Final Reflections on EDLD 5301

    This particular course has been very challenging for me, as the introspection and the reflections required do not come very easily for me yet.  l enjoyed reading the Dana book, Leading With Passion and Knowledge, especially the reflections and the anecdotes written by the administrators.  The most valuable part of this course has been the collaboration that has happened within my class, with my small group from 5306.  They were a tremendous help to me as a sounding board and giving me very valuable input on my research plan.  When we were confused, we figured out whatever the puzzle was together. 

     The video lectures were very beneficial to me, explaining the different components of the Action Research Plan.  During week 2, I found the interviews with the three Doctoral graduates to be especially helpful.  The interview that inspired me the most was Interview 3, with Dr. Kirk Lewis.  He was discussing the action research plan and the importance of picking out a topic that was functional, rather than abstract, as well as personally important to the researcher.  He pointed out that would hold the researcher’s attention better, make the final result more important to the researcher, and be more beneficial to the school in the long run.  In his words, “…if it’s not practical, and it cannot be applied to your particular situation, it just hasn’t done much good” (Lamar University, 2011).  These words were very powerful for me, and helped guide me to my final choice for my action research project.  Of the three inquiries I was considering, I chose the one that was the most personal for me.

 

      I was also very impressed by the interview with Dr. Johnny Briseño, Principal of Rancho Isabella Elementary, Angleton ISD, but for a different reason.  He began his interview by stating, “We don’t make decisions without looking at data first” (Lamar University, 2011).  Dr. Briseño expounded upon his statement by saying that no matter what problem a teacher comes to him with, his first questions to that teacher concern identification of the problem and the source of the identification.  He went on to say that data is more than test scores:  researchers need to look at home life, talk to teachers, and examine other environmental factors.  His statements brought home how important appropriate data collection is in action research.  In the interview, it also came across how important this type of research was to him, and also how much he trusts his faculty to conduct it in a thoughtful, constructive manner.  I liked the way he focused on positive aspects of research:  “What are others doing right?” instead of, “What are we doing wrong?”  (Lamar University, 2011). 

      The discussion boards and blogs were extremely constructive, more so in this class rather than the last class, because they dealt specifically with our projects.  I like exchanging thoughts with the members of my class.  They have a lot of experience and view things from different perspectives; their knowledge and ideas contributed a lot to my plan.  Dr. Jenkins stated in the fourth video lecture, “we sincerely… hope the friends and associations you make in our class will become part of your professional network for years to come” (Lamar University, 2011)  I hope so as well.

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal As Action

       Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Lamar University. (Producer). (2011). Interview 1: Johnny Briseno [Embedded video].

          Beaumont, Texas: Lamar University.

Lamar University. (Producer).  (2011). Interview 3:  Dr. Kirk Lewis [Embedded video].

          Beaumont, Texas: Lamar University.

Lamar University. (Producer). (2011). Week 4 Introduction [Embedded video].

          Beaumont, Texas: Lamar University.

Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine the best method of professional development delivery concerning technology to professional educators. Action Research Question: How can a PLC (Professional Learning Community) address the professional development needs of educators?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Engage in  a PLC with other first grade teachers at Gillis Elementary; Meet regularly with PLC; update wiki weekly	Self, other members of PLC	Start: 10/24/11 End:  5/15/12	Wiki set up for professional exchanges; members of PLC; meeting place (school~Gillis Elementary)	Reflections of PLC meetings posted on wiki; reflections on effectiveness of PLC; reflection on action research project.
Research and share information about 2.0 web tools, PLC’s through literature, online education blogs, and websites	Self	Start:  11/7/11            End: 5/15/12	Computer for Internet searches	Reflections on wiki-article reviews posted on wiki tutorials posted on wiki
Interview members of PLC concerning effects of PLC as a professional development tool Compile  interview data	Self, site mentor Self	Start:  4/30/12 End:   5/11/12 Start:  5/15/12 End:   5/30/12	Probing questions concerning success or failure of PLC as a professional development tool. Interviews, computer	Information compiled and reported on wiki Information compiled and reported on wiki and in final report
Conduct a survey of teachers in school to see what effects PLC have had as a tool for professional development Compile  survey data	Self, site mentor Self	Start: 3/15/12 End:  3/30/12 Start:  4/1/12 End:  4/15/12	Probing questions concerning success or failure of PLC as a professional development tool; free website such as Survey Monkey on which to conduct survey Survey information, computer	Information compiled using tool such as Survey Monkey Information compiled using tool such as Survey Monkey and reported on wiki and in final report
Compile data into final research report, along with reflections, claims, and concluding thoughts	Self	Start: 5/15/12 End:  6/15/12	Data gathered, reflections	Final research report
Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools (Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

Reflections from Week 3

Okay, this week I am starting to get comfortable with the Action Research project.  I am very interested in my topic and hope it will result in my ultimate goal of finding an easy way to share technology information with others.  It's been a lot of fun reading everyone else's plans for research, several of which are either similar to ideas I had or address similar problems we have on our campus.  Using the template made it easier to break the plan into steps; it was not so overwhelming to me when I used the template. 

