your conclusions, you should reflect on your entire study and findings and conclusions.  Since you led the action research project, you are in the position to best advise the reader with recommendations.  A recommendation could be for all teachers or administrators with the same problem you solved to use your intervention or not to use.  Most often you will recommend better ways to implement the intervention due to all the lessons you learned in your study.  In short, the section is your opportunity to teach those reading your study what worked, what did not, and ways to better solve the problem.  You might add specific actions that the field of education needs to conduct further research on. 

 

References (Final Section)

 

References are listed at the end of your report.  Review carefully the APA guidelines to ensure all references and citations are formatted correctly.  Be sure to double check that each of the references listed in this section are cited within the report using APA guidelines.

Relections of an Action Researcher

 

So it turns out that the "Let’s see what happens if I (fill in the blank)" experiments that I perform on my students in my classroom have a name and that name is Action Research. Who knew that all these years I was an Action Researcher. As a science teacher I have been referring to these experiments as my "science projects". I would propose a question, create an experiment, make observations, collect data, analyze that data and make a conclusion. If the results were not what I wanted I would either scrap the idea or make adjustments and retest.

The Action Research that I have performed in my class has ranged from seating arrangements to the implementation of different teaching methods. I have learned to put aside any fears or concerns about change in my class in order to find the best way to pass on information and to motivate my students.  Sometimes finding the best way to teach a topic means eliminating the bad ways.  Certain assignments that seemed like good ideas at the time had to be reevaluated and altered upon completion.  I am not afraid to do more Action Research by asking my students their thoughts on certain assignments or teaching techniques.  Their feedback means the most to me because they will benefit the most from the results.

Without Action Research,  growth cannot occur.  The unwillingness to accept the idea of “This is as good as it gets” is what will keep our education system moving forward.  I am always looking to improve on the methods that I use in class and Action Research plays a huge role in that progress.  In my class Action Research slays contentness and gives birth to educational evolution.  I am no stranger to Action Research.  I AM AN ACTION RESEARCHER!

Look Ma! I'm blogging! Action Research and the use of blogs

Action Research
Based on what I have read, Action Research sounds like a very effective way of not only identifying and solving issues in a school or district but also an extremely effective way of building a team. I like the idea of breaking the barriers between administration and faculty to help a school reach its potential. Administrators would have a better idea of what the educators are experiencing on a day to day basis in the classroom. Educators would have a better understanding of what needs to be done on the administrators side. Action research allows the two groups to work together to determine what needs to be done and how to do it and how every one's needs can be addressed. If implemented properly the winners will inevitably be the students.  Action Research creates a team atmosphere in which every one has a hand in the creation of the ideal school setting.  Because the ideas come from within the system, the solutions are individualized for the school, its administrators, its faculty, and its students.  Identified strengths of the school and its members can be used and weaknesses on the whole can be strengthened.  Because both faculty and administration had a hand in identifying the problem and developing the solution, the steps required to solve the problems are more likely to carried through to the end by the entire campus.

Use of Blogs
Educational leaders could use blogs as a reflective tool to help track progress of themselves and their campus.  The leaders can have their faculty use a blog for the same purpose.  Blogs could be used to create Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within the school, the district, the city, the state and nationally.  Blogs can link educational leaders and educators throughout the United States providing a pathway for shared problems and solutions.