Reflections about Action Research

One of the first lessons I recall learning through the readings in this research class is that administrative inquiry, or action research, utilizes the expertise of the teachers and staff to reflect about the work being done in the school, successes being made, and changes that may be necessary to improve upon what is not working. Action research is not the traditional ‘go to the library and document all these findings’ type of research. Action research, also known as inquiry, involves reflection by those closest to the situation, whereas traditional educational research is conducted by “outsiders” also known as university leaders with theories unfounded in realistic, practical findings (Dana, 2009). Elliot (1988) describes action research as a continual set of spirals consisting of reflection and action. On the other hand, traditional educational research is often viewed as the “latest fashion” thrown into classrooms without practicality or total buy-in by the staff. This form of educational research is often times conducted by researchers at the university level who are far removed from the day to day needs and dilemmas of children in schools (Dana, 2009). Action research can be conducted through discussions at administrative meetings, campus leadership teams, or professional learning communities (p. 21), and it is a real-world, applicable way of learning more about our students and how they learn. Principals who practice action research are engaged with their teachers, become role models for life-long learning, and support best practices for teaching and learning. The readings also helped me understand the passions that drive our wonderings. I was able to relate several of Dana’s nine passions to either my current research or research that I participated in during previous years of teaching, back when I didn’t’ even realize I was conducting action research.      Creating a blog was an integral part of sharing reflections openly on the web. By creating the blog, classmates within other sections of the course were able to communicate, reflect, and have continued discussions after the web conferences. I have been very appreciative of the feedback and responses regarding my Action Research Plan. Just as we reflect about our day to day activities, reflection is also an important aspect of action research. In fact, if you are conducting action research, I don’t know how it would be completed effectively without reflecting on the process and data collected. I am looking forward to following the progress of action research plans on the blogs throughout the courses.      Finally, participating in the weekly web conferences was especially important to my learning. In fact, during our second web conference, after listening to others read their proposals and hearing the responses, I realized my own original thoughts were way too broad and needed refinement. It was important for me to hear the conversations Dr. Abshire was having with other students so that I could reflect on my own work. The web conferences are an invaluable tool to bring the online learning to a classroom atmosphere. Dr. Abshire has done a great job connecting with the students and has relieved many of my stresses through her personal connections each week. I have looked forward to the weekly discussions; it was also very nice to put a face with the names of students in the course. References Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action         Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Elliot, J. (1988). Educational research and outsider-insider relations. Qualitative Studies

     in Education, 1(2), 155-166.

My Action Research Plan has been approved...

After meeting with my site supervisor, the Action Research Plan that was posted last week will remain the same without any changes. Because I had great difficulty posting the table into this blog and there were no revisions or additions to its current condition, I am not re-posting the table. Please find my plan in its entirety in my previous blog thread.
I'm very appreciative of your thoughts and feedback as you read through my plan. Ruth had an excellent question regarding the use of report card data as a measurable standardized tool. In answering that question, our assessment tool for the first grade first six weeks report card is scripted; every first grader in our district will receive the same "scripted" oral performance assessment with a standardized rubric. Students will receive either an S, N, or U depending on their performance. Because it is truly a "Common Assessment" across the grade level (and the district), I feel this is a reliable tool. Great question, Ruth! Thank you for asking so that I could clarify.

