This week I learned that it is important to conduct research projects because as educators we never stop learning. “If you’re green you’re growing. If you’re brown you’re dying.” (Chargois, 2010). Teachers need to learn how to be action research oriented and not just learn about pedagogy and content (Chargois, 2010). Teachers and campuses need to be data driven and use that data to impact instruction. It is crucial to also look at the facts because looking at the numbers doesn't tell the whole story (Briseno, 2010). However, the research needs to be practical to you. It needs to apply to your campus' situation. When the research applies to you and your campus you will be more interested in the project, more focused on the outcome, and your students will benefit (Kirk, 2010).
Chargois, T. (2010, July). Action research. In E. Aterbury, S. Jenkins, & G. Martin (Professors). EDLD 5301 Research, Week 2 (Video 2). Lecture conducted from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX. Retrieved on line July 19, 2010 from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1300774
Lewis, K. (2010, July). Action research. In E. Aterbury, S. Jenkins, & G. Martin (Professors). EDLD 5301 Research, Week 2 (Video 2). Lecture conducted from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX. Retrieved on line July 19, 2010 from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1300774
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs
Educational leaders might use blogs as a way to communicate and collaborate with other leaders. It is a great forum for leaders to share their findings or reflections from their action research and allow other leaders to ask questions or provide input. Educational leaders can also use blogs to communicate with their teachers and parents. It is a great tool to keep everyone up to date on the campus happenings.
What I Have Learned About Action Research
Action research is investigating in a systematic way. It requires leaders to examine data, ask questions, and request more information (Harris, Edmonson, & Combs, 2010). Educational leaders than take action for change based on what they learned from their inquiry (Fitchman Dana, 2009). It is a reflective process that allows for inquiry and discussion as components of the research. Inquiry research is seen as a collaborative tool that searches for solutions to everyday tribulations experienced in schools or for strategies to improve instruction and increase student achievement. Action research enables educational leaders to address those campus concerns that they can exhibit some influence over and create change. Action research, usually refers to research intended to bring about change of some kind, usually with a social justice focus, whereas traditional research quite often has the goal only of examining a practitioner’s practice to improve it or better understand what works (Fitchman Dana, 2009). The process of action research assists educators in assessing needs, documenting the steps of inquiry, analyzing data, and making informed decisions that can lead to desired outcomes (Fitchman Dana, 2009). Action research also gives educational leaders the opportunity to evaluate themselves. It can serve as a chance to reflect on one’s own leadership and determine what effect it has on their campus.
Fitchman Dana, N. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action. Larchmont: Eye on Education.
Fitchman Dana, N. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action. Larchmont: Eye on Education.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Reflections for Instructional Leadership
• What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
To be honest, I thought the content of this course was going to be about how to help teachers develop effective instruction. I imagined us analyzing our campus CIPs and TAKS scores to create a plan of action on how as an administrator we would help our teachers meet the needs of the campus. I didn’t realize that the course would focus mainly on technology. I did learn a lot about technology and how to interpret the data provided in the campus STaR chart. I now understand the Long Range Plan for Technology and know that technology is an essential component in today’s classroom instruction. From this course I found myself wishing my campus had more technology available to students on a daily basis. This will be an issue I plan on discussing with my principal during our next SBDM meeting.
• To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
The content from this course is relevant to the work I do in my classroom. I realize that I need to really focus on technology integration in my lesson plans. I also plan on attending staff development sessions to learn how to use technology tools that I am unfamiliar with. There are so many ways to use technology in the classroom and I want to be the kind of teacher who is not afraid to try new things. I want to share what I have learned from this course with my team and together create lessons that we can use with the tools that our available on our campus such as the Smart Board, web cameras, and flip cameras.
• What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
As I mentioned earlier, I feel that I did not learn much about instructional development. I was really hoping that this course would focus on that. I am glad it had a technology component, but that was the only piece this course focused on. I’m not sure how effective I will be as an administrator at helping my future staff develop meaningful and relevant lessons as well as analyzing TAKS data to create an action plan to improve campus scores. Technology is important but I’m not sure how to create “buy in” with my staff. There are still so many staff members who are comfortable using the bare minimum. How do you convince them to try something new? There is so much embedded in instructional development and I think we only skimmed the top of it.
• Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was successful in carrying out the lessons, but they were difficult to complete. I can’t tell you how many hours I put in working on these assignments each week. They were very time consuming. I think this was because I was not always sure what I was expected to do. The directions were not very clear and vague. There were times I felt that I completed a task incorrectly after viewing some of my colleagues work on their blogs. The discussion board was overwhelming as well. I spent most of my time on this because we were required to choose a quote for each article (and sometimes there were 8) and respond to each quote. Then we had to respond to two other people’s posts. I understand the concept behind the discussion board; I just feel that responding to one post might have been more appropriate. I honestly think that I would have probably been more detailed in my responses if I only had to focus on one person’s posts. I don’t really feel that I took anything meaningful away from the discussion board. I did learn a lot from the articles though.
• What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
This course helped me realize that there are so many options for technology integration in our schools. I think it is up to the leader to make sure that technology is a strong component in the campus CIP. They need to encourage teachers to use technology and provide them with adequate staff development. Leaders must also model technology use if they expect their teachers to try. There are still so many barriers in my district with regards to technology integration. I will be interested to see if they begin to make changes in district policy to allow certain tools to be used in the classroom. They also need to give up some of the control. Teachers and students should be allowed to use the internet without fearing the dreaded “this has been blocked by RRISD” sign. We are unable to access so many educational sights because of the tight reins (this includes running programs because of plug-ins). I feel that the only thing I can do on my computer is work on e-mail and any Microsoft Office product. My hope is that my district will allow us to use more in the classroom
• What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner? What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
I think the educational value of a blog is that it allows students to be able to communicate with other students throughout the world. Students have the ability to experience life outside of their own home. They can share their thoughts, projects, and videos and receive feedback from their peers. Blogging might engage those students who are afraid to speak in front of an audience. It really broadens their educational experiences. Most communication in the 21st century is done through technology. People are working at home and videoconferencing with their co-workers. The negative aspect of blogging is that you never know what someone might post. You have to worry about content. What language or tone did they use? Is it appropriate for students to read? Is it offensive? There needs to be ways to filter inappropriate content and students have to understand the guidelines when it comes to blogging. You also have to be careful about who you allow into your blog because of cyber bullying and internet predators. Students are going to have to learn early on online etiquette including blogging. They also need to know what to do if they feel threatened while online. Safety should still be the number one concern.
• How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging is a great way to keep all your stakeholders connected with the school. Parents can easily respond to a teacher’s blog. They are unable to do that on their website without sending an e-mail. Important information can be posted on the blog as well. They can access this information quickly from anywhere because they just have to enter the blog URL instead of entering their e-mail, logging in and then finding the e-mail sent from school. Blogs are a great way for more than one share their thoughts and ideas. It allows other stakeholders to see what people are thinking or concerned about with regards to the school. It could be a way for people to effectively communicate with each other.
To be honest, I thought the content of this course was going to be about how to help teachers develop effective instruction. I imagined us analyzing our campus CIPs and TAKS scores to create a plan of action on how as an administrator we would help our teachers meet the needs of the campus. I didn’t realize that the course would focus mainly on technology. I did learn a lot about technology and how to interpret the data provided in the campus STaR chart. I now understand the Long Range Plan for Technology and know that technology is an essential component in today’s classroom instruction. From this course I found myself wishing my campus had more technology available to students on a daily basis. This will be an issue I plan on discussing with my principal during our next SBDM meeting.
• To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
The content from this course is relevant to the work I do in my classroom. I realize that I need to really focus on technology integration in my lesson plans. I also plan on attending staff development sessions to learn how to use technology tools that I am unfamiliar with. There are so many ways to use technology in the classroom and I want to be the kind of teacher who is not afraid to try new things. I want to share what I have learned from this course with my team and together create lessons that we can use with the tools that our available on our campus such as the Smart Board, web cameras, and flip cameras.
