Sunday, March 27, 2011
Reflection Web Conference
The web conference focused mostly on questions regarding the portfolio course. It was not very help however I see how such a conference can be useful as a tutorial tour. If students were able to click a link to contact there teacher at any time it would prove increase achievement. The adobe connect interface is absolutely the wave of the future.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Action Plan
GOAL: To increase effective daily lesson planning that includes a balance between teacher-directed and differentiated activities. To increase the number of teachers utilizing differentiated instruction in their daily activities.
ACTION/STEPS
PERSONS RESPONSIBLE
TIMELINE
(START/END)
Resources Needed
Evaluation
Guiding Question: Describe how and why your problem was selected? Why was
this problem important to you?
1. Establish survey methods.
2.Review and discuss differentiated instruction rubric
3.Coordinate with teams leaders the meeting times/dates/locations
4. Review and discuss Action Research progress
5.Organize the observation dates
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction.
August/September
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What baseline data on student performance was collected
and what did you find?
1. Review survey methods.
2.Share Data Collection and Analysis
3.Share Data Collection Plan
4. Discuss observation finding.
entries/ reflection
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
October
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: Based on the data that you are collecting, what changes in
your teaching practice and in the learning environment do you see yourself
making?
1.Review Survey methods
2. Update on team planning progress with differentiated activities.
3. Looking at Student Work based on differentiated assessments.
4.Share reflections
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
November
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What actions have you taken or changes have you made in
your teaching practices and in the learning environment as a result of your
ongoing discoveries?
1.Review and discuss Differentiated Instruction rubric
2.Update on surveys from all participants
3. Share reflections
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, and Director of Instruction
January
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What Impact could the Action Research study have on the
your teaching in the future?
1. Update on findings from all participants
2. Receive final reflections and surveys from each team
3. Share Journal entries/ reflection
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
May
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Final Study Completed
June
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and GuidelinePart 2, Professional Development Initiative
In any plan, it is necessary that Professional Development Activities address the SBEC Teacher Technology Standards and the integration of Technology Applications relating to student understanding. As learned in week 3, the ultimate goal of our increased professional growth is to make us a more effective educator while using technology, and in turn, to increase students mastery of the Technology TEKS relating to their learning. As we become more knowledgeable of technology and its uses, we can directly impact the classroom and further students learning.
In order to meet the ultimate goal of a more technologically literate staff population, it is important to establish a dynamic professional development plan that will provide growth opportunities for staff across a broad range of technologically literate levels. The goal is to provide activities that all educators can participate in, and those that will meet their needs. As we identified in week 1 of the course, much of the plan needs to be based on providing activities that will meet staff’s needs for all levels of the STaR Chart. It can also be useful to utilize the NET*S Standards as well, but again, the main focus needs to be on meeting the SBEC Teacher Technology Standards.
Areas that I would directly focus on in developing a professional development plan for our campus are below. This plan is developed after reviewing our responses on previous and current years STaR Chart data, the campus and district improvement plans, and the overall comments from students on technology use in the classroom.
I believe a STRONG emphasis needs to be placed on utilization of current software applications used on campus, specifically the operating system, spreadsheet and word processing, and a large focus on the use of presentation software. Professional activities need to focus on ensuring that all educators can completely navigate the OS and use the software in such a way that will allow them to create various electronic forms of documents or presentations that can then be used for presentation. With this, educators will then be able to better meet SBEC standard 1.3s select and use software for a defined task according to quality,
appropriateness, effectiveness, and efficiency, which should also show an increase in teacher response/performance on the STaR Chart in the area of EP1, EP3, TL1 and TL4. This segment would also include a strong understanding of the Districts grade software and student information software, i.e. COGNOS, and show teachers the access to information about student’s performance on HST and other state and federal markers that drive school accountability and funding.
As we better understand the inner workings of software, we also need to provide opportunities that will promote educators use of multiple input devices to further enrich the amount utilized in the teaching process. As identified in the week 3 report, teachers currently have access to whiteboards, smart boards, airliners, PDA’s, ceiling mounted digital projectors, etc, but all teachers may not have an understanding of how to utilize these. Opportunities need to be provided to get these in the hands of educators. Providing opportunities that would place these in the hands of all educators, and expecting them to demonstrate an ability to utilize these should increase the effectiveness and meet the needs of not only SBEC competencies, but show an increase in educator responses in EP3 and EP5 of the STaR Chart. I also believe the you would potentially see an increase INF 3, since more educators would have the understanding of the technology, they should be more inclined to use it, which would potentially justify more of specific items.