AbiHabib's Research Action Plan

AbiHabib’s Action Research Plan
Goal: Determine how implementing the changes in the first grade curriculum, where numeracy is the only focus during the first semester, help increase the level of student’s mathematical understanding and performance in first grade and what effects will it have on student achievement and problem solving skills when the students are in second grade.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Review data from the math pre-assessment administered to first graders in 2011 at King Elementary.	First Grade Teachers; Ginger AbiHabib	August 2011/ September 2012	pre-assessment data; classroom teacher observations	Record the number of students below level, on level, or above level based on the pre-assessment
Review data from the post- assessment and student progress on report cards for 1st 6 weeks, 2nd 6 weeks, and 3rd 6 weeks grading periods at King Elementary	First Grade Teachers; Ginger AbiHabib	September 30; November 4; December 16;	classroom data; post assessment; classroom teacher observations	Record the number of students below level, on level, or above level based on the post assessment; report card data
Informally discuss with the 1st grade teachers at King Elementary how their student performance levels in the classroom this year, after focusing on numeracy during the first semester, differ from last year where numeracy skills were taught throughout the year.	First Grade Teachers; Ginger AbiHabib	August 2011/ June 2012	classroom data; classroom teacher observations	Using the  number of students below level, on level, or above level discuss  teacher observations
Review data from the math pre-assessment administered to second graders in 2011 at King Elementary (who did not have a strong numeracy- focused curriculum as first graders)	Second Grade Teachers; Ginger AbiHabib	September 2011	pre-assessment data; classroom observations	Record the number of students below level, on level, or above level based on the pre-assessment; classroom observations
Review data from the math pre-assessment administered to second graders in 2012 at King Elementary (who did have a strong numeracy- focused curriculum as first graders)	Second Grade Teachers; Ginger AbiHabib	September 2012	pre-assessment data; classroom observations	Record the number of students below level, on level, or above level based on the pre-assessment; classroom observations
Discuss the data and findings of the effects of numeracy with the mathematics vertical committee at King Elementary	Mathematics Vertical Committee	September 2012	Pre-assessment data; post assessment data; teacher observation discussions	The mathematics vertical committee will discover the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the new first grade curriculum in regards to numeracy and number fluency and how it applies to problem solving skills in grades 1 - 5

Week 2... New learning about action research

In my classroom, I always thought being a reflective thinker just meant you were practicing good teaching. I had no idea that being a reflective thinker coupled with all the wonderings in my mind that I 'unofficially researched' had a name- action research. This week was quite validating. I realized in my Part 2 assignment that I had quite a few real-world applications that applied to the nine passions that guided my thinking when finding out about my wonderings (Dana, 2009). As Dana quotes from Todd Whitaker's (2003) work where he describes the most important factor in determining school quality: "... that effective principals never forget: It is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school." (p.8) We all have wonderings and what if's swirling around in our minds; good leaders recognize that the staff plays an important role in moving the school forward, while great leaders cultivate great thinking and bring the wonderings to light.

References

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher.

       Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Whitaker, T. (2003). What great principals do differently: Fifteen things that matter most. Larchmont, 
       NY: Eye on Education, Inc.

What is action research and what are the benefits of blogging while conducting an action research?

Traditional staff development involves administrators negotiating “dilemmas framed by outside experts and asked to implement with fidelity a curriculum designed by those outside their school” (Dana, 2009). In essence, the teacher has a limited role in the research process where “the voices of the people who work in the trenches of the school building on a daily basis” (p. 5) are not heard or recognized.

An administrator who conducts action research regularly, in lieu of only participating in traditional staff development, will not only continue to grow as a leader, but will facilitate growth within the campus. Action research is a combination of making time for reflection, making changes based on the reflection, and collaborating with other professionals (p. 16). It requires principals to be engaged with their teachers, become role models for life-long learning, and support best practices for teaching and learning. Inquiry allows time for the administrator to build relationships, both inside the campus with the faculty, as well as outside the campus with other administrators. Connecting the appropriate action research with campus improvement needs will allow the administrator to focus and reflect on campus structures, needs of the teachers, and student needs. Administrators can also utilize this time for reflection to examine their own leadership abilities and actions (p.19). All in all, action research, or inquiry, is a win-win for all parties involved—especially the students.

Honestly, I had never thought of blogging as a means for journaling. I can see how this social media tool would allow administrators to collaborate without stepping foot off from their campus. Just as it is important for teachers to have an opportunity to discuss issues with other teachers, I believe it is also important for principals to have the same opportunity with their peers. Through blogging, documents, information, pictures, and stories, can be shared easily with a click of a button. My only concern with blogging is that once something is written, it can be subpoenaed for the Open Records Act. I say this because the journal entry on pages 88-89 in the Dana text (2009) refers to a student, David Smith, and considering the first and last name are used, I’m pretty certain confidentiality would be breached for this student. I am always very cautious about typing my thoughts and sharing them on the web. These are just thoughts to consider.

References:

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.