Just the Beginning

From my readings I think the most significant, after understanding the true meaning of action research, was Chapter 2, Passions That Drive Your Journey: Finding a Wondering. This is what set the basis of all my understanding on finding the focus for my inquiry. “When administrators seek out change and reflect on practice, the first steps of their journey begin with brainstorming questions or wonderings they wish to explore.” (Dana, 2009) As I read through each of the nine passions and the illustrations of the work of principal-inquirers it became easier to understand the concept of forming an inquiry based on “real world observations and dilemmas” (Dana, 2009). Another significant part of my readings was the chapter from the Harris text, Step 3 Examining the Work: Developing a Deeper Understanding. I believe in this day and age of high stakes testing we are so focused on collecting hard core data that we do not focus enough on other types of data collection for analyzing student gains in achievement. “Quantitative findings help identify the “what” but not the “why.” On the other hand, qualitative techniques help understand the “why” and how” situations are happening – they provide a broader understanding of some of the different factors that affect a particular area.” (Harris, Edmonson, & Combs, 2010) By doing so we are not “creating a richer and more complete picture” of our students. (Dana, 2009) For my action research I want to be able to do just that, take in a broad scope of evidence of what is occurring in my school.

I found that the way this course was laid out and how each week built upon the other made the learning and production process very cohesive and easy to follow. Weeks one and two led us through identifying our campus needs, developing a deeper understanding of data collection techniques, and interviewing our site mentor. In week three we were ready to formulate a research question and describe the rationale leading to our inquiry. At this point we I was able to begin drafting my action research plan. I found this not to be so easy. As I worked I found myself revising my question and by the end I had changed my inquiry four times. This was something that we had read about in the Dana text –as we worked into putting thoughts down wonderings can evolve into other wonderings. Yendol-Hoppley states, “Rarely does any teacher researcher eloquently state his or her wondering immediately …By playing with the wording of a wondering, teachers often fine tune and discover more detail about the subject they are really passionate about understanding” (as cited in Dana, 2009, p. 67). The most helpful part of this process was being able to read other’s blogs and discussion posts on the discussion board. I also received excellent comments on my discussion post that helped me gain a better understanding on refining my inquiry. I found that being able to read about the journey of other’s inquiry helped me clarify my own thinking about my research plan. Reflecting on my week’s work through my blog was another way of assessing my thoughts. I was able to get constructive feedback and suggestion on my research plan. I have used blogs before but not as constructively as I have for this class. I agree with Steve Poling and Jan Borelli when they commented on the power of blogging, “Through blogging, we developed collaboration and support of one another…[it] gives us an opportunity to reflect on our practice so that we become more intentional about what we do on a day to day basis” ( as cited in Dana, 2009, p. 150.) I believe continuing the blog that we began in this course will prove to be invaluable as we receive feedback from our cohorts and professors. This will be an excellent source for assessing my research as I journey through my internship.

I am excited about how throughout this course I have been able to begin the development of lifelong inquiry skills for producing meaningful changes on my campus. I understand this is just the beginning. Being able to implement my action research plan will give me invaluable experience as an intern in enhancing my professional growth in this area.

References:
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 9 steps from analysis to action. Larchmont, N.Y.: Eye on Education.

Blindsided

I have already met what may prove to be my biggest challenge; it was discovered just this morning through an email. It all began over the weekend when I was finalizing my plan. I was wondering if students had access to SurveyMonkey or if it was blocked through our filter. Yesterday, Monday, I emailed the appropriate person in the district inquiring for the purpose of using the survey with my students for my action research project that I was conducting for my Master’s course. I received a response that she did not know if it was blocked, she has used it before and thought it was really cool, and that she would find out for me; however I needed to contact the Assessment and Accountability Department concerning permission to conduct research within the district. In fact she sent a “cc” to this person. She stated there are "strict guidelines and directives that employees must follow whenever research using any type of district data is involved". I emailed this person in charge and his reply was “Per district policy, any individual or organization requesting to conduct research in the district has to complete a formal request to conduct research.” He provided me with link to a PDF outlining strict guidelines to follow for requesting permission for doing research. It was noted that an incomplete request will not be considered.

All requests must be accompanied by the following documents and attachments:
1. Proposal cover letter addressed to the appropriate superintendent and to the Instruction and Student Services officer. Submit this letter with your proposal.
2. Three to four page written outline that addresses the following clearly defined twelve components.
(This was too long to list in this discussion forum and, I might add, some of the twelve components had sub components.)
3. Required attachments including the following:
a. Copies of instruments and their source/publisher in all languages required
b. Copies of informed consent forms in all languages required
c. Completed Human Subjects application from institution represented
d. Approved thesis/dissertation proposal from institution represented
e. Letters of authorization from building principal(s) if students and/or school
staff are to be utilized

So, this is my greatest challenge. I think it will take me as long or longer to request permission as it did to come up with my plan. In fact there are details in this request that weren’t even covered in our course. Needles to say I am stunned by all of this.

As far as my research itself goes, one of the challenges that I was concerned about was the acceptance of the two teachers that I will be working with. I am not in the Math department. I teach a technology elective course, and knowing this I wonder how they will accept me coming in and “stirring things up” in their department. I plan to meet with both of the teachers early on and explain the purpose in my research. I am hoping that once they learn that I had previously taught math and science in a TAKS grade level and now I am teaching technology that they will be more receptive and therefore begin to build a trusting relationship. I also plan to work closely with the teachers in using a blog for communication and modeling how it could be used in the classroom with their students.

Thinking and Re-thinking!

