The title of this course created some early apprehensions. I believed I would be spending five weeks analyzing someone’s generalized research and hypothesize how it could fit into various school situations. I was pleased to learn I was wrong. I believe what I have learned in this course is highly valuable and will make me a much better administrator. I am excited about my project and a little frustrated that this is my last course. I believe this would have been more meaningful as one of the earlier courses. Then, the research could be built in to the internship. It seems that the planning and revising was stretched out over five weeks. Spreading things out and giving time for actual research would make the learning more meaningful. It would also allow us to look at real data and use it in a research setting.
During the summer of 2009, shortly after beginning this program, I was fortunate enough to attend a summer institute on PLC’s by Solution Tree and Richard DuFour. The team that attended this conference was focused on the concepts that build successful PLC’s. During this institute, the idea of common assessments really intrigued me. During the 2009-10 school year, our focus was on building a PLC environment. This change was well received, so we considered the idea of adding common assessments to our campus. During the initial conversations, it became apparent that most of the leadership team believes that common assessments are another form of benchmark testing, just more frequent and at the campus level. This misconception is why I have chosen common assessments as a topic for my research. This belief will make buy-in from the teachers very difficult. As I examined information about common assessments I found these reasons for using them in PLC’s.
“In professional learning communities, collaborative teams of teachers create common assessments for three formative purposes. First, team-developed common assessments help identify curricular areas that need attention because many students are struggling. Second, they help each team member clarify strengths and weaknesses in his or her teaching and create a forum for teachers to learn form one another. Third, interim common assessments identify students who aren’t mastering the intended standards and need timely and systematic interventions” (Stiggins, & DuFour, 2009).
Being a science teacher, I thought of research as a controlled activity. I found Dana’s clarification of generalizability and transferability refreshing. The idea of using generalized research in education is stressful, but transferable research just makes sense. “It is not meant to be generalizable to all practitioners everywhere” (Dana, 2009). With my research, I can take the ideas I learned from DuFour’s presentations and transfer them to meet my campus needs. Dr. Jenkins seal my confidence in this type of research in week 2 when he stated, “Your goal in the significance of the study is to look to the future” (Arterbury & Jenkins, 2010). I am frustrated by the departments of transportation and education when they propose solutions that only address today’s problems, and do not prepare for the future.
The practice of action research is invaluable. Good teachers, coaches, and administrators are in an improvement cycle at all times. Action research practices help to refine these practices and ensure it is data based and increases improvement.
Stiggins, R., & DuFour, R. (2009). Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9), 640-644. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Arterbury, E, & Jenkins, S. (Producer). (2010). Week 2 video. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.lamar.epiclms.net
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Action Research: Common Assessments
What effects do common assessments have on math and science instruction? In this research, we will look at the benefits common assessments have on teacher instruction and student learning. Teachers will collaborate to create these assessments. This helps them to focus on a common destination. Then, the curriculum and lessons can be designed to lead the students to this destination. Students will receive a more complete, consistent, and focused learning experience. This focused learning will help teachers identify gaps and weaknesses. They will collaborate and improve early in the learning process. Student scores on math and science benchmark and TAKS exams will improve and be more consistent across the campus.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Educationl Leaders & Blogs
Collaboration is an essential tool of successful learning. Continuous learning is a characteristic of successful school leaders. Blogging provides an avenue for school leaders to learn and collaborate. Educators, especially on secondary campuses, have a tradition of working in isolation. This is also true with principals. They may have staff to collaborate with, but how often do they get the opportunity to collaborate with other principals in a non-competitive environment? Blogging allows principals to share their thoughts, insights, suggestions, and concerns in an open-environment. They can receive feedback from other principals (new through retired), teachers, STUDENTS, PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, etc. They can use this feedback to develop and mold their own learning and leadership. It also provides an insight into his/her beliefs and philosophies. This insight helps build relationships and shared visions. All of these benefits increase the success of the leader and the school.