The technology plan must include effective use of the internet as an instructional resource, and should also model appropriate practices in understanding copyright and ownership of electronic media. In week 4, it was tremendously interesting to learn about copyright and then to see the lack of understanding that many on the discussion board. I think it clearly is an area that needs to be highlighted and incorporated into a section over usefulness of the internet and instructional resources avail through online media. Our campus improvement plan includes a specific area that indicates, “to provide increased educator understanding of the internet by providing professional development opportunities.” Opportunities in this area would directly provide more positive responses from educators in areas of EP3, TL4 and TL6 of the STaR Chart, and directly addresses the SBEC Standards of 1.14s, 1.15s and 1.16s.
Finally, I think it is important to include a segment that focuses directly on lesson planning and the integration and utilization of technology. We have many “digital natives” who have a strong understanding of technology, but may not fully understand how to directly incorporate it daily to enrich the learning environment. With this, we provide staff an opportunity to see models of lessons with extensive use of technology, which will increase our ability to make more effective lessons and include the use of technology in the plan.
Implementation of the Technology Plan can take place through individualized campus meetings including departmental and team Technology Meetings, by utilizing Video share sessions, active engagement tutorials where educators have to complete a series of steps to move forward in the development course, or by 1 to 1 face to face interaction in a traditional setting. Ideally, the plan needs to have a mix of ALL of these, and all levels need to have educators interacting with the technology throughout their learning. Just as we want students to have the ability to utilize the resources, we need to make sure that all educators have the actual resource to practice on while learning, which will increase their comfort with the mechanism.
We also need to ensure that we have an accountability standard on educators and require a minimum amount per year of their required professional growth to be technology related. This segment is part of objective 3 of the assignment and is discussed below.
Part 3, Evaluation and Plan
Data that is important in formulation of this action plan must be comprehensive, factual, and pertain directly to the needs of the campus. As highlighted in the week 2 assignment, the following sources of data are valuable in evaluating the effectiveness of current technology plans, and for potential changes, and are used in identifying the Priority areas later in the plan:
• District's current technology implementation
• State Long Range Plan for Technology
• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology (TEKS)
• Texas School Technology and Readiness Chart (STaR)
• Comparative data from other school districts
• SBEC Teacher Technology Competencies
• Computer industry developments and forecasts
The plan must ensure we are taking into consideration increases in student enrollment and increase in faculty and staff, as well as current funding and future funding. Likewise, we must consider the importance of meeting the requirements set forth in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.
Evaluation must be done regularly and data must be reviewed and plans adjusted to continually meet the needs to teachers and students.
Professional Development needs to be mandated in areas of technology use, and staff must show successful completion of a set number of technology hours each year. Professional growth of ALL faculty and staff is integral to ensure a successful plan.
The plan is structured to identify areas of need in importance of priority. This allows a much more flexible way of addressing needs in a limited resource environment, and can serve to identify areas that are considered one of 4 specific areas:
Priority 1, necessary to maintain programs and services
Priority 2, items that can enhance and enrich instruction and are becoming the norm in schools
Priority 3, items that can provide extensions or assistance to current programs
Priority 4, items that would be recommended for future considerations.
In reviewing all information and data affecting our school, the following areas would classify as follows:
In reference to our campus, items that would be considered Priority 1 and need to be given premium consideration are new computers, new software and improved network efficiency, power supplies, video conferencing capabilities, smart boards, airliners, PDA’s, interactive white-boards, digital projectors.
Priority 2 items would be increased online professional development system, printers, document scanners, telephone system, document cameras, wireless overlay. Priority 3 items would be increased computer access to a 2 to 1 ratio and the ability to improve sound tables on network presentation. Priority 4 items would be distance learning equipment and a stand-alone achievement management software system.
Although all of these are key, by identifying the most important resources, we can focus our plan on each element and ensure that we will be providing the most important items first that will provide the greatest benefit.
It is imperative that new data is collected each time a priority element is completed and becomes “operational”, so to speak, in the educational environment. From this new data, we can further evaluate and adjust the plan to continually meet the needs of an ever changing diverse population.
