Action Research Plan:

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation:
Goal: Develop an alternative summer school program for third grade students.

Objective: The students will show academic progress by experiencing hands on learning, community based instruction, and nontraditional teaching approaches to better prepare them for fourth grade.


Activities designed to achieve the objectives

1.Speak with third grade teachers to see what skills are particularly lacking or areas of weakness
2. Look at data from benchmark tests
3.Research methods of teaching the skills that the third grade teachers suggested
4. Identify ways to teach the needed skills through community based instruction
5.Reflect on progress of program development and identify methods of improvement and meet with site supervisor to review progress
6. Write a grant proposal to fund the project (Navasota ISD Educational Foundation)
7. Write a curriculum that linked the suggested/needed skills and community based activities
8. Develop a method to evaluate student performance as well as program performance
9. Have third grade teachers identify 8 – 10 students that would benefit from the program
10. Gain permission from parents and begin the program
11.Share results with third grade teachers, principal, and campus curriculum director

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on this week's course work, I found that regardless of your position within a district you are capable of conducting effective action research. I also found that you must identify a topic that you have a particular interest in. If not, the project will not live up to its potential and may possibly dissolve over time. The final thought is that the concept of action research seems complicated and overwhelming, but in all actuality it is achievable and doable when you allow the time to plan, research, and reflect.

I have narrowed down my choice for my action research plan.
In a nut shell: I taught 3rd grade math summer school this summer. I identified several students (8 - 10) that appeared to be gaining anything from my teaching. I wondered if it was my teaching, the curriculum, or their motivation. These particular students were also seen as a behavior problem. The plan is to design a summer school curriculum that would involve several things...hands on learning, community involvement, exposure to certain situations, character education, and finally the needed academic skills that they were lacking. It would be a combo of all the items listed above. Achievable??? Lets hope so!!!

Educational Leaders and Blogging

Educational leaders can use blogs to:
1. A way to document your thoughts and ideas
2. Connect and get feedback from students
3. Connect and get feedback from parents
4. Keep your staff informed
5. Allows you to be more open and welcoming within the school community

What in the world is action research?

In a nut shell, action research is taking ownership of your own learning. How many of you have participated in professional development workshops where the speaker is telling you all kinds of good ideas and advice, but you walk away with the feeling that it did not exactly relate to your current problem? Or have you read journal articles that involved the researchers crunching numbers from a controlled sub group of students? Do you seek change within your school? Action research is the base for changes in schools. This approach is different than the traditional approaches because you are making decisions and finding solutions that directly relate to your identified problem. Action research is a organized way to solve problems. This proactive approach to research is centered around the data you collect, investigations you make, collaboration with staff within your school, and the all important...self reflection. In my opinion, the best thing about action research is that the change you are seeking or the new learning you are hoping for is based on an observed problem within your school. Yes, you identify the problem...collect the needed information....create the perfect solution. This method will also allow school leaders to take time within the hectic school day to deliberate and consciously work on problems that reside within the campus.

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