• Action research is diagnostic, prescriptive, and cyclic. It is not done simply because a directive was given to research a topic. Nor is it done because some expert and some conference said “X” is the answer to all educational woes, so we must research and implement it. Action research is engaged and implemented to address a specific concern. Action research can be done at the district level to address a district-wide issue. It can be done at the campus level by a principal or other campus leader. It can also be done by teams of teachers to address more specific issues. Content teams may establish goals and use action research to improve scores on content specific tests. Grade levels may address knowledge gaps and vertical alignment. Our campus has divided our teachers AND students into smaller “teams.” These teams use action research to address concerns for individual students on their team. Regardless of the group dynamics and specific goal, action research is an ongoing process. DIAGNOSTIC: The teams identify a need and establish a measurable and obtainable goal. They research the characteristics of the issue and best practices to address it. PRESCRIPTIVE: The research is used to develop and implement a plan, with a timeline. The goal will be measured again. Research is done, again, to determine the effectiveness, concerns and successes. CYCLIC: This research is used to modify the action plan and timeline. The cycle is then repeated.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
I currently serve in a technology leadership position. I am not an administrator. While I enjoy leading my peers, sometimes I become frustrated with my peers lack of urgency when it comes to learning and integrating technology. Likewise, I am frustrated when administration frowns at the introduction of new technologies, like student email, because that is “something else they will have to police.” I guess, because of my current position, I do not need to be convinced of the importance of technology in the classroom. I am looking for ways to convince my colleagues and peers. I want to inspire them to transform their classrooms and schools into 21st century learning communities that collaborate with other 21st century learning communities. I want them to use technology to inspire their students to be successful 21st century learners. The readings provide the evidence to convince the analytic people. I have started building a similar collection of more current articles from various professional organization journals and magazines. I am still searching for more stories of classroom and school successes to inspire those overwhelmed classroom teachers to try something new. I believe these types of materials were missing from the course readings.
There are many relevancies between the outcomes and my current position. This course revealed more tools and strategies that can be used to strategically develop action plans, professional development, visions and mission statements. Our campus is working towards becoming a professional learning community. We must trust that we can learn from each other. Rather than force technology strategies and lessons on reluctant teachers, I want to provide them with resources they can use to develop these ideas themselves. The articles inspired me to put more exploration and collaboration in my professional development. I am confident that my district is leading in the area of infrastructure and technology resources. We are one-hundred percent wireless; we have mobile laptop carts; our students have access to wiki’s, blogs, email, file storage, and instant messaging. Some teachers are energetically leading with technology. These teachers can be the models, not only for other teachers, but for the administration. Just as teachers may be reluctant to relinquish technological power to students, administrators without the necessary tech savvy are reluctant to relinquish the power to these teachers. We need to open the lines of communication, collaboration and trust to move our students into the 21st century.
I am looking for more best practice strategies for the integration of technology. Some people will integrate technology because they like it. Others will do it because they were told to. However, many need proof of effectiveness. They want guides explaining which strategies were the most successful. This course provided the “why’s” of technology integration, but what about the how’s, when’s, and where’s? We were able to brainstorm ideas for ways it might work. However, we did not explore the actual classrooms that were successful on limited budgets and resources. The ones mention were part of special studies and programs. Exploration of real best practices provides proof and guidance. It also acts as a guide to future integration ideas. I currently feel like we are reinventing the wheel because there is not a lot of sharing of strategies, successes, and failures. Professional technology conferences have provided me with many of these opportunities, but we cannot afford to have an entire staff take 2 days in February to attend a conference that costs $150 per person plus travel expenses. How do I create these learning opportunities for my staff? Yes, we can learn to do things by exploring and virtual training, but sometimes we need that “live” experience to find our motivation.
Using 21st century skills in my daily and professional life prepared me for this course. I am familiar with the technologies introduced and used throughout this course, including the web conferencing. I use blogs and social networking both personally and professionally. I was not only able to complete the course, but help those who were struggling. The coursework was not discouraging, but the resistant approach taken by many in the class was. There was a lot of work and we were pushed outside of our comfort zones, but this is graduate work. Technology is not easy for us immigrants. It will take us a little extra time to learn it. We cannot depend on someone else to teach us in a “sit and get” training. We must explore and learn for ourselves. We must model being life-long learners if that is what we want from or students. To expect anything less makes me wonder if we have thoroughly considered to positions we are working to achieve. If this is too much, what will it feel like to have the academic success of an entire study population depend on the decisions we make and how much work we are willing to “balance.”