The plan is developed with the expectation that everyone will “buy into” integration, growth and development, which will ultimately benefit student growth and campus improvement.
ACTION/STEPS
PERSONS RESPONSIBLE
TIMELINE
(START/END)
Resources Needed
Evaluation
Guiding Question: Describe how and why your problem was selected? Why was
this problem important to you?
1. Establish survey methods.
2.Review and discuss differentiated instruction rubric
3.Coordinate with teams leaders the meeting times/dates/locations
4. Review and discuss Action Research progress
5.Organize the observation dates
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction.
August/September
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What baseline data on student performance was collected
and what did you find?
1. Review survey methods.
2.Share Data Collection and Analysis
3.Share Data Collection Plan
4. Discuss observation finding.
entries/ reflection
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
October
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: Based on the data that you are collecting, what changes in
your teaching practice and in the learning environment do you see yourself
making?
1.Review Survey methods
2. Update on team planning progress with differentiated activities.
3. Looking at Student Work based on differentiated assessments.
4.Share reflections
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
November
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What actions have you taken or changes have you made in
your teaching practices and in the learning environment as a result of your
ongoing discoveries?
1.Review and discuss Differentiated Instruction rubric
2.Update on surveys from all participants
3. Share reflections
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, and Director of Instruction
January
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Guiding Question: What Impact could the Action Research study have on the
your teaching in the future?
1. Update on findings from all participants
2. Receive final reflections and surveys from each team
3. Share Journal entries/ reflection
Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction
May
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines
Final Study Completed
June
Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results
Differentiated Instruction Rubric and GuidelinePart 2, Professional Development Initiative
In any plan, it is necessary that Professional Development Activities address the SBEC Teacher Technology Standards and the integration of Technology Applications relating to student understanding. As learned in week 3, the ultimate goal of our increased professional growth is to make us a more effective educator while using technology, and in turn, to increase students mastery of the Technology TEKS relating to their learning. As we become more knowledgeable of technology and its uses, we can directly impact the classroom and further students learning.
In order to meet the ultimate goal of a more technologically literate staff population, it is important to establish a dynamic professional development plan that will provide growth opportunities for staff across a broad range of technologically literate levels. The goal is to provide activities that all educators can participate in, and those that will meet their needs. As we identified in week 1 of the course, much of the plan needs to be based on providing activities that will meet staff’s needs for all levels of the STaR Chart. It can also be useful to utilize the NET*S Standards as well, but again, the main focus needs to be on meeting the SBEC Teacher Technology Standards.
Areas that I would directly focus on in developing a professional development plan for our campus are below. This plan is developed after reviewing our responses on previous and current years STaR Chart data, the campus and district improvement plans, and the overall comments from students on technology use in the classroom.
I believe a STRONG emphasis needs to be placed on utilization of current software applications used on campus, specifically the operating system, spreadsheet and word processing, and a large focus on the use of presentation software. Professional activities need to focus on ensuring that all educators can completely navigate the OS and use the software in such a way that will allow them to create various electronic forms of documents or presentations that can then be used for presentation. With this, educators will then be able to better meet SBEC standard 1.3s select and use software for a defined task according to quality,
appropriateness, effectiveness, and efficiency, which should also show an increase in teacher response/performance on the STaR Chart in the area of EP1, EP3, TL1 and TL4. This segment would also include a strong understanding of the Districts grade software and student information software, i.e. COGNOS, and show teachers the access to information about student’s performance on HST and other state and federal markers that drive school accountability and funding.
As we better understand the inner workings of software, we also need to provide opportunities that will promote educators use of multiple input devices to further enrich the amount utilized in the teaching process. As identified in the week 3 report, teachers currently have access to whiteboards, smart boards, airliners, PDA’s, ceiling mounted digital projectors, etc, but all teachers may not have an understanding of how to utilize these. Opportunities need to be provided to get these in the hands of educators. Providing opportunities that would place these in the hands of all educators, and expecting them to demonstrate an ability to utilize these should increase the effectiveness and meet the needs of not only SBEC competencies, but show an increase in educator responses in EP3 and EP5 of the STaR Chart. I also believe the you would potentially see an increase INF 3, since more educators would have the understanding of the technology, they should be more inclined to use it, which would potentially justify more of specific items.
