Week 4 down, 1 to go

Another week down and only 1 to go, well for this class.  My site supervisor approved my plan, we worked closely on the design so I was fairly confident she would approve it.  She did make two suggestion concerning attendance and homework center data, I added her suggestions into the plan and hope to soon start collecting data.  I feel a little nervous about this class being over and still working on my action research plan, on top of the other classes work, intern plan and logging hours, not sure if there is enough time in the day.  I am looking to create a list of things to get accomplished per week, including reflections, checking others blogs, and logging hours just to make sure I stay on top of my work.  Good luck to all my fellow classmates!

Action Plan Template

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Action Planning Template
Goal:  Will implementing an IPad one-to-one initiative for 8th graders help increase state test scores in areas of math and science, improve overall engagement, homework and attendance in the classroom all the while reducing the number of discipline problems?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Setting the Foundation: 1.  Presented my action research idea to campus principal, due to the fact we are about to get 120 IPads to be used in math and science.	Self	October 2012	List of ideas Action Planning Template	Notes and suggestions Revision to plan
Analyzing Data 2.  Research various school districts that have implemented IPads in their schools.  Research articles concerning IPad implementation into the classroom.	Self	October 2012- June 2013	Computer Printer Telephone Internet	Compile a list of results ideas, suggestions and lessons  on how to effectively implement.
3.  Gather quantitative date for state scores in the area of math and science from the 2011 and 2012 school year.	Self Principal	October 2012- July 2013	TEA reports AEIS reports Computer	Graph to display results from state testing.
4.  Pre and Post survey of teachers and students to assess their view of how the implementation has impacted class and achievement.	Self 8th grade math teachers	November 2012-June 2013	Survey monkey	Summarize finding using a graph and brief written summary.
5. Gather quantitative data comparing attendance from 2011-2012 and the 2012-2013 school year	Self PEIMS coordinator	November 2012- June 2013	Attendance reports from 2011-2012 and 2012-2013	Compare reports looking for any noticeable differences especially after IPads are introduced.
6.  Conduct Benchmark test to gain quantitative and qualitative date for the 2012-2013 school year and compare results to the 2011-2012 school year, which no Ipads were being used.	Self 8th grade math teachers Principal	October 2012- February 2013	Benchmark test and excel spreadsheets to disaggregate data	Evaluate results from benchmark test looking for improvements from last years benchmark scores to this years with the use of Ipads in math and science.
7.   Ipad Focus Group	Self Department Heads Administrators Content mastery teacher, Student	November 2012-June 2013	Binder to keep notes and ideas listed in.	Notes from meeting and share findings with the rest of the campus through email and staff development.
8. Blog page created for teachers, student and parents to share information concerning Ipads.	Self	December 2012- June 2013	Computer Internet Blog Page	Summary of the findings from sharing thoughts and ideas on the blog page.
9.  Student Engagement Poster hung in all classes.  Each week students assess their engagement in class.	Self All staff/teachers on campus	November 2012- June 2013	Star Poster colored like a Bulls eye, expo marker Data sheets for reporting responses	At the end of class students place a mark in the area that represents how engaged in class they were that week.  Teachers record and turn in to me the response sheets; I compile the data and report the overall findings.
10.  Compile data from homework center to see if there is any change in the number of students who are completing their homework due to having an Ipad. 11. Create an "educational App list"	Self Assistant Principal Self	November 2012-2013 November 2012-2013	Homework center binder and referrals Internet	Compare what students are being assigned to homework center and if they currently have a school issued IPad. Keep a list of Apps that may be useful for other teachers on campus.

Week 2: Reflections

After completing this week I have decided upon my action research plan:  Will providing 8^th graders in math and science an Ipad improve school performance on state test, increase engagement, attendance and completing work in the classroom, all the while reducing discipline?  Honestly I am very nervous about  trying to complete the action research project and effectively implement iPads in my classroom and make sure my students are ready for the science STAAR test in April.  I have been looking at the research about students being digital learners and thinkers and I do not want to sound negative about technology but, I'm not exactly sold on the whole 21st century learner.  I do feel that technology is very important and extremely useful and needed in the classroom, but for me the idea of just throwing out the pens and paper is hard to grasp.  During the course of this week I have been flooded with thoughts, questions and ideas, and because of the action research design I have been journaling and reflecting on those thoughts.  It has been very helpful in getting me  more organized and ready.  I have even talked with my principal about staring a blog  page with my classes so they too can  reflect on class and gain new perspectives to the topics we are discussing from other students.  

What is Action

Action research was not a word that I was familiar with until taking EDLD 5301, a course devoted to developing principals to become action researchers.  I have gained valuable insight into the positive aspects of developing your own plan of action instead of adopting a plan created from someone “outside” the walls of the school or district.  I have learned that action research, much like the scientific method/process that I teach in class, helps you to identify your problem, gather and organize your data, create a plan, analyze results and make adjustments as needed. This process can be completed on your own, but greater gains can be met through the use of collaboration among  others. By collaborating with others you have increased the amount of experience and knowledge, and don't they say "two heads are better than one"?  Action research is a take charge approach to solving problems or issues concerning school improvement.  Allowing those who are inside facing the challenges daily help to develop a plan of action will create a sense of ownership and pride, developing a stronger sense of school community.  I look forward to developing my own action research plan to share with others on my campus so they too can see the value behind implementing this process.  I believe it will be a positive experience for me and prove to be very beneficial in my learning as well.

Blogging is a word that is not in my everyday life, until now.  I have been thinking about how to incorporate blogging into my classroom and on my campus.  I am thinking I can use this as a classroom teacher to communicate with my parents and students on a much broader spectrum.  I can blog about the activities from class, or upcoming information.  Parents and students can use the blog to post comments, questions or suggestions.  Parents at the middle school level express their concern for not knowing what is going on, feeling lost or in the dark about school matters.  Blogging would be a great way to open up the lines of communication between parents and teachers and creating a sense of togetherness.

References

Dana, N.F., (2009).  Leading with Passion and Knowledge. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools. Eye on Education Press.