UPDATE ON ACTION RESEARCH

UPDATE ON ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

BYOT AND ONE-TO-ONE TECHNOLOGY

I feel like I am making good progress on my action research project.  I am doing my project over our BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) program and a possible one-to-one initiative.  I have designed a technology survey and have actually surveyed both our high school and middle school teachers with regard to technology in our schools.  The surveys went well, and I a have compiled the data into a usable format.  In addition to the surveys, I have interviewed the superintendent of the Denton ISD (a school district close to ours in terms of proximity) with regard to their BYOT program and why they chose to not implement a one-to-one initiative.  I have also interviewed representatives from the Decatur ISD who have implemented a one-to-one technology program.  Both of these schools provided me with data and information that was beneficial to my research.  I plan to continue to research my topic until Christmas and then begin writing my paper on the subject.  My plan is to work on the paper (while continuing to gather valuable data) during the spring semester and hopefully have it completed prior to the beginning of summer.  Other people that I plan to interview include:  Argyle ISD’s director of technology, students in the Argyle ISD, Northwest ISD representatives and Irving ISD representatives (their district has a one-to-one inititive), Argyle ISD’s superintendent, and Argyle High School’s head principal.  I believe that all of these people will have beneficial information for me in this area.

REFLECTIONS ON EDLD 5301

EDLD 5301 was an enlightening course for me because it dealt with some topics that I had very little experience with during my educational career.  The primary topic of the class was action research.  Before the course began, I had no idea what the difference was in traditional research and action research.  Through the lectures and the assigned readings, I found a wealth of information in this area.  I not only understand the importance of action research, but I also have a solid grasp on the step-by-step process it takes to complete an action research project.  Any good leader is never completely satisfied with his/her organization.  There is always room for improvement, and a good leader will question things from time to time with the sole purpose of being able to better the organization.  This is where action research comes in to play.  Because every situation is different, leaders must learn how to take data and apply it to their unique circumstances.  I believe that I have learned how to do this and will be able to use this tool as I become a leader of a school in the future.

I am excited about starting my action research project this fall.  My principal (also my site supervisor) and I have had several meetings about the project, and I know that he is genuinely interested and excited about seeing my recommendations.  My topic is BYOT or “Bring Your Own Technology.”  We implemented a program last school year that allows students to bring electronic devices to school and utilize our school district’s network.  The program definitely has some areas where improvement is needed, and my principal realizes this.  Our hope is that the data we collect and analyze will help us come up with a better plan of action with regard to the technology at our school.  I have also visited with the assistant principals on our campus, and they are onboard with my research project as well.  Their help will be crucial to the success of my research, so I am excited that they are willing to help me with this endeavor.

Another topic that was covered in-depth during EDLD 5301 was blogging.  I think that I am a technologically savvy person and educator, but I have never used this tool in either my personal or professional life.  What I found the most beneficial with blogging is the feedback I received from various followers.  The old saying that “two heads are better than one” is certainly applicable to the topic of action research, and blogging is one way to get valuable input from people who see things in a little different light than I do.  Many of the followers of my blog gave me advice on my project that I definitely plan to utilize.  I am grateful to these people for their kind words of encouragement and their constructive criticism, and I hope to continue to benefit from their input in the future.  I can see myself continuing to use a blog both as a classroom teacher and as a future leader.  In addition, the web discussions that were assigned during the course were another blogging tool where I received the feedback I needed to reinforce my thoughts or to challenge my thoughts on a particular topic.  I do have a concern with blogging.  During the summer months, educators have plenty of time to spend looking at and following other people’s blogs.  My thought is that this will diminish as the school year begins and we all head back to our full-time jobs.  I hope I am wrong.

As the class draws to a close this week, I am thankful for the help of several people: (1) my classmates, (2) Dr. Abshire, (3) Dr. Perez, (4) Dr. Arterbury, and (5) Dr. Jenkins.  Each of these individuals was very helpful throughout the duration of the class.

EDLD 5301 - WEEK 4 BLOG

EDLD 5301

WEEK 4 BLOG

I certainly appreciate everyone's comments about my action research project.  Most of the comments I received were very positive and encouraging - Thank You!  I also received a comment from a student who questioned why I chose not to survey the teachers who were new to our district.  She thought that they might have been under a successful BYOT program where they are coming from, and that I should not discount their opinions.  After thinking about this and asking my site supervisor, I have decided to add these employees to my survey.  It just made sense.  Thanks again to everyone for their input.