The opportunities to help others provided an opportunity for an unexpected outcome in this course. Because I am more fluent than most digital immigrants on my campus, I tend to forget what the early stages of learning technology were like. Helping others in this course helped me “slow down” in my translations to other teachers. I was also made more aware of my “accent.” I recently used this knowledge in a classroom. It helped me to better bridge the gap between the teacher and student. I also learned that reluctant teachers have worn me down in the past year. I must rekindle my passion for technology integration. This passion enabled me to inspire others to learn more. Without that passion, my suggestions and strategies are ignored. As leaders, we cannot let a few resisters keep us from continuing on the path to technology integration. We must let those who we inspire lead the way, not hold them back while we focus on the negative.
Blogs provide students the opportunity read and respond to “real” stories. How many times have we heard, “Why do we have to do this?” “When will we use it in the real world?” Twenty-first century learners want their education to be relevant. Blogs provide this opportunity. Blogging provides students the ability to express themselves in a medium they are familiar and comfortable with. Many students want to “fit in” in the crowd while being unique individuals. This desire causes many to shy away from learning that publicly singles them out. Blogging allows them to demonstrate their knowledge while remaining in an “anonymous” comfort zone and expressing their personal style. Students can start breaking away from the ideals their parents have and explore other beliefs. This allows them to develop their own beliefs, based on their own experiences. They are able to communicate with people from around the world. Image that old science exploration we all did in elementary where we marked of a 1 meter square and observed the life in that square. We were able to compare it with another square somewhere else on our campus. Through blogs, we can compare it with a square in another state or even another country. Students can use real information to learn about different biomes and ecosystems.
Safety is the main concern for the use of blogs in education. Educators are charged with the task of protecting students. This includes protecting them online. All the technological protections in schools cannot protect our students alone. Teachers and administrators must take an active role in this protection. Students must be educated about cybersafety. They must know the dangers and how to protect themselves online. While at school, we must monitor their online habits, protect them, and educate them. We must take time out of the TAKS curriculum to teach the “Life-long” curriculum that includes cybersafety. This is true for those that have technology tools at home as well as those who do not. Being fortunate enough to have these tools at home does not guarantee that the student has been taught cybersafety at home. Students that are not exposed to these tools at home may be more naive and more curious. Both scenarios are equally dangerous if we do not act and protect our children. Remember, “it takes a village to raise a child,” not just the parents.
The high school principal in our district uses a blog. She blogs about “hot topics” around her campus. One blog discusses the dress code regulation that shirts must be tucked in. It was interesting to me that very few of the comments were against the rule. Many were indifferent and most supported the rule. It was interesting to read the perspectives from various stakeholders. Of course students commented, but there were also comments from parents, professionals in the community, teachers, and board members. This blog provides evidence that blogs can reach all types of stakeholders. It provides them an opportunity to weigh in on a topic or even a decision that must be made in the future. They have an opportunity to express themselves and know that they will be heard. It gives the decision maker an opportunity to hear the opinions of various stakeholders, and the reasons for their opinions.
I knew that my current position would help me be an effective administrator in the future, but preparing to become an administrator is helping me be a better instructional technologist.
There are many relevancies between the outcomes and my current position. This course revealed more tools and strategies that can be used to strategically develop action plans, professional development, visions and mission statements. Our campus is working towards becoming a professional learning community. We must trust that we can learn from each other. Rather than force technology strategies and lessons on reluctant teachers, I want to provide them with resources they can use to develop these ideas themselves. The articles inspired me to put more exploration and collaboration in my professional development. I am confident that my district is leading in the area of infrastructure and technology resources. We are one-hundred percent wireless; we have mobile laptop carts; our students have access to wiki’s, blogs, email, file storage, and instant messaging. Some teachers are energetically leading with technology. These teachers can be the models, not only for other teachers, but for the administration. Just as teachers may be reluctant to relinquish technological power to students, administrators without the necessary tech savvy are reluctant to relinquish the power to these teachers. We need to open the lines of communication, collaboration and trust to move our students into the 21st century.
I am looking for more best practice strategies for the integration of technology. Some people will integrate technology because they like it. Others will do it because they were told to. However, many need proof of effectiveness. They want guides explaining which strategies were the most successful. This course provided the “why’s” of technology integration, but what about the how’s, when’s, and where’s? We were able to brainstorm ideas for ways it might work. However, we did not explore the actual classrooms that were successful on limited budgets and resources. The ones mention were part of special studies and programs. Exploration of real best practices provides proof and guidance. It also acts as a guide to future integration ideas. I currently feel like we are reinventing the wheel because there is not a lot of sharing of strategies, successes, and failures. Professional technology conferences have provided me with many of these opportunities, but we cannot afford to have an entire staff take 2 days in February to attend a conference that costs $150 per person plus travel expenses. How do I create these learning opportunities for my staff? Yes, we can learn to do things by exploring and virtual training, but sometimes we need that “live” experience to find our motivation.
