Week 5 Reflection

This course has been a good jumping off point into learning the action research process.  It has taught me many things, and I know that I will use these new talents in working with the action research project, and I hope to use this as a model for any research that I will perform as a principal at my own school.  I really have seen the benefits of this kind of study and how it truly can have an impact on schools.  It is a drastic deviation from what I consider classic research.  Classic research is performed as a study and a report of information is completed.  Action research takes the extra step of making a change in a school and seeing how this change impacts said school.  We need to be brave when taking the initiative to change processes in schools.  Some schools have become stagnate and almost cry out for change.  Action research is a way that alterations can be made in schools.  Administration and teachers have the benefit of not having to wait for the next big thing to come along and save the school if they use this process.  One can research a topic and place it into practice in a school.  Three things that I have learned from this class are: what an action research project is, the benefits of a blog, and data collection through videos. 

            Action Research is how a principal and a school can grow together. A principal starts with a question that he or she wants answered and then they implement a study of answering that question. (Dana, 2009) This is a crucial step in modern education.  Principals of today are required to be more than just the person who sits in the front office.  They are expected to actually lead the school.  One of the best ways to lead is to lead by example or model what you want from your teachers.  If, as a principal, you wish to show the staff that you want to be a data rich campus and that you really have to know your students in order to achieve this goal, taking part in action research will cause you to model your desires in order to ensure success.    This process provides data to drive campus decisions and feedback about students. When one’s goals as a campus leader are met through the process of action research, modeling expectations can be done with ease.  

            The second topic I learned about was blogging.  I have already found my blogging experience useful.  According to Dana, “Sharing your inquiry in the form of a blog will help you play with, develop, and challenge ideas that have developed about your administrative practice as a result of engaging in inquiry.” (Dana, 2009, p. 150)  Blogs give you the benefit of taking in others’ thoughts about your work without having to formally submit assignments.  It may open you up to new ideas that you had not even thought of during your research.  It is also a good way to bounce ideas off of peers.  Another good idea connected to blogs is the way we work with students.  One could see how this would help students.  It would give students yet another way to connect with their teachers.  In a class, some students are reluctant to ask questions out of fear of embarrassment.  Blogs give students an opportunity to ask questions without stigma.  Another benefit of a blog is that it would allow students to reflect on their learning and have an opportunity to see their learning grow in relation to others’ comments.  In addition, one could also see how blogging could be a benefit to teachers.  Adults can suffer from the same tendencies as our students, and teachers might find success with a carefree way to engage in a campus wide discussion.   In working with teachers, blogs have the added cache of not chaining the staff to a meeting room.  Staff could post on the blogs at their convenience. 

            The third thing I have learned is data collection through video.  One of the best ways to get an accurate picture of a classroom is by videoing.  When you video the lesson one removes the need for statements like “remember when” or “I think I saw.”  The video process allows for evidence that is viewable by the researcher and the teacher and there can be no discrepancy for interpretations when you are viewing the tape.  Dana states “. . .using video can help them collect descriptive information, better understanding an unfolding behavior, capture the process used, study the learning situation, and make visible products or outcomes.”  (Dana, 2009, pp. 86-87)  I think this would be a good tool when working with my action research project because I could video students taking part in a differentiated lesson and the teacher and I could work together to critique the lesson.  This way we could grow the use of Differentiated Instruction on my campus.  

Plan Comments

I feel that my action research plan is going well.  I welcome further feedback.  The comments so far have been very supportive and I am thankful that people are willing to take their time to share their thoughts.  One comment did make me think about expanding the impact on specific groups, but upon further reflection that might totally change the direction of my project.

Action Plan Draft

 

Action Planning Template
Goal: To prove Differentiated Instruction does make a difference in student achievement
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Meet with site supervisor to discuss possible action research topics	William Watkins   Intern Chris Hecker Site Supervisor	Start March 2011 End March 2011	Campus Improvement Plan Time of the Site Supervisor	We discuss different topics and settled on DI
Generate a Form to document which lessons are taught through DI	William Watkins	Start March 2011 End March 2011	Excel Spreadsheet	This document will allow me to see which lessons were taught with DI and which lessons were not taught with DI
Gather Information from Social Studies Lesson Plans to identify DI Lessons	William Watkins Social Studies Teachers on 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade	Start: March 2011 End December 2011 This will need to be done on a weekly basis	Copies of Lesson Plans	This will let me know which items are taught through DI
I will need to label the lessons with the appropriate Social Studies TEKS	William Watkins	Start March 2011 End December 2011 This will need to be done roughly every 3 weeks when teachers give their exams.	Copy of TEKS and lesson plans	This will make it clear which TEKS are being taught with DI and those that are not.  I will then be able to gage which TEKS DI is being successful with and not
I will need to gather test analysis data from the Social Studies Teachers	William Watkins Social Studies Teachers on 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade	Start March 2011 End December 2011 This will need to be done roughly every 3 weeks when teachers give their exams	Copy of Test Analysis Forms	I will be able to monitor student achievement on DI taught lessons
Evaluate the effectiveness of DI lessons and report to site supervisor on progress	William Watkins Chris Hecker	June 2011 October 2011	Data Charts	This will show that DI has been effective as a teaching tool
Deliver research paper to site supervisor	William Watkins Chris Hecker	January 2012	Research Paper	My site supervisor will decide how we want to share the information from my report.  I see it being shared with the entire faculty and with our campus improvement committee

What is DI

Differentiated Instruction allows you to deal with multiple types of students in the same classroom.  You have a basic topic that you are teaching in your class room.  You may differentiate what the student does in the following ways: readiness, interest, or learning style.  You would then differentiate the activity in the following ways: content, process, or product.  I hope this clears up what DI is in a small way.  You basically meet the student where they are and help them grow. 

What have I learned from Week 2

This is going to be a long process, but schools need help.  Schools also need leaders that are willing to work for the long haul.  To effectively carry out an action research project one must have a clear vision for their school and a plan if the school fails to reach that vision right away.  Also, it is interesting that I thought I had my action project ready to go and then upon further reflection I completely changed my topic.  Leaders must also be flexible.

Discussion From Week 2

Purpose
I plan to research the impact of Differentiated Instruction on student achievement in social studies at my school. We are ending a two year cycle that has included our school creating a DI leadership group with the hope that we could expand the use of Di in our campus. I still feel that there is push back to this philosophy. My study will show the impact of DI lessons on test scores. Our current requirement is that teachers teach two DI lessons per grading period. I can use test data to compare and contrast items taught with DI and items that were not taught with DI.

Significance

I think the teachers will benefit and see that the DI philosohy can lead to greater student achievment. I think our school as a whole will benefit because we have used grant money to pay for the training of DI. Our campus and district leadership can see that the money they spent was not wasted. I think that reluctant teachers who have failed to embrace this philosophy will see that DI is effective for our students.

 

How educational leaders might use blogs?

Educational leaders can use blogs to help organize their thoughts and research on an action research project.    It also allows you to value your own study of the problem.  (Dana, 2009)  We might wonder if we have the credentials to tackle problems in school, but in fact action research gives that expertise to principals.  It could be used to share your schools journey in dealing with a problem.  The blog would be two fold in purpose.  First, it would allow the school and principal to be reflective about their attempted solution to the problem and second, it would allow other principals to view and understand how you at your school deal with problems and then see if they could apply your solution to their campus.