Week 5

When I started this class, I was not certain what to expect. I felt that it would just be another class for me. However, I was surprised at how interesting I found it to be. I was intrigued with the word ACTION. Often, we do research on different subjects but do not take action after the fact. Research without action in education is wasted effort.


I found the blog particularly helpful. It was nice to write a summary of the week on the blog. It helped me consider what was most important and what the main nugget was for each week. I really appreciated the comments from the professors regarding my action research plan. It was helpful to gain insight from experts in the field. I like to know what is good and bad about my plan. I feel that these comments will make my research more effective.

Week 4

I had a few issues getting my AR Plan on this site.  However, I think I finally managed.  I was very excited this week to learn strategies of problem solving as they are connected to AR.  The three problem solving strategies will save countless time in the future when trying to resolve issues with staff in and out of action research.

Action Research Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action Steps	Person Responsible	Timeline	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Examine other schools RTI manuals	Tracy	March 2011 – April 2011	-RTI manual(s) -time	*feedback from teachers and staff   *number of surveys returned
Create survey for teachers	RTI committee and Tracy	March 2011 – April 2011	-committee meeting -time to create survey -survey monkey account
Gather surveys	Tracy	April 2011	-time
Examine surveys	Tracy	April 2011	-time -survey monkey account
Prepare interview questions	Tracy and Mr. Hare	May 2011	-time -data from surveys
Teacher interviews	Classroom teachers and Tracy	May 2011	-time -interview questions
Examination of Current Research	Tracy	June – July 2011	-time -computer -databases
Create report of findings and make necessary changes to manual	Tracy	July 2011- August 2011	-time -PowerPoint -data findings
Share findings	Tracy	August 2011	-time -PowerPoint presentation -presentation copies
Implementation of necessary changes	Campus teachers, staff, and Tracy	Beginning of 2011-2012 school year	-time -teacher participation -Revised RTI manual

 

Week 3

I am pretty excited to have my draft action research plan written down and organized.  It is my hope that I am able to get cooperation from my peers in order to get our RTI policy and procedures into a format that is more user friendly.  We have such issues with following the steps and knowing when/if we should refer a student to special education.  It would take much of the guess work out to have guidelines set appropriately.  My intent is to make this happen with action research.  I am excited to be able to take an inquiry that I have had for some time and take action to get it solved.

Week 2

Action Reserach is becoming something I think of on a daily basis.  I find myself wondering about educational matters and think this would be a wonderful action research topic.  I learned much from the three speakers of this week. One thing that stands out and seems so simple is to look for solutions to issues from others.  Rather than try to find a solution that is brand new research it and try to locate a school with a similar issue that has been resolved.  Much time and effort can be wasted trying to "reinvent the wheel."

How Educational Leaders Can Use Blogs

Educational leaders can use blogs in a variety of ways from communicating ideas to staff and/or parents to keeping records of thought processes.  Considering that many educational leaders perform action research on a consistent basis a blog may be incredibly helpful in tracking thought processes.  It is helpful to keep track of thoughts that may seem random at the time but can later make a connection that is valuable to the research.

What is Action Research?

Action research is a way for educators to research an issue in their school and provide answers and ideas for improving the situation.  First, they must have a “wondering”.  This “wondering” will create the jumping off point to action research.  Once they have decided on a topic based on the “wondering”, they will gather data to analyze and guide their action.  They will also gather informational texts to gain others’ perspectives on the topic.  After analyzing and gathering additional information on the topic, the educator will then be able to form a plan of action to correct or improve the situation at hand.

The really great thing about action research is just what its name implies.  ACTION!  You do the research to perform an action.  The research guides your action and allows you to base decision making on data and information gathered by others.  You have the opportunity to create a plan of action that will truly make a difference in your school situation.  Traditional research is unable to provide the opportunity to implement what is learned into a school situation.  Due to the fact that administrators and teachers are in charge of action research allows them to take the new knowledge and act on it.  Action research is a powerful way to bring about change in a school setting.

I will be able to use action research in several ways.  Currently, I can use action research in my classroom to guide many different decisions.  At this time, I would like to examine the RTI process.  Our current policy and procedure may or may not be benefitting students.  I would like to determine what changes, if any, should be made.