ED5301 - Fin

In summarizing the previous five weeks of this course, the significance of action research has been reiterated throughout the study. In the readings, this aspiring educational leader learned a specific methodology by which to assess an educational issue, learn more about said issue, and implement changes to address the issue. Further, my views of educational research changed. Lastly, I developed an appreciation of blogging as important to the reflective practice of an educator.

Throughout the readings, the foremost thoughts in my mind reflected on changes (substantial or minor) I have made in my educational approaches throughout my teaching career. These changes were based on observations I have made, particularly regarding student achievement regarding curriculum. To an extent, I have always felt that the quality teacher assesses and adjusts their approach based on the students (s) he teachers. The Dana and Harris et al. texts provide a conceptual framework for addressing issues in education. The issue should be identified, and wondering can begin. Data is collected and analyzed. Results of the analysis are shared, and recommendations for improvement follow. Ultimately, the action research cycle is a process improvement of what effective educators instinctively perform.

My perspective of research changed in this course. Previously, I viewed research as something to be performed in an “ideal” setting, such as a university lab school, which specific variables controlled and experimented upon. Such “research” is unlikely to occur in an educator’s actual practice. Further, I viewed research as a cumbersome, labor-intensive project that was manageable only by persons hired to perform such inquiry. I now view action research as a much more economical process in which specific, relevant issues that educators face with regularity can generate knowledge that leads to solutions of said challenges.

Through the use of blogs I found an economical, viable method for ongoing reflection. In the eight years of education, I have heard much of the term “reflective practice” including a reflection in ED5311 about what reflective practice means. Ongoing blogging provides a precise method to reflect on our experiences in the classrooms and as aspiring educational leaders. Although I philosophically disagree with Lamar’s policy of grading based on other people’s comments on our blogs overall I found that forcing myself to communicate my thoughts on a topic in written format was beneficial to me as I was able to formalize impressions, feelings, and thinking on particular matters. 

Thank you to everyone who made such encouraging posts to my blog regarding my ARP. Right now I feel akin to the early stages of building my house as I did a year ago:

1) There is much work to be done
2) I have a general idea of what the finished product will look like
3) Stressful moments that I cannot imagine are ahead
4) The end will be worth it

My action research begins Thursday when I collaborate with an instructional coach for my district in determining a master list of all technologies my district pats for. Further, I should have my survey finalized by Friday and ready for dissemination during the inservice week. Hard to believe kids will be back under my instruction in two Mondays; summers are flying by faster each passing year.

Good luck to my cohort, and may everyone have a great return to school.

Action Research Plan

Technology has been changing society and the way people function daily, from mundane tasks such as navigating to specific addresses through the use of map applications on a smart phone, to completing the extraordinary project, such as accessing scholarly research through the World Wide Web.  The current generation of students has never known a society without Internet, social media, and ubiquitous smartphone adoption.

Action Plan for Research
Goal:   As educators, our practice must include technology. As such the purpose of this inquiry is to determine: ·       What is the level of adoption of instructional technology of the teachers at Seven Lakes High School? ·       Of the high level users of technology in the classroom, what programs, apps, or packagers are used, and for what purposes do those teachers use them? ·      Of the low level users of educational technology, why do those teachers choose to teach without technology enrichment?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Research methods of enriching education through technology	Jay Jackson	August 2013	Internet resources, journals, minutes of administrator meeting July 2013	List of methods of technology in the classroom enrichment
Identification of resources available to teachers in Katy ISD and Seven Lakes High School	Jay Jackson Tina Hovance	August 2013	Spreadsheet detailing district and school resources for technology learning	List of resources that are available to Katy ISD and Seven Lakes High School teachers.
Assess teacher utilization of educational technology	Jay Jackson	August – September 2013	Survey delivered by Google doc	Results from survey
Analysis of data	Jay Jackson	September 2013	Results of previously administered survey	List of teachers separated into high and low levels of adoption.
Assess paradigm and methodology of selected teachers who use technology as part of instruction	Jay Jackson	October 2013	Interview questionnaire	Results from interviews with selected teachers
Assess paradigm and methodology of selected teachers who do not use technology as part of instruction	Jay Jackson	November 2013	Interview questionnaire	Results from interviews with selected teachers
Compare assessments of teachers who utilize technology as part of instruction with teachers who do not utilize technology as part of instruction	Jay Jackson	January 2014	Compiled Word document of interviews and spreadsheet with teacher surveys	Draw conclusions from comparison of interviews and spreadsheets
Share results with others including site supervisor and instructional coaches	Jay Jackson	June 2014	Results of administrator inquiry, with supporting documents	Final draft of action research plan to share results.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

After my (much anticipated, quite delayed) meeting with my site supervisor Monday, I have tentative approval to conduct one of my action research proposals. He "green lit" all three ideas but after much discussion of some of the district matters that have pertained to administrators in our district, and based on his evaluations of me in the past (he has always viewed me as a tech innovator, I have reached my at inquiry question:

What is the technology for instruction adoption among the 187 teachers at Seven Lakes High School? Of those who are highly tech-integrated, what packages, software, and apps do they use and why? Of those who are not tech integrated, why do they choose to not utilize technology at their disposal?

Action Research-- Imagine if...

Imagine the resources we could have at our disposal if...
- everyone in our PLC had to perform one action research proposal per year.
- if we had to perform action research in our first year of practice
- if we had performed our action research one year ago.

I am currently vacillating between how beneficial this project will be to education, our schools, and our own practice, and how overwhelming this will be on top of the other day to day responsibilities. This too will pass I suppose. Regrettably, my meeting with my site supervisor could not occur until tomorrow; with the size of our faculty it usually takes two - three weeks to get meaningful face time with an administrator at our behest.

Colleagues, this will be a beneficial test of our abilities to juggle schedules but in the end I am ultimately excited about the projects we are undertaking. Based on Blackboard and blogs, I see many of the same common concerns being addressed- teacher tech utilization, student performance as related to various attributes (extracurriculars, discipline), and so forth. I look forward to reading several of your projects and findings over the next few months.

How blogs can benefit educators

Much is said about the importance of reflective practice in teaching. A blog is a powerful resource in reflective practice; in plain language an English teacher will spell out the importance of organizing thoughts before writing. If an educator makes a commitment to regular blogging, the reflections of his / her practice will be found in the blog.

Action research, also called administrator inquiry, is an opportunity for a teacher or principal to analyze a specific problem within their practice and to generate knowledge about that issue. Action research differs from traditional research models which rely on external "outsiders" to provide data and explanation which must be "taught" to educational practitioners regardless of context or setting, and sometimes is strictly for the benefit of the university or academic setting. Administrator inquiry is powerful because educators analyze issues they face, practitioners collaborate on said issues, and teachers and administrators are more likely to produce solutions on these issues.

Action research requires what I shall call "ownership" because the practitioner is analyzing a problem that he or she faces regularly in their native context. Because of the ownership involved in action research or practitioner inquiry, knowledge generated from the analysis of problems are much more likely to result in meaningful change than simply installing platitudes from the latest inservice speaker.

Administrative course inquiry can be performed as part of a university course requirement, within a district, among a school's leadership team, or within a PLC.


In simple language, educators who use meaningful action research can expect students to benefit from higher achievement and principals who utilize this powerful tool can expect schools to better serve their communities.