Week 5...We did it!

That's one more to check off the list! I must admit, when I first saw this course in the program description I probably let out a sigh when I saw the word RESEARCH. I labeled this class before I even started it. Little did I know that all would be well. I hadn't even heard the words action research prior to taking this course. I quickly realized that we go through this process on much smaller scales in our classrooms all the time. I'm looking forward to getting started on my project. With all of the changes going on in my district it's certain to make me a better teacher in the short term and give me a head start to being a good administrator in a few years.

Best of luck to all of you in your paths toward your own goals!

Week 4 and a new home COMPLETE!

     Well that was an interesting week to say the least. Our home was completed this week and we closed on Thursday. My wife and I got everything moved on Friday and now comes the unpacking. Somehow I found time to complete the week 4 assignments.
     I really liked the Delphi Method and Nominal Group Technique. I believe these two methods allow for total group interaction and for individuals to get their opinions into the mix.
     Thanks for your help in assignment three! You guys really helped me by allowing me to get work done on Wednesday before the move started.
     NAP!

My Action Research Plan: Incorporating Technology into the Classroom

GOAL: The development of an effective plan and set of guidelines for schools

to incorporate technology, specifically the Apple iPad, into classroom instruction.

OUTCOMES	ACTIVITIES	RESOURCES/ RESEARCH TOOLS NEEDED	TIME LINE	Benchmarks/ Assessments
Locate and interview staff members of pioneer districts using the iPad	·       Conduct internet searches for articles on school districts using iPads ·       Interview principals of these schools ·       Interview recommended staff members of these schools ·       Compare data received from these professions with that from articles on the use of iPads in an educational setting	·      Internet search engines ·      Various types of articles on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer principals and teachers	Completion by July 31, 2012 in order to develop an initial strategy to take to department for collaboration	Self assessed based on information gained from pioneer professionals
Determine the level of training needed for teachers and students before incorporating the iPad into instruction	·       Question pioneer professionals on the training they received and obtain their opinion on its effectiveness ·       What training have they since wished they would have received ·       Internet searches for articles, videos, and presentations on proper uses and training in an educational environment	·      Internet search engines ·      Articles, videos, and presentations on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer principals and teachers	Completion by August of 2012 in order to develop an initial strategy to take to department for implementation	Evaluation of initial training plan by social studies department. Evaluation will include suggestions for improvement
Locate and determine the availability of classroom resources for the iPad	·       Question pioneer professionals on the amount of quality resources they were able to find ·       Question pioneer professionals on the best location to find the resources ·       Conduct internet searches for iPad resources in the classroom ·       Conduct Apple searches for classroom applications	·      Internet search engines ·      Articles, videos, and presentations on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer principals and teachers ·      Apple application searches	Ongoing throughout the course of this research. Completion by May 2013	Evaluation will be on the resources themselves to determine whether or not they are able to fit in the curriculum
Determine the benefits of using an iPad in teacher led lessons	·       Question pioneer professionals about their experience ·       Own experience using the iPad in the classroom ·       Question MHS staff about their experience ·       Internet searches for articles, videos, and presentations on benefits of using the iPad to lead instruction	·      Internet search engines ·      Articles, videos, and presentations on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer teachers ·      Access to MHS staff	Ongoing throughout research. Completion by May 2013	Evaluation will be the overall effectiveness of using the iPad verse more traditional methods of teacher led lessons
Determine the benefits of using an iPad in student led lessons	·       Question pioneer professionals about their experience ·       Own experience using the iPad in the classroom ·       Question MHS students about their experience ·       Internet searches for articles, videos, and presentations on benefits of using the iPad in student led instruction	·      Internet search engines ·      Articles, videos, and presentations on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer teachers ·      Access to MHS students	Ongoing throughout research. Completion by May 2013	Evaluation will be the overall effectiveness of using the iPad verse more traditional methods of student led lessons
Discover if changes in student  motivation exist in a technology based classroom	·       Question pioneer professionals about their experience ·       Own experience using the iPad in the classroom ·       Question MHS students about their experience ·       Creation of an internet based classroom	·      Internet search engines ·      Articles, videos, and presentations on technology in the classroom ·      Access to pioneer teachers ·      Access to MHS students ·      Web 2.0 ·      Google sites ·      Wordle ·      Office applications	Ongoing throughout research. Completion by May 2013	Evaluation will be the overall effectiveness of using the internet based classroom in generating student interaction and work
Develop a usable template for incorporating technology into a World Geography classroom and a generic template for other MHS classrooms	·       Compare data from pioneer interviews with onsite data collected during the course of the school year at MHS ·       Determine the successful and unsuccessful activities ·       Include a list of resources by unit for a World Geography classroom and a generic list of education resources	·      Utilize all resources from the research in the completion	Completion by July 2013
Present findings	·       Present specifically to World Geography department ·       Upload findings on Social Studies department shared folder for all to view ·       Disseminate generic information for all staff to view	·      Common course planning meeting for World Geography ·      MISD Social Studies shared folder ·      Microsoft Office presentation tools	May - August 2013