The technology plan must include effective use of the internet as an instructional resource, and should also model appropriate practices in understanding copyright and ownership of electronic media. In week 4, it was tremendously interesting to learn about copyright and then to see the lack of understanding that many on the discussion board. I think it clearly is an area that needs to be highlighted and incorporated into a section over usefulness of the internet and instructional resources avail through online media. Our campus improvement plan includes a specific area that indicates, “to provide increased educator understanding of the internet by providing professional development opportunities.” Opportunities in this area would directly provide more positive responses from educators in areas of EP3, TL4 and TL6 of the STaR Chart, and directly addresses the SBEC Standards of 1.14s, 1.15s and 1.16s.
Finally, I think it is important to include a segment that focuses directly on lesson planning and the integration and utilization of technology. We have many “digital natives” who have a strong understanding of technology, but may not fully understand how to directly incorporate it daily to enrich the learning environment. With this, we provide staff an opportunity to see models of lessons with extensive use of technology, which will increase our ability to make more effective lessons and include the use of technology in the plan.
Implementation of the Technology Plan can take place through individualized campus meetings including departmental and team Technology Meetings, by utilizing Video share sessions, active engagement tutorials where educators have to complete a series of steps to move forward in the development course, or by 1 to 1 face to face interaction in a traditional setting. Ideally, the plan needs to have a mix of ALL of these, and all levels need to have educators interacting with the technology throughout their learning. Just as we want students to have the ability to utilize the resources, we need to make sure that all educators have the actual resource to practice on while learning, which will increase their comfort with the mechanism.
We also need to ensure that we have an accountability standard on educators and require a minimum amount per year of their required professional growth to be technology related. This segment is part of objective 3 of the assignment and is discussed below.
Part 3, Evaluation and Plan
Data that is important in formulation of this action plan must be comprehensive, factual, and pertain directly to the needs of the campus. As highlighted in the week 2 assignment, the following sources of data are valuable in evaluating the effectiveness of current technology plans, and for potential changes, and are used in identifying the Priority areas later in the plan:
• District's current technology implementation
• State Long Range Plan for Technology
• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology (TEKS)
• Texas School Technology and Readiness Chart (STaR)
• Comparative data from other school districts
• SBEC Teacher Technology Competencies
• Computer industry developments and forecasts
The plan must ensure we are taking into consideration increases in student enrollment and increase in faculty and staff, as well as current funding and future funding. Likewise, we must consider the importance of meeting the requirements set forth in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.
Evaluation must be done regularly and data must be reviewed and plans adjusted to continually meet the needs to teachers and students.
Professional Development needs to be mandated in areas of technology use, and staff must show successful completion of a set number of technology hours each year. Professional growth of ALL faculty and staff is integral to ensure a successful plan.
The plan is structured to identify areas of need in importance of priority. This allows a much more flexible way of addressing needs in a limited resource environment, and can serve to identify areas that are considered one of 4 specific areas:
Priority 1, necessary to maintain programs and services
Priority 2, items that can enhance and enrich instruction and are becoming the norm in schools
Priority 3, items that can provide extensions or assistance to current programs
Priority 4, items that would be recommended for future considerations.
In reviewing all information and data affecting our school, the following areas would classify as follows:
In reference to our campus, items that would be considered Priority 1 and need to be given premium consideration are new computers, new software and improved network efficiency, power supplies, video conferencing capabilities, smart boards, airliners, PDA’s, interactive white-boards, digital projectors.
Priority 2 items would be increased online professional development system, printers, document scanners, telephone system, document cameras, wireless overlay. Priority 3 items would be increased computer access to a 2 to 1 ratio and the ability to improve sound tables on network presentation. Priority 4 items would be distance learning equipment and a stand-alone achievement management software system.
Although all of these are key, by identifying the most important resources, we can focus our plan on each element and ensure that we will be providing the most important items first that will provide the greatest benefit.
It is imperative that new data is collected each time a priority element is completed and becomes “operational”, so to speak, in the educational environment. From this new data, we can further evaluate and adjust the plan to continually meet the needs of an ever changing diverse population.