This week has been quite a journey as my inquiry took many turns. It was not until Friday after meeting with three assistant principals, two of whom I had not intended to meet with, gave me great insights as to how I could refine my inquiry to truly benefit our campus. It was because of the many transformations that had taken place previously that led me to my final plan. This process of sharing my thoughts with others has helped me to clarify my own thinking about my own work (Dana, 2009). Many thanks to Diana who started me on the path of thinking and re-thinking earlier in the week!

Will increasing effective integration of technology in the 7th grade Math classroom improve academic performance? Most of us, without a doubt, feel that technology is the key for improving academic performance. Then why are so many teachers not implementing it. Some say that it won’t make a difference. Many in our building choose to ignore the StarBoards, don’t have time for e-Instructions, make excuses that there are not enough computers in the classroom for students use, etc. The rationale for my research is that teachers need to have more relevance in their teaching in order to engage our 21st century learners. Our students today use numerous types of technology tools outside the classroom and when they come inside our school buildings they have to “power down”. Using technology such as web 2.0 tools in classroom will capture and engage our students make learning relevant and meaningful which will in turn increase overall academic performance. My plan is collecting data from two separate 7th grade classrooms, one where the teacher is functioning at Advanced Tech and the other where the teacher is functioning at Early Tech level in the area of Teaching and Learning (StarChart). There was an element of excitement in the air when the assistant principals entertained the thought of being able to present relevant data to our teachers that technology does make a difference. I believe when this is shared with the teachers, seeing the evidence of the data from their own campus, they will be encouraged to give the process of integrating technology in their classrooms a true concerted effort.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.



Another thank you to Diana for introducing me Jing, another awesome Web 2.0 tool!

Passion to Continue

Learning was not easy for me during my elementary, middle, and high school days. I was not brought up in an academic centered home. In fact, I was from a family that struggled day to day just to make ends meet – education was not a priority. We moved almost every year in my earlier years. The longest I ever went to any one school was two years. The real joy of learning did not come about until many years after leaving high school. My desire was to go to work, take care of myself, and never have to live through the kind of hardship my mom went through. After a year of working and being on my own I realized I might need to go back to school in order to be able to have a bright future. I had no study skills, no confidence, and very little self-esteem. What I did have was courage and a strong drive to be successful. This is where I will end this personal story and switch my focus to the passion that drives me - improvement. In order to have improvement investigation into the situation is necessary; otherwise without it change will not occur.

As I read through each of the nine passions in this week’s readings I realized how each of these passions overlaps the other as the author had stated. School improvement needs excellent curriculum development and leadership, curriculum development needs staff development and leadership, individual teachers need excellent leadership and management, individual students need social justice, and, well you get the picture. I would love to do research on how schools can enlist parents to be an active part of their student’s education. I think technology can play a big part in this endeavor. However, my site mentor wants me to research the passion of school performance in the area of seventh grade Math TAKS scores. So the passion of school culture/community and individual students will come another time for me. These readings have given me a clearer picture of how to narrow down my topic. I learned that by playing with the wording of my wonderings I can fine tune and discover more detail about my topic. I also learned that the most productive inquiries are focused on student learning occurring. And, I discovered that I need to be open to change as my topic can evolve over time as I engage further into my inquiry. I am looking forward to what lies ahead in this course as I continue my quest for excellence.

I would like to end with this quote from Charles F. Kettering taken for the Dana text, “Essentially research is nothing but a state of mind, … a friendly, welcoming attitude toward change, … going out to look for change instead of waiting for it to come” (as cited in Dana, 2009, p. 30).


Reference:
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

The Value of Using Blogs for Educational Leaders

I am new at using blogs but as I read other blogs and post my own I am seeing this as a valuable resource for myself. Blogs are a powerful form of communication. Educational leaders have a great opportunity to reach their teachers, parents, and community on a more personal level. Principals can blog about happenings on campus, librarians can blog on the latest book reviews, technology specialist can blog on the latest technology, gadgets, and how-tos. I found a great example of a principal’s blog. I love this blog and have added a subscription to it in my Google Reader. Also, here is an awesome site that I found 50 Best Blogs for Educational Leaders. Keep on bloggin’!

Discovering the Value of Action Research

At the onset of this course I assumed we would be writing a research paper and not giving it much more thought. As a desktop publishing teacher, I spend much of time reading educational technology magazines just to keep up with the ever changing field. When something new comes out I perform more “research” to discover ways I may apply this in my classroom to enhance student performance. From this week’s reading in the Dana text, Leading with Passion and Knowledge, I have become excited about the prospect of learning how to become an effective teacher/leader using the principles of action research. I have learned even though most of us as teachers and leaders already engage in our own research to help us in our efforts to reach our students, we may not be getting the desired improvement that we seek. When practitioners sit hours on end in professional development classes and listen to other’s research-based ideas on how to improve student learning much of it has no meaning. When the practitioners perform their own research based on what is happening at their own campus – issues they may be wondering about – it becomes meaningful, and thus the chance for student improvement is much more likely to happen. The prescribed formula seems to be easy; it begins with using a “systematic, intentional study” of an established area of practice. The study includes collecting data to gain insights, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings, and sharing findings with others (Dana, 2009). After discussing with the principal at my campus on what direction she would like me to take in my action research it was decided that I could research why, year after year, the seventh grade Math TAKS scores are consistently lower than sixth and eighth grades. I feel confident that through this educational journey I will grasp the full understanding of how to implement action research in order to use it as a “powerful vehicle for learning and school improvement” at my campus. (Dana, 2009)

Reference:
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.