WEEK 3 BLOG - ACTION RESEARCH PLAN

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine how our current BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) program can be modified to insure that both educators and students are benefitting.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation and Sharing
Survey teachers to determine strengths and weaknesses of the 2012-13 BYOT program from the teachers’ perspective	John King   Jeff Butts Principal   Other Possibilities:   Christy Keck Carol Merka (assistant principals)	Surveys will be filled out by educators during the first week of in-service for the 2013-14 school year	Survey forms   Time during meetings	Compilation of data from surveys   Data will eventually be shared with and evaluated by administration
Research of other school districts and their BYOT policies	John King	Begin 9-1-13   End 6-1-14	Questionnaire   Time   Computer with Internet, camera, and Microsoft Word	Compilation of data from research   Data will eventually be shared with and evaluated by administration
Interview key people in this process –   Principal, Assistant Principals, Department Heads, Individual Educators, Students	John King	Begin 9-1-13   End 6-1-14	Questionnaire   Time with teachers during conference or outside of school day   Office Referral Data	Compilation of data from research   Data will eventually be shared with and evaluated by administration
Self-reflection	John King	Begin 9-1-13   End 6-1-14	Computer with Internet and Microsoft Word	Blogged on EDLD 5301 site
Meetings with site supervisor	John King   Jeff Butts Christy Keck Carol Merka	Begin 9-1-13   End 6-1-14	Time   Collected Data	Data will eventually be shared with and evaluated by administration
Presenting various data, findings, and solutions	John King   Jeff Butts Christy Keck Carol Merka	Begin 9-1-14   End 6-1-14	Time   Compiled Data and Findings	PowerPoint and Oral Presentation
Evaluation of implemented program	John King   Jeff Butts	Begin 9-1-14   End 12-1-14	Office Referral Data   Surveys from new school year (2014-15)	Compilation of Data   PowerPoint Presentation

EDLD 5301
WEEK #2 BLOG

This week, we took a look at 3 case studies in the area of action research.  The studies revolved around people who were currently utilizing action research projects in their own school district to improve student learning and performance.  Each of these men gave valuable insight into how this type of research can be very beneficial to their students, teachers, and administrators.

Our text took a look at the various areas that are ripe for completing an action research projects.  The areas that we specifically looked at were:  staff development, curriculum development, individual teacher(s), individual student(s), school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice or equity issues.  I found it interesting to look at the various questions that leaders had posed in each of these areas above.  It made me think about the way we are currently doing things in Argyle, Texas.  I realized that while we are quite successful doing things the way we are, there are many areas where we can improve – and action research could be a beneficial tool to utilize.  

Finally, I was able to visit with my site supervisor (Mr. Jeff Butts - Principal of Argyle High School) via e-mail about some topics of interest to both of us.  We decided on three questions to consider for this project:

1.     How does involvement in school related, extracurricular activities affect student attendance, tardies, and discipline as compared to students who are not involved in such activities?

2.     How can our current BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) program be modified to better impact student learning and performance?

3.     What can we do to modify our current policies and procedures to improve student tardies, behavior, and attendance?

 

Our plan is to consider these questions over the next few weeks before we meet to finalize the specifics for the project.

 

 

 

 



EDLD 5301 BLOG #1

WHAT IS ACTION RESEARCH?

This week, I have learned that action research is a research technique designed to help educators address a specific question or problem within their own school.  First, practitioners define an issue, question, or problem that they hope to address in the future.  Next, data is gathered from a variety of sources over a period of time.  This data can be very beneficial to solving the concern at hand on the practitioner’s campus.  That specific data is then analyzed and interpreted to see how it can be utilized to address the concern.  After that, the practitioner develops a plan of action (utilizing the collected data) that attempts to solve the problem at hand.  The final step in action research is to reflect on the entire process.  Reflection is important because it allows us to evaluate several aspects of the implemented change.  It also allows us to celebrate the fruits of our labor.

Action research appears to be a much better research tool that traditional educational research.  By allowing the practitioner to be engaged as the “problem poser” and “problem solver,” action research allows those in charge to identify solutions to their specific school and their specific needs.  As I move into the role of being a principal in the future, I believe that action research will allow me to identify solutions to issues that may be global in nature or specific to only my school.  It will allow me to utilize people who are in my school's classrooms every day and are dealing with the exact same issues and concerns.  I believe that action research will help me focus on my teachers’ and my students’ needs as they relate to my individual campus.

HOW EDUCATIONAL LEADERS MIGHT USE BLOGS

Educational leaders can utilize blogs in several ways to benefit themselves and those who they lead.  In terms of their own benefit, principals could use a blog to reflect on various events, problems, activities, concerns, etc.  In this case, the leader would probably set the blog to private in order to keep others from seeing his/her private thoughts.  It would be used much like a journal.  In terms of benefiting others, the principal could use a blog as a way to get public feedback on various concerns of the school.  The leader could pose a question and allow all faculty and staff members on the campus to add their specific comments.  In turn, anyone could then comment on a staff member's post.  This would be a good way for a principal to incorporate his/her staff into the decision-making process.