• What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
As I mentioned earlier, I feel that I did not learn much about instructional development. I was really hoping that this course would focus on that. I am glad it had a technology component, but that was the only piece this course focused on. I’m not sure how effective I will be as an administrator at helping my future staff develop meaningful and relevant lessons as well as analyzing TAKS data to create an action plan to improve campus scores. Technology is important but I’m not sure how to create “buy in” with my staff. There are still so many staff members who are comfortable using the bare minimum. How do you convince them to try something new? There is so much embedded in instructional development and I think we only skimmed the top of it.
• Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was successful in carrying out the lessons, but they were difficult to complete. I can’t tell you how many hours I put in working on these assignments each week. They were very time consuming. I think this was because I was not always sure what I was expected to do. The directions were not very clear and vague. There were times I felt that I completed a task incorrectly after viewing some of my colleagues work on their blogs. The discussion board was overwhelming as well. I spent most of my time on this because we were required to choose a quote for each article (and sometimes there were 8) and respond to each quote. Then we had to respond to two other people’s posts. I understand the concept behind the discussion board; I just feel that responding to one post might have been more appropriate. I honestly think that I would have probably been more detailed in my responses if I only had to focus on one person’s posts. I don’t really feel that I took anything meaningful away from the discussion board. I did learn a lot from the articles though.
• What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
This course helped me realize that there are so many options for technology integration in our schools. I think it is up to the leader to make sure that technology is a strong component in the campus CIP. They need to encourage teachers to use technology and provide them with adequate staff development. Leaders must also model technology use if they expect their teachers to try. There are still so many barriers in my district with regards to technology integration. I will be interested to see if they begin to make changes in district policy to allow certain tools to be used in the classroom. They also need to give up some of the control. Teachers and students should be allowed to use the internet without fearing the dreaded “this has been blocked by RRISD” sign. We are unable to access so many educational sights because of the tight reins (this includes running programs because of plug-ins). I feel that the only thing I can do on my computer is work on e-mail and any Microsoft Office product. My hope is that my district will allow us to use more in the classroom
• What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner? What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
I think the educational value of a blog is that it allows students to be able to communicate with other students throughout the world. Students have the ability to experience life outside of their own home. They can share their thoughts, projects, and videos and receive feedback from their peers. Blogging might engage those students who are afraid to speak in front of an audience. It really broadens their educational experiences. Most communication in the 21st century is done through technology. People are working at home and videoconferencing with their co-workers. The negative aspect of blogging is that you never know what someone might post. You have to worry about content. What language or tone did they use? Is it appropriate for students to read? Is it offensive? There needs to be ways to filter inappropriate content and students have to understand the guidelines when it comes to blogging. You also have to be careful about who you allow into your blog because of cyber bullying and internet predators. Students are going to have to learn early on online etiquette including blogging. They also need to know what to do if they feel threatened while online. Safety should still be the number one concern.
• How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging is a great way to keep all your stakeholders connected with the school. Parents can easily respond to a teacher’s blog. They are unable to do that on their website without sending an e-mail. Important information can be posted on the blog as well. They can access this information quickly from anywhere because they just have to enter the blog URL instead of entering their e-mail, logging in and then finding the e-mail sent from school. Blogs are a great way for more than one share their thoughts and ideas. It allows other stakeholders to see what people are thinking or concerned about with regards to the school. It could be a way for people to effectively communicate with each other.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Technology Action Plan
Goals: What do we want to accomplish as a campus?
According to our campus STaR Chart report, one of our goals is to improve teaching and learning by utilizing a variety of technology tools. Our second goal is to improve educator preparation and development.
Looking at my campus’ CIP, goal one focuses on accelerating TAKS gains for economically disadvantaged, African American, and Hispanic students to reduce the achievement gap. Action steps for this goal included: implementing technology curriculum requirements created by the Curriculum Council, implementing the Campus Technology Plan and utilizing new technology including webcams, flip-video, and wikis in grades 3-5. This is the only place on my campus’ CIP where technology is mentioned. After analyzing both my campus CIP and STaR chart, I feel it is necessary that as a campus, we include more technology goals into our CIP. All grade levels are not addressed in the CIP with regards to technology. It is important to focus more on technology as well if we want our campus to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
Based on research from the week three assignment, my main focus for this action plan is to help teachers implement technology into their lessons and make sure students are meeting grade level expectations in technology.