The plan is developed with the expectation that everyone will “buy into” integration, growth and development, which will ultimately benefit student growth and campus improvement.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology
The National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, describes how information and communication technologies can help transform American education. The NETP provides specific examples, methods and resources that offer educators guidelines to begin disrupting the current model for education and positively affecting student learning. “Education is the key to America’s economic growth and prosperity and to our ability to compete in the global economy.” In order to have a good job nowadays, education is a must. Under Obama’s administration, the goal for college graduates raised from 39% to 60%, either a 2 year or 4 year college. However, not only that but also the need for technology education is rising. In learning, the plan states that teachers should focus on how the students learn, when and where, and who needs to learn. As we know, the use of technology engages students more because it is a more attractive way to learn. It gives the students motivation to do whatever is assigned instead of just using books, pen and paper. Using technology gives them thousands of ideas and ways to complete assignments. Therefore, we have to focus on what will the students find more attractive, yet educational. In assessment, technology is an easier way to diagnose strengths and weaknesses, assess students’ performance, etc. The goal is to design assessments so we can figure out what’s best for our students. In teaching, technology can provide us many different ways and things to teach the students. We can find many resources on the internet that can help us teach each and all of the subjects. The keys to successful transformation are technologies that aid in measuring student learning outcome enable subsequent use of this data to transform education with laser precision, can be leveraged for research, personalize the learning environment and function systemically. The Obama administration plans on trying to provide students as well as teachers with the resources we need when and where we need them. This will help us have access to technology anytime we can. The NETP is believes that technology can both inspire disruption and facilitate methods proven to be effective. In productivity the goal is to take advantage of the power of technology in order to use it in our everyday lives to make this a better country.
Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology
The State of Texas Long Range Plan for Technology for 2020 called for a future-focused system of education for young Texas learners, preparing each student for success and productivity as stated by Robert Scott our Commissioner of Education. Increased funding has led to educational technology grants that are focused on technology literacy and integration has impacted thousands of students in Texas. Through these grants, districts are redesigning curriculum and teaching practices to work toward 21st Century classroom goals. Reporting from grantees shows that teachers are producing interactive lessons that incorporate technology and students are excited about their learning. Many districts are also report that student achievement scores have also increased as a direct result of strategic technology use at school and at home.
The use of digital technology in Texas schools plays a fundamental role in changing teaching and learning and preparing students to live and work in the 21st Century. Technology can be used to provide access to engaging and rigorous digital content; improve teacher effectiveness; analyze real-time, on-going data to individualize instruction and measure student progress; and develop professional learning communities that foster the home, school, and community connection.
With new 21st Century digital learning content, technology, and resources, these recommendations are more attainable than at any other time. In the 2009-2010 Texas Campus STaR Chart showed that many campuses moved from the Early Tech level into the Developing and Advanced Tech levels over the timeframe included in this progress report on the Long-Range Plan. More than half of Texas campuses rank themselves at the highest two levels on the STaR Chart (Advanced Tech or Target Tech). This shows worthwhile progress towards the goals of technology integration throughout the State of Texas.
The use of digital technology in Texas schools plays a fundamental role in changing teaching and learning and preparing students to live and work in the 21st Century. Technology can be used to provide access to engaging and rigorous digital content; improve teacher effectiveness; analyze real-time, on-going data to individualize instruction and measure student progress; and develop professional learning communities that foster the home, school, and community connection.
With new 21st Century digital learning content, technology, and resources, these recommendations are more attainable than at any other time. In the 2009-2010 Texas Campus STaR Chart showed that many campuses moved from the Early Tech level into the Developing and Advanced Tech levels over the timeframe included in this progress report on the Long-Range Plan. More than half of Texas campuses rank themselves at the highest two levels on the STaR Chart (Advanced Tech or Target Tech). This shows worthwhile progress towards the goals of technology integration throughout the State of Texas.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020: Teaching and Learning
To reach the goals of this Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020, strategies must be put in place that can be accomplished and measured over time. The recommendations for Teaching and Learning will help realize the overarching vision of the plan by 2020. The area I am most interested in is Teaching and Learning.