Using 21st century skills in my daily and professional life prepared me for this course. I am familiar with the technologies introduced and used throughout this course, including the web conferencing. I use blogs and social networking both personally and professionally. I was not only able to complete the course, but help those who were struggling. The coursework was not discouraging, but the resistant approach taken by many in the class was. There was a lot of work and we were pushed outside of our comfort zones, but this is graduate work. Technology is not easy for us immigrants. It will take us a little extra time to learn it. We cannot depend on someone else to teach us in a “sit and get” training. We must explore and learn for ourselves. We must model being life-long learners if that is what we want from or students. To expect anything less makes me wonder if we have thoroughly considered to positions we are working to achieve. If this is too much, what will it feel like to have the academic success of an entire study population depend on the decisions we make and how much work we are willing to “balance.”
The opportunities to help others provided an opportunity for an unexpected outcome in this course. Because I am more fluent than most digital immigrants on my campus, I tend to forget what the early stages of learning technology were like. Helping others in this course helped me “slow down” in my translations to other teachers. I was also made more aware of my “accent.” I recently used this knowledge in a classroom. It helped me to better bridge the gap between the teacher and student. I also learned that reluctant teachers have worn me down in the past year. I must rekindle my passion for technology integration. This passion enabled me to inspire others to learn more. Without that passion, my suggestions and strategies are ignored. As leaders, we cannot let a few resisters keep us from continuing on the path to technology integration. We must let those who we inspire lead the way, not hold them back while we focus on the negative.
Blogs provide students the opportunity read and respond to “real” stories. How many times have we heard, “Why do we have to do this?” “When will we use it in the real world?” Twenty-first century learners want their education to be relevant. Blogs provide this opportunity. Blogging provides students the ability to express themselves in a medium they are familiar and comfortable with. Many students want to “fit in” in the crowd while being unique individuals. This desire causes many to shy away from learning that publicly singles them out. Blogging allows them to demonstrate their knowledge while remaining in an “anonymous” comfort zone and expressing their personal style. Students can start breaking away from the ideals their parents have and explore other beliefs. This allows them to develop their own beliefs, based on their own experiences. They are able to communicate with people from around the world. Image that old science exploration we all did in elementary where we marked of a 1 meter square and observed the life in that square. We were able to compare it with another square somewhere else on our campus. Through blogs, we can compare it with a square in another state or even another country. Students can use real information to learn about different biomes and ecosystems.
Safety is the main concern for the use of blogs in education. Educators are charged with the task of protecting students. This includes protecting them online. All the technological protections in schools cannot protect our students alone. Teachers and administrators must take an active role in this protection. Students must be educated about cybersafety. They must know the dangers and how to protect themselves online. While at school, we must monitor their online habits, protect them, and educate them. We must take time out of the TAKS curriculum to teach the “Life-long” curriculum that includes cybersafety. This is true for those that have technology tools at home as well as those who do not. Being fortunate enough to have these tools at home does not guarantee that the student has been taught cybersafety at home. Students that are not exposed to these tools at home may be more naive and more curious. Both scenarios are equally dangerous if we do not act and protect our children. Remember, “it takes a village to raise a child,” not just the parents.
The high school principal in our district uses a blog. She blogs about “hot topics” around her campus. One blog discusses the dress code regulation that shirts must be tucked in. It was interesting to me that very few of the comments were against the rule. Many were indifferent and most supported the rule. It was interesting to read the perspectives from various stakeholders. Of course students commented, but there were also comments from parents, professionals in the community, teachers, and board members. This blog provides evidence that blogs can reach all types of stakeholders. It provides them an opportunity to weigh in on a topic or even a decision that must be made in the future. They have an opportunity to express themselves and know that they will be heard. It gives the decision maker an opportunity to hear the opinions of various stakeholders, and the reasons for their opinions.
I knew that my current position would help me be an effective administrator in the future, but preparing to become an administrator is helping me be a better instructional technologist.
Monday, December 14, 2009
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