BBE Technology Plan

Week 4 Reflection

I am so glad that we have such great professors that know how to pick out interesting texts that will benefit us. As was said in our weekly video, sole learning is the slowest form of learning. I don't have much time set aside to self reflect and try to find books to help me in my profession, but I do have many people around me who have heard from one source or another about a book or class or technique that made a difference in their classroom.

The readings from this week have made me feel that much more excited about action research. I have gained confidence and knowledge at a much faster pace than if I were to have looked it up myself. I am truly glad that I am in a great place on my race to graduate.

Week 3 Reflections

This week has been rather interesting. I have learned so much about action research that I am ready to share the concept with my third grade students. Now, I think I will learn a bit more about it before I do that. I have shared with my principal what I have learned, and she is excited to assist me in any way with the project.

Action research is extremely beneficial, and like anything new, it is challenging until you learn how to really use it. My plan incorporates the integration of technology into my classroom so that I may learn how to become a prime site mentor for my campus. I want to learn about technology that will benefit my students not just the latest sales pitch. It has to be worthwhile for the students or it is a waste of time, money, and much much more.

I was really worried at first because the text and professors said that action research isn't just the literature study. It is more than that. I grew up looking up information in texts, and hearing what others said worked for them. I guess that is the difference between my generation and the present generations. I have geared my project around our learners. They are what matter most.

Action Research Plan Draft

Goal: Learn how to use technology tools (such as Mobi) so that I may become a site mentor for the campus
Activities	Resources and Research tools	Timeline	Person Responsible	Process Monitoring	Assessment Instrument
Learn to use Mobi in my classroom	einstruction website	Initiate activity in Dec 2010	Jamie Albarran	Weekly Self Reflection on learning the skills	Field Notes
Sit down with administrators to get their input	interview questions	Monday Dec 6, 2010	Jamie Albarran	Monthly Check in with administrators	interview questions
Learn what teachers think about technology	STaRCHaRT results for campus	Initiate activity in Dec 2010	Jamie Albarran	Create periodic anonymous surveys	surveys and checklists
learn what teachers think a technology leader's role and responsibility consist of	interview questions	Initiate activity in January 2011	Jamie Albarran	Follow up interviews to see how roles and responsibilities are being met.	surveys and checklists
Create Weblog where I can gather input from outside sources	weblog	Initiate activity in January 2011	Jamie Albarran and coauthors	Weekly Self Reflection and question prompts	responses
Goal: Facilitate Staff in order to integrate technology tools suitable for subject and grade specific groups
Activities	Resources and Research tools	Timeline	Person Responsible	Process Monitoring	Assessment Instrument
Implementation of web-based activities such as Kids College	student achievement	Initiate activity in Dec 2010	BBE Staff	Weekly Reports on individual students	Student achievement data
Interviews with students to get their input	interviews	conduct in February 2011	Jamie Albarran	conduct interviews every month	student interview
Take digital pictures of classroom lessons to portray a timeline of progress	digital camera	each time that a new technology tool is integrated	Jamie Albarran	as necessary	pictures
Video record children in the midst of a lesson embedded with technology	video recorder	as the activities are conducted	Jamie Albarran	as necessary	video
Research different types of web 2.0 tools that are beneficial to 3rd grade math and science	books and articles	ongoing beginning in Dec 2010	Jamie Albarran	add to weblog when I obtain new information	resources

Week 2 Reflection

Week 2 was a tough week. It was Thanksgiving Break, Black Friday, family portraits, visiting relatives, and sleeping in all rolled into one. On top of all that, I had to pencil in time to read and create my question list for my action research plan.

I am pleased to admit that reading Chapter 2 of the Dana text opened my eyes to an organized view of the areas that experts as well as myself feel need to be addressed in our school systems. Action research is not just for principals or administrators. It is something that can involve everyone from teachers to students, parents, and custodians. Action research can be as simple as charting the difference in switching off light switches to as detailed as exploring different teaching techniques and their effects over a period of time.

All in all, action research can be a great tool to increase student performance. It is something that I am looking forward to accomplishing myself.

How Educational Leaders Can Use Blogs

Here is a blog tip for Educational Leaders :

·         Blogs are a great way to get input from community members. Input your views onto a school blog and ask for public opinions.

Action Research:

Anyone who has ever felt the need to self reflect has committed to the first steps of action research. As a teacher working towards a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, I know just how important reflection can be.

Many questions arise everyday as to whether certain programs are working or what can our campus do to better equip our students for the future.  Action research, or action inquiry, allows a campus to create programs and procedures that will work for our specific students. 

At the campus level, we actively engage our staff leaders, to pose questions that pertain to our student population. We are able to create clear and concise set of questions that have meaning for our campus.

Although there are many wonderful theorists and in services that provide general processes or predictions to how the questions will be answered, they do not provide our faculty or students with a certain degree of ownership. Traditional research leaves too many questions unanswered.

As our teachers implement our proposed solutions, we can have valid and reliable data that either accepts or declines our explanations. With this data, we as a campus can decide if we should move in another direction.

Action research is a grand tool that is extremely beneficial for our staff as well as our students. It can foster a feeling of self worth for our faculty and allow the best in our teachers to shine through and onto our students.