Some good news

Finally, some of problems with our systems are being solved.  Unfortunately, much of this will not occur until summer. In a nutshell, the biggest issues that I have discovered with the iPods are that they are 1st generation so they won't run many of the new applications, the wireless network was not configured to run the Mac products, and the district did not have an itunes account that could be used to purchase multiple copies of paid apps.  While this may not seem like much, it severely limited the tasks that could be done on the equipment.  Once these and other issues are resolved, the iPods should be much easier to use.  After that, I will have to start the process of building confidence in teachers and students that the equipment will be usable and not so difficult to operate that they will just give up.  More to come as the changes occur.  as always, I am learning through the process and this learning should help as the iPod implementation process continues.

May 2012 Action Research Template

This is subject to change again as I continue to work with the goals of this project.  What started out as a cut and dried project (see previous project steps) has changed considerably.  The learning experience has been well worth the trouble, though.

Action Planning Template
Goal: To analyze and evaluate the implementation of iPods and other Apple technology on the Palestine Middle School campus and determine how to best use this equipment for student achievement
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Administer Pre-Ipod Survey to teachers and students	Breck Quarles;  Advisory teachers (for student surveys)	Sept. 2011-Oct. 2011	Survey Monkey (for teachers); Paper Survey (for students)	Analyze surveys for teacher/student familiarity and comfort with  Ipods and teacher ideas for effective use
Train teachers in effective classroom use of Ipods	Lisa Covington; District Technology Specialists	July 2012 (original training did not occur as scheduled)	Ipod training materials provided by PISD Technology Department	Lesson plans will be evaluated for evidence of Ipod use;  Field notes will be taken during Science classes
Create a DropBox folder to hold teacher lesson ideas/applications	Breck Quarles;  PISD Technology Department	September 2011	Drop Box Account	DropBox folder will be checked weekly for new information and additions by teachers/technology staff
Meet with technology leaders to determine issues that have led to iPod implementation problems	Breck Quarles;  PISD Technology Department	April 2012	None	Analyze interviews for reasons behind the problems that have been occurring as iPod technology implementation is attempted
Meet with Science teachers regularly to evaluate progress of implementation and support teachers during implementation	Lisa Covington;  Breck Quarles	October 2011-May 2012 (monthly department meeting)	Lesson plans; anecdotal evidence from teachers; student work products	Discuss progress/concerns and develop ideas for improved implementation of Ipod technology
Survey students who have used the Apple technology in their classrooms	Breck Quarles; selected teachers	May 2012		Analyze surveys, looking for increased motivation and evidence of learning; gather student input for more uses of equipment
Survey Advisory students who have been using the technology	Breck Quarles;	May 2012	Survey results	Analyze surveys, looking for evidence of learning and motivation; gather student input for more uses of equipment
Survey teachers who have used the Apple technology this year	Breck Quarles; selected teachers	May 2012	Teacher surveys	Analyze surveys, looking for positive and negative concerns of using iPods as well as evidence of student achievement
Administer end of year survey to students/teachers	Breck Quarles	May 2012	Survey Monkey; paper survey	Compare end of year surveys to pre-Ipod survey to look for student/teacher growth
Meet with technology liaison to develop strategies for better implementation of iPods and other available Apple technology in the coming year	Breck Quarles; Lisa Covington; Larissa Loveless; Shannon Leisure; Summer Alcaeter	May 2012	Notes from meeting	Use the data and ideas collected to develop a plan for better using the equipment in the next school year
Solicit T3 Grant report from Region 7	Breck Quarles	May 2012	T3 Report	Analyze report for possible causes of problems we are having with implementation

Position and Professional Goals Statement (EDLD 5397 Week 5)

Almost 17 years ago, my first principal shared a truth I still think about regularly.  He told me that, as a classroom teacher, I was limited on the number of students that I could impact.  As I moved into administration, that number would steadily increase.  One of the main reasons I have chosen to pursue administration is that I want to positively impact as many young lives as possible.  Once I finish my degree and certification, it is my intention to seek a position as an assistant principal.  I believe that a position at a high school would be the best place to start.  The reason for this is that several high school principals have shared that the duties of a high school assistant principal are almost as diverse as those of a lower level principal. I would also gain a clearer understanding of the knowledge and skills students need to bring with them in order to be successful in high school.  I feel that it is important to work as an assistant principal under a strong leader before taking a full principalship simply because the experience will allow me to make mistakes as well as learn from the experience of the principal.  After serving for two years as an assistant principal, I would like to become a principal of either an upper elementary or middle school.  As an upper elementary principal, I would already be familiar with the skills needed for middle school success, having taught at this level for 15 years.  After serving as a principal for a period of time, I would then like to pursue either a central office or region service center position, although I have not decided in what specialty area.  I do believe, however, that this will allow me to impact even more lives either in one or multiple districts.  By this time, I will be nearing retirement age and, since I have no intention of ever actually retiring and also have an entrepreneurial spirit, I would like to become an educational consultant, either for myself or as a contractor for an established company.  This would allow me to continue to impact students, but without the heavy workload of a full time administrator. 

                One of my main motivations for seeking a leadership position has already been addressed, namely the desire to positively impact as many lives as possible.  As a school leader, I will not only impact students, but also teachers, parents, and community members.  I actually started the journey towards becoming an educational leader in 1998.  I completed 12 hours towards a mid-management degree, but then decided to put the process on hold to move overseas and serve two years as an international missionary.  When I returned to the United States, money, a newborn, and a desire to return overseas halted the journey for a while.  During this time, I still continued to teach and to hold leadership positions in school, church, and in social organizations.  All of these had a connection with kids.  For a number of years, I did not consider that I had what it took to lead others.  However, others would turn to me for direction and ask me to lead them.  These instances, along with the encouragement of a leadership mentor helped me to see that, with development, I had what it took to be a strong leader.   It has been said that leaders do not look for followers, but instead seek out other leaders.  In my case, I have found that not only do I seek out other leaders, but am also sought out.  This has been a confirmation that leadership is a calling.  While I have never led a school, I have been in the classroom for 15 years and have been involved in numerous school improvement committees, including serving on the Campus Action Teams for several districts as well as being department chair for Science in Palestine.  Through these experiences, I have observed first hand both what works in schools as well as what doesn’t.  While I definitely don’t have all of the answers, I am willing to try new initiatives, make necessary adjustments, and give these initiatives time to be effective.  As a school leader, I know that the ultimate goal is to educate and improve the life of each individual student.  Anything that is done in the school must be done with this goal in mind.  As a leader, I will keep that foremost in my mind and in the minds of my staff as we seek to positively impact the lives of children.