Week 2 Reflections

With every week's lessons, I become more aware of all of the duties of an administrator. I'm starting to understand that some of the decisions they have to make that seem so cut and dried to me as a teacher, actually must be considered from many different perspectives. I think I'm understanding the action research project a little better, but still feeling pretty overwhelmed. I'm glad the book says that the action research project changes and evolves, because mine has definitely been shifting around!

Action Research Discussion, Week 2

Action Research Discussion:

I have had several projects shifting around in my head, all of them having to do with Passion 1: Staff Development (Dana, 2009, p. 32). Our school campus has undergone a tremendous number of changes in the past five years: we became a Title I school, had a complete change in administration, and had a population explosion in our area during this time. We have gone from being a "country school" to shifting between the second or third largest elementary school in the parish. We have an administrator who is a real "techie," and she has utilized Title I funds, written grants, and worked with Partners in Ed to garner a tremendous amount of technology for our school. Most of our staff has become much more technologically savvy, though some have been resistant to the process. To some extent, I can understand why; some of the changes have not always been diplomatically undertaken, and there is always the time element. It takes time to learn new tricks. I can attest to the fact that although I enjoy learning about new techniques and technologies, as a “digital immigrant” (Prensky, 2001, p. 1), I have been intimidated by them in the past. My initial question was, "What can I do to help others on my campus learn about technology?" I decided to narrow the focus, and my purpose is now, "Is a PLC the best way to reach others to help them with technology integration?" One of my classmates has also suggested using the PLC to ask, "How do we involve and motivate others who are afraid or refuse to implement technology in their daily lessons?" (Thank you, Jeanette!) I am also going to be consulting with my site mentor and co-workers for their opinions of whether or not this inquiry would be valid to them and to our school. As Dr. Lewis stated in Video 4 this week, "If it's not practical [an action research project], and it can't be applied to your particular situation, it just hasn't done much good" (Lewis, n.d.).

I think the people who will benefit immediately from this project will be the ones in my PLC. Collaboration with other teachers has always been helpful to me, and for the past few years I have been blessed with wonderful co-workers in my grade level. We all work very well together, share similar attitudes towards classroom management and work ethics, and my co-workers are terrific about sharing ideas and techniques that really work. I hope this will benefit my administrators as a model of an effective way to help with staff development. We will have our blog open to others on the staff, of course, and encourage them to share ideas and begin their own PLC’s. Lastly, and most importantly, are our students, who will benefit from having teachers who are knowledgeable, confident, role models of lifelong learning.

Dana, N.F. (2009). The passions that drive your journey: Finding a wondering. In Leading with passion and knowledge the principal as action researcher (pp. 29-69). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Lamar University EDLD 5301 Research for Teachers. (n.d.). Interview 3: Dr. Kirk Lewis [Embedded video].
Retrieved from URL: https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=2271379

Prensky, M. (2001, September-October). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part one. On the Horizon, 9 (5), 1-6.

Marianne Wallace
EDLD 5301/ET8038

Blogs in Education

I can think of numerous ways that blogs can be effective tools for educational leaders. Blogs are an effective way to communicate with students and parents, both to let them know of upcoming events and to get feedback from them regarding class activities. A blog can be used with co-workers to share information or reflections on an action research project. It can also be used as part of a PLN-a personal learning network. Rather than being limited to persons in a particular school, or even a district, bloggers can interact with people around the world as part of their PLN.

For classroom use, blogs can be a great learning tool for students. In addition to learning to use 2.0 tools, such as downloading and embedding videos or powerpoints, blogs give students a chance to improve writing and research skills, as well as the opportunity to learn to evaluate Internet resources, leave fair comments on others’ blogs, and in general, learn responsible digital citizenship. If our goal is to educate 21st century learners, blogs are a 21st century tool the value of which should not be underestimated.

Action Research

Action research differs from traditional research in several ways: First, rather than being conducted by outsiders without any personal stake in the findings, action research is conducted by insiders, with very real personal interests in the outcome. Another difference is the research approach itself. The word “action” is in fact the operative word in the term action research. Researchers actively question themselves and their own practices, actively form a plan to improve, actively implement the plan, actively reflect upon the plan, then actively share their results. Although traditional research may provide valuable information, the research has been done upon the educators, rather than with them, therefore leaving them with no voice in the process itself. Action research also distinguishes itself from traditional research because rather than having a beginning and an end, action research is cyclical: it is a process that repeats itself over and over as the participants learn to use the process itself as a problem solving vehicle (Dana, 2009).
I am hoping action research will better my own teaching methods and lead to collaboration with others on my faculty. Inquiry research is based on the same questioning approach as the scientific method that I use as a science teacher and that I teach to my students. Adding serious introspection and reflection to a technique I already employ will hopefully lead me to be a more thoughtful and stronger educator, and it will be a process that will renew itself with each new query.


Dana, N.F. (2009). Administrator inquiry defined. In Leading with passion and knowledge the principal as action researcher (pp. 1-27). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.