Process and Possible Problems (10/31/11)

The Action Research Plan question that I am working on is, "In what ways will implementing a Web 2.0 behavior modification service effect the number of conduct marks a student/class receives?" Our school has been selected to pilot a system called Review 360 in which a teacher can log into this service and document how a student behaves. In return, the system will give suggestions on how to better handle this student. If these ways are ineffective, the teacher can mark it as "ineffective" and the developers will "throw it out" and give better suggestions.

When I first talked this over with my Site Mentor, I was ecstatic! Since I am the Technology Leader on my campus, I immediately thought how fun this query would be for me. It was moments later that I thought this may also be a problem for certain teachers. While many teachers claim to be "tech savvy" we still have a few out there that are used to doing things the "old way." Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a teacher doing something their own way, but teaching them something new might be a challenge.

Another problem I might run into is the fact that implementing this program adds something else to a teacher's already full plate. While I am only selecting a few teachers to help me with this program, I do not want to feel like I am burdening them or pestering them for their data. I do also remind them that this program does have the potential to benefit their students so I am hoping that will lure them into helping me.

On paper, my Action Plan seems solid. However, we all know that we do not teach "in a perfect world" so I am going to do my best adjusting to meet the needs of my teachers and administrators helping me with this project. I am also hoping that the end results benefit their students as well!

Action Research Plan

Goal: In what ways will implementing a Web 2.0 behavior modification service effect the number of conduct marks a student/class receives?

Action Plan Person Responsible Timeline Needed Resources Evaluation

1.Collect baseline information. This involves either taking the average of a classes’ conduct grade, or tallying up the number of conduct marks a class receives. (Teacher may not have each week’s conduct history.)	Various teachers who are participating in the action research plan. As of now, 1 third grade class and one first grade class.	October 2011 to February 2012.	-Teacher’s grade book. -Conduct sheet.	Researcher will document how many conduct marks were given in a set time period. This will be used as a baseline model.
2. Implement Web 2.0 behavior modification program. -Researcher will implement the program that is being piloted in our school.	Researcher / Teachers who are participating in the action plan.	October 2011 to February 2012.	Data collected from teachers. (The data will show strategies on how to better modify student behavior.) If these strategies are not working, the company will suggest new strategies to help assist the teacher.	Researcher will evaluate data received from teachers. He will observe if there were any overall trends using the software and if the program was effective or not.
3. Review data.	Researcher	February	Data that is taken after and before implementation of Web 2.0 program.	At this point the research will see if the Web 2.0 program was successful or not.

Week 2 Blog Reflection (5301)

As simple as it sounds, this week I learned the importance of working as a team when it comes to running a school. After reading all of the 9 passions that a principal may face while they are leading, it is just about impossible to do it alone. I also learned that no "one" teacher holds all of the answers. While seeking advice of a veteran teacher is a great resource, one must remember to stay current on the issues of education and to always welcome new ideas when it comes to running an effective classroom.

Blogs for Educational Leaders

Educational Leaders can use blogs for numerous of things. For instance, a principal who is holding a meeting can put the minutes of the meeting on a blog and share it with their employees. To add to this concept, the administrator can set it to where staff is able to leave comments in response to blog postings in case there were any questions concerning what was written. Principals can also use blogs to let the community know what is going on at school. For example, our assistant principal has a blog that she uses keep in contact with the parents of the school. Having a school blog would be very helpful especially in elementary and early learning schools since many times kids tend to "lose" things on the way home.

Action Research Blog

Prior to this course, I honestly did not know what action research was; yet I would see various forms of it on my campus. What really stood out to me were the two paradigm shifts in educational research over the past few decades. Being new to the administration side of education, it would seem appropriate to bring in an "outside researcher" to help better the school. However, after reading the Dana text, who knows a school better than the people who work there? As I was reading the Dana text, I came across the term “Professional Learning Committee” and I told myself, “Hey! We have PLCs on our campus!” Little did I know that a PLC could be a form of an action research team. As demanding as an action research project can be, I learned from the text how to implement one without it appearing to be a drastic schedule change. The author talked about how he had to report to the doctor about how many times a week he had exercised and how it was eventually became a part of his weekly schedule (Dana, 15.) In the same way, if we want our school to remain “healthy” then it is up to us to use action research to help us for our own good.

Dana, N. F. (2009). Administrator Inquiry Defined. Leading with passion and knowledge: the principal as action researcher (p. 15). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, a Joint Publication with the American Association of School Administrators.