Week 2 Learnings

This week, I had to review nine different areas for action research and come up with an idea for an action research project from each one.  In the process, I discovered that there are multiple possibilities for action research that can lead to school improvement.  As I read through each of the nine areas, taken from Nancy F. Dana's book Leading with Passion and Knowledge, it became clear that schools are truly ripe for action research on the part of both teachers and administrators.  My eyes were opened to the myriad ways that simply asking questions, "wonderings" as Dana calls them, can lead to ideas for improving the school. 

When I first started working on developing an idea for an action research project, I thought it would be difficult to come up with even one.  As the week progressed, I realized it was actually more difficult to narrow down the possibilities.  In addition, I am beginning to see ways to use the steps in action research to find solutions to problems in my own classroom.  One of the areas that I identified as a possibility was the use of Science journals.  Just by doing a very brief literature review, I was able to see several ways that I can use these tools more effectively.  In short, the action research process holds great potential for school improvement and student achievement.  I am looking forward to working on the project over the next 18 months. 

References

Dana, N. F. (2009).  Leading with Passion and Knowledge:  The Principal as Action Researcher.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Action Research Idea

This week, with the help of my site supervisor, I determined a topic for action research.  The purpose of my action research project is to determine the effects of using Ipods as an instructional tool. The focal point will be the effect on student achievement and motivation in Science. We are a part of a grant that has provided Ipods for every 7th and 8th grade student on the campus. Last year, the grant focus was on student produced podcasts. At the same time, every student was given the opportunity to obtain an Ipod to carry between home and school, but many parents elected not to do so. In addition, there were several problems with application copyrights that were not addressed as well as internet access problems. These were supposed to have been remedied this summer, so we should have fully functional Ipods for daily use in classes. One of the main goals of my project is to help teachers find the most effective means for using the Ipods in class and as a homework tool and then address the effects of their use on student achievement.

Some of the wonderings I have are:

How can Ipods be most effectively and efficiently used in the classroom?

What effect will the use of Ipods have on student achievement?

How will the effective use of Ipods increase student motivation?

How much time will teachers have to spend developing and preparing lessons using the Ipods? Will results of lessons be equivalent to the time spent in their preparation?

The significance of this action research project is that it holds the potential to increase student motivation and understanding because it utilizes a tool that students are already familiar with. Students may be more motivated to complete their work and/or dig deeper into a topic when they have technology to help them. It also has the potential to increase the relevance of teacher lessons as they utilize this technology. Teachers may also be able to use the Ipods to make lessons available to students and parents 24/7. Parents may see improved grades as well as having children who find school more relevant. The results of this study may also help build a framework for the continued use of Ipods and other technology at our campus.

In my own opinion, technology is a fantastic tool to help students learn and achieve to their maximum potential, but if it is not used effectively, it can become nothing more than a high dollar toy. With this action research, I hope to discover how technology can be used to effectively impact student achievement.

How educational leaders could use blogs

As an educational leader, I can see a number of ways to use blogs.  One is simply as a means to post thoughts and ideas for my own use, sort of a reflective electronic journal.  When I review my paper journals, I usually find common threads of thought that help me make decisions.  How much more powerful when it can be accessed 24/7, especially since I don't have to read my own writing.

Blogs also allow others to view and comment on postings.  This lets them make suggestions that could lead to improvement not only for the blogger, but also for those who read the comments.  As a part of this project, I am looking forward to reading and getting ideas from the posts of other bloggers as well as entering into an ongoing dialogue.  In addition, I hope to see suggestions for my work from my colleagues.

Blogging can also facilitate the creation of online Professional Learning Communities.  Instead of meeting face-to-face, educators (and others) can share ideas through blogs that can benefit all of the members.  Bloggers can post questions or concerns that can then be answered from a variety of viewpoints with many potential solutions. 

Action Research- "I wonder....?"

Welcome to my Action Research Project blog.  These posts will be devoted to an action research project that I am completing as I work toward principal certification. 

This week, I have been studying administrative inquiry, or action research, in my Lamar University Research course.  It was interesting to note how the basic steps were similar to scientific inquiry, which I teach in my science classes.  Basically, action research is a process of systematically studying one's own adminstrative practice and taking action for change based on what is learned.  It starts with posing questions, or "wonderings," then proceeds through a process of gathering data, making changes, reflecting on and sharing the results, then repeating the process based on new information (Dana, 2009). For my purposes, action research will be used to bring about school improvement as well as reflecting on and improving my leadership abilities.

At present, I see myself using action research in one of two areas depending on the needs of my school.  The first idea is to conduct a study of the implementation of a new character education program.  I have a few "wonderings" here.  I wonder how discipline and academics will be affected by the new program?  I wonder what changes will need to take place to improve the program as the year continues?  I wonder how this program will affect extracurricular activities?  I wonder how overall morale at the campus will improve if the program is successful?  I wonder what will need to take place for all teachers to be on board? 

The second idea is to study the effects of the use of Ipods and podcasting technology on math and science scores.  I am still thinking this one through.  Last year, I used this technology and saw improved motivation among my students but was not able to correlate that to any type of standardized testing results. 

Reference

Dana, N. (2009).  Leading with Passion and Knowledge:  The Principal as Action Researcher.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.