Week 3....aka THE BEAST

     Week 3 proved to be the most challenging for me so far in this program. Brainstorming and actually coming up with a topic wasn't that big of a deal. Actually planning the process out was a true test. I'm thrilled that this week is in the books but realize that it only marks the beginning of trying times as I push forward and begin my research on technology in the classroom. Looking forward to the final days already :)

A look back at week two

     Looking back at week two of this research course I can see all of the many small, yet large, lessons learned that I can take away. From the interviews to the nine areas of passion to the expertise from my site supervisor, I've gained valuable knowledge on how to question in order to create a successful atmosphere as an educator and administrator. I most appreciate the advice, or suggestions, from the scholar interviews to investigate similar problems, or issues, in other schools. This is not only a way to save time in an already busy schedule for an adminstrator but a way to passively collaborate with fellow adminstrators. Discovering ways in which others have faced similar problems in similar settings is a great way to tackle issues we face each day. Utilizing the vast amount of resources the internet has to offer will be key to our success.

Use of Blogs in Leadership

     The use of blogs is a new experience for me. This is the first time I've actually used a blog. I have participated in coaching forums for years which is similar to a blog.
     As I wrap my head around this new tool I can see this being a great source for administrators to share information and gather important feedback from their staff. Administrators could incorporate blog entries into PLCs and even use blogs to replace PLCs from time to time. While the same information could be used in an email, having the ability to start a topic and then post and follow other posts is much easier done in a blog and a great alternate source of collaboration.
     An administrator could also use a blog as a weekly update of school events for all stakeholders to stay current and provide feedback when needed. It could also be used as a type of poll to obtain the thoughts of stakeholders about a new idea or program in the school prior to moving forward with it.

Action Research
 

     As of a week ago I had never even heard of action research or administrative inquiry. I just completed my ninth year in education and in one way or another I have actually used teacher inquiry but without actually knowing that's what I was doing. After completing the first week of this course I already feel like I can better serve my department and ultimately my campus by using inquiry to create a more productive and successful environment.
     Action research to me is the process of putting thought, data, and action together to improve education for all stakeholders. Inquiry is an ever spiraling action. Once you finish you realize that you've just started. The process of administrative inquiry involves discovering a problem through reflection and active questioning, collecting and analyzing data surrounding the problem, putting the changes into effect, and observing the changes to ensure the problem is solved.
     As I have gone through this first week, one issue continues to be on the forefront that would make for a great action research over time. My school board approved the purchase of an iPAD for all high school teachers and students for the next school year, 2012-2013. As most new ideas do, this caused quite a bit of talk among teachers, both positive and negative. The overwhelming discussion at the end of the year was how can we, teachers, monitor and keep students on task when we've now given them the same technology that we've been telling them the last few years to put away. As we approach the start of this process and begin to collaborate among departments on best practices to incorporate the iPAD into our curriculum, it will be important to collect data from schools having already gone through this. Once we have our own data to analyze we can continue to shape our own plan for incorporating this great technology into our school.