Week #4

Week #4

Agreed upon Action Research Plan

 

On February 1, 2012, at 10:15 am, at my campus, I met with my Principal to discuss and have approved my Action Research Plan.  I jogged her memory on all what we have talked about when I was putting together my Internship Plan, during EDLD 5311 Fundamentals of Leadership.
She remembered that she had suggested me to research about motivational theories that combined could be apply among the staff in order to acknowledge and celebrate their contributions toward the realization of my campus vision.
I also explained to her what this course was about, and that one of the outcomes was to reach consensus with her on the overall internship plan, including the action research plan to be implemented.
Finally, we talked about me being the person responsible for the implementation of my findings, once I had presented them to the SBDM Committee.  My Principal suggested me to share my findings with our Campus Spirit Committee.  “We do no want to have valuable data gathered from your findings and not doing a thing with it”, said my principal.  “We really need to have our teachers’ morale high”, she added.
I told her that I would share my findings with our counselor and librarian, so the first could plan lessons with the students about the important role our teachers play in their learning, and the latter could find books on this matter to be shared among the staff.

 

Action Research Plan

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation

Understand how to respond appropriately to the need of motivation for our teachers in shaping the campus culture and what role the application of a combination of motivation theories would play in creating a caring school.

Activities designed to achieve the objectives

I have developed five activities that will help me achieve the objectives of the research investigation.  These activities are:

·       Design a tactical plan for the research investigation.

·       Design a plan for gathering information.

·       Examine the collected data.

·       Share results with others.

·       Present final thoughts. 

Resources and research tools needed for data gathering

·       Literature on how to design an action research plan

·       Literature on how to design a plan for gathering information, and data analysis-

·       Literature on motivation theories.

·       Copies of my original and revised internship plans.

·       Data gathered from interviews, surveys, and field notes.

·       Input from colleagues.

·       Presentation program skills such as PowerPoint and Keynote.

Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities

Activities	Timeline for Completion
1. Design a tactical plan for the research investigation.	Feb/Mar 2012
2. Design a plan for gathering information.	Feb/Mar 2012
3. Examine the collected data.	Feb/Mar 2012
4. Share results with others.	TBD by principal
5. Present final thoughts.	TBD by principal

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan

The persons responsible for the implementation of this action research plan are:

·       Me

·       My Principal

·       SBDM Committee

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives

The process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives will be based on the:

·       Feedback from Principal.

·       Feedback from SBDM Committee

·       Feedback from colleagues.

·       Feedback from Discussion Board and Weekly Assignments for EDLD 5301 Research.

·       Follow steps for data interpretation.

·       Feedback from weblog.

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study

The assessment instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study will be:

·       Feedback from stakeholders.

·       Data gathered from field notes in order to accurately represent what it is happening.

·       Data gathered from interviews and surveys.

·       Data triangulation.

Feedback Week #2

I reaffirmed that my passion for children, and the way in how I feel connected with them, makes me realized how important is my mission as a future administrator, because I am willing to commit myself to touch theirs lives in a positive way.

Being a teacher allows me to identify why the struggling learners cannot exceeds the common expectations for their grade- level performance. One of the things that I am planning to keep in mind is the importance of looking at the circumstances of the kids before looking into data.  I shared the same thought that Dr. Johnny Briseno has  “kids are kids, not numbers”.
Many examples of administrator inquiry or action research for school performance were given in this section of reading. Most of them were implemented to review the areas where students were achieving below the expectations. Because my campus, as many campuses in Texas, is a data-driven campus, we have the chance to look directly to our data searching for areas in which we can improve. I’m not talking about “hot spots” where action needs to be taken without delay, because this is a “must do” of every campus. I think that implementing an action research that target this problem can also help us to improve those areas where the students are achieving at average level.

How Educational Leaders Must Use Blogs?

I believe that educational leaders might use blogs to post findings about their action research, and to get feedback from colleagues through their commentaries.  They can also comment on their colleagues’ blogs, ask questions and receive advice.

Blogging facilitates learning, since you are prone to reflect on what you are reading and purposefully express your thoughts about the topic that has been presented to you.

What I Want To Remember About Action Research

I have learned that action research is a mighty instrument for school improvement and learning. Through the deeper understanding of their own behaviors and the commitment in self-reflection, practitioners are capable to make better choices in their professional growth.  Because they invest their time and energy, they feel a sense of ownership and connection to the process and its outcomes.

Action research is a recurring process, where those who practice it are knowledge originators.  Principals are the source of questions, and they are focused on offering an approach into their own practice to modify what needs to be modified in order to improve the school. They turn into role models for teachers, staff, and students in their buildings, modeling how to be lifelong learners, which has a long-lasting positive impact on every person in the campus.

Principals establish questions, read applicable literature, collect and analyze data, and share their conclusions with others, becoming the “head learners” in their schools.  They slow down the stressed pace of their regular work by allocating time to engage in inquiry.  Thus, they become proactive, rather than reactive.

There are quite a few uses for action research in educational settings.  For example, it can be used a component of pre-service and in-service programs, in curriculum development, in systems planning for schools and districts, and as an approach for professional development.

Action research can occupy just one teacher investigating a concern in their classroom, a team of teachers working on a common dilemma, or a group of teachers and other school personnel focusing on a school- or district-wide matter.