The key to success for all students is the assurance that they are all fully engaged in their learning processes and that there are opportunities in their schools, libraries, homes, and communities that stimulate and initiate this engagement. In this era of learning teachers must be able to understand the methods of communication that students are utilizing. Information travels so fast that the topic a teacher is teaching on minute in the classroom may change within the next hour. Due to the rapid exchange of information it is important that teacher are consistently assessed based on their knowledge and skills of these various forms of communication. The most popular among them now are email, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. Familiarity with these mediums will strengthen any teacher’s ability to relay information within classroom. Texas faces growing challenges in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population All Americans belong to a nation that has become heavily reliant on technology and the rapid pace of its use in our daily lives will impact all Texans. The pros to consistent assessment will keep the educator on their toes as to the innovation of technology. It will also make sure that teachers are held to a little accountability within the realm of technology. The cons are that some teachers may fall a little behind the curve due to a lack of professional development opportunities and may feel inferior to their colleagues due to their being behind. There was an older teacher on my team, a few years away from retirement that consistently expressed her disgust with the innovative forms of teaching with technology however after several years of mentoring and professional development she has begun to utilize it daily and even teach other educators on how to use it in the classroom. As a result her students have benefited greatly. As a future leader I learned that all leaders must develop, implement, budget for and monitor a dynamic technology plan that align resources to improve student learning and support school operations. This new learning will allow me to use data effectively and appropriately in decision making. I will follow the plan accordingly as technology is integrated statewide.
The key to success for all students is the assurance that they are all fully engaged in their learning processes and that there are opportunities in their schools, libraries, homes, and communities that stimulate and initiate this engagement. In this era of learning teachers must be able to understand the methods of communication that students are utilizing. Information travels so fast that the topic a teacher is teaching on minute in the classroom may change within the next hour. Due to the rapid exchange of information it is important that teacher are consistently assessed based on their knowledge and skills of these various forms of communication. The most popular among them now are email, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. Familiarity with these mediums will strengthen any teacher’s ability to relay information within classroom. Texas faces growing challenges in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population All Americans belong to a nation that has become heavily reliant on technology and the rapid pace of its use in our daily lives will impact all Texans. The pros to consistent assessment will keep the educator on their toes as to the innovation of technology. It will also make sure that teachers are held to a little accountability within the realm of technology. The cons are that some teachers may fall a little behind the curve due to a lack of professional development opportunities and may feel inferior to their colleagues due to their being behind. There was an older teacher on my team, a few years away from retirement that consistently expressed her disgust with the innovative forms of teaching with technology however after several years of mentoring and professional development she has begun to utilize it daily and even teach other educators on how to use it in the classroom. As a result her students have benefited greatly. As a future leader I learned that all leaders must develop, implement, budget for and monitor a dynamic technology plan that align resources to improve student learning and support school operations. This new learning will allow me to use data effectively and appropriately in decision making. I will follow the plan accordingly as technology is integrated statewide.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Draft of My Action Research Plan
GOAL: To increase effective daily lesson planning that includes a balance between teacher-directed and differentiated activities. To increase the number of teachers utilizing differentiated instruction in their daily activities.
| ACTION/STEPS | PERSONS RESPONSIBLE | TIMELINE (START/END) | Resources Needed | Evaluation |
| Guiding Question: Describe how and why your problem was selected? Why was this problem important to you? 1. Establish survey methods. 2.Review and discuss differentiated instruction rubric 3.Coordinate with teams leaders the meeting times/dates/locations 4. Review and discuss Action Research progress 5.Organize the observation dates | Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction. | August/September | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
| Guiding Question: What baseline data on student performance was collected and what did you find? 1. Review survey methods. 2.Share Data Collection and Analysis 3.Share Data Collection Plan 4. Discuss observation finding. entries/ reflection | Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction | October | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
| Guiding Question: Based on the data that you are collecting, what changes in your teaching practice and in the learning environment do you see yourself making? 1.Review Survey methods 2. Update on team planning progress with differentiated activities. 3. Looking at Student Work based on differentiated assessments. 4.Share reflections | Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction | November | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
| Guiding Question: What actions have you taken or changes have you made in your teaching practices and in the learning environment as a result of your ongoing discoveries? 1.Review and discuss Differentiated Instruction rubric 2.Update on surveys from all participants 3. Share reflections | Team Leaders, Department Chairs, and Director of Instruction | January | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
| Guiding Question: What Impact could the Action Research study have on the your teaching in the future? 1. Update on findings from all participants 2. Receive final reflections and surveys from each team 3. Share Journal entries/ reflection | Team Leaders, Department Chairs, Director of Instruction | May | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
| Final Study Completed | | June | Differentiated Instruction Surveys; Laptops for computation of results | Differentiated Instruction Rubric and Guidelines |
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