Organizational Chart – Who is responsible?
The following chart shows the responsibilities of all stakeholders who are accountable for integrating technology and instructional leadership. (The chart would not copy and paste from my word document)
Staff Development – How are we going to reach our goals?
The first step in meeting these goals is to provide training to all teachers on how to use the technology that is currently available on campus. Each grade level will receive half day training with the campus technology specialist. The goal for this training is to show teachers the grade level technology expectations chart and support teachers in developing technology lessons that meet these expectations. Teachers will be given the opportunity to work together as a team to experiment with the available technology. Throughout the year faculty meetings will be devoted to technology training updates. Teachers will be encouraged to collaborate with each other on what is or is not working in their classrooms. They will also be given the opportunity to share student work. During the summer, teachers will be encouraged to attend technology staff development offered by the district. Teachers who attend summer staff development will share their learning with the staff before school starts. Based on data collected from evaluations, future professional development sessions will focus on areas of improvement.
Evaluations – How do we know we have met our goals?
Developing evaluations is important because it provides information on all aspects of the programs that work well and any potential problems that might occur. They also determine what impact the program is having on its participants. Most importantly, the purpose of any evaluation should be continual program improvement. When using the results of an evaluation, an administrator can better understand how their programs are working and where it is headed. With all this data, they are better able to make decisions that will improve the programs in the long run. At my campus we do not participate in PDAS each year but instead focus on Appraisal by Collaboration (ABC). This is, in essence, our appraisal system. Each year teams develop a banner question to research and then share the results using qualitative and quantitative data. This year the entire campus has the research question, “How can using technology in the classroom improve student achievement?” This banner question is a great way of evaluating how teachers are doing with technology integration. The data collected can provide us with crucial information that we can use to make future decisions about technology. I think it is important for teachers and students to fill out the STaR chart survey each year. This is another evaluation tool that allows us to see how our campus is performing with regards to all four technology components. At the beginning of the year, teachers should also fill out a survey that shows how “comfortable” they feel with using technology in their classrooms. This information will help administrators choose appropriate staff development for their teachers. Of course teachers should evaluate staff development sessions they attend in order to help the district eliminate ineffective classes and enable them to improve upon others. I think it will also be important to develop a technology checklist and periodically do walk-throughs of all teachers’ classrooms to see how technology is being implemented in the classroom. Teachers who are having difficulty using the technology available or helping students reach grade level expectations in technology should be given the opportunity to attend more training. They would also receive assistance from the campus curriculum specialist.
According to our campus STaR Chart report, one of our goals is to improve teaching and learning by utilizing a variety of technology tools. Our second goal is to improve educator preparation and development.
Looking at my campus’ CIP, goal one focuses on accelerating TAKS gains for economically disadvantaged, African American, and Hispanic students to reduce the achievement gap. Action steps for this goal included: implementing technology curriculum requirements created by the Curriculum Council, implementing the Campus Technology Plan and utilizing new technology including webcams, flip-video, and wikis in grades 3-5. This is the only place on my campus’ CIP where technology is mentioned. After analyzing both my campus CIP and STaR chart, I feel it is necessary that as a campus, we include more technology goals into our CIP. All grade levels are not addressed in the CIP with regards to technology. It is important to focus more on technology as well if we want our campus to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
Based on research from the week three assignment, my main focus for this action plan is to help teachers implement technology into their lessons and make sure students are meeting grade level expectations in technology.
Organizational Chart – Who is responsible?
The following chart shows the responsibilities of all stakeholders who are accountable for integrating technology and instructional leadership. (The chart would not copy and paste from my word document)
Staff Development – How are we going to reach our goals?
The first step in meeting these goals is to provide training to all teachers on how to use the technology that is currently available on campus. Each grade level will receive half day training with the campus technology specialist. The goal for this training is to show teachers the grade level technology expectations chart and support teachers in developing technology lessons that meet these expectations. Teachers will be given the opportunity to work together as a team to experiment with the available technology. Throughout the year faculty meetings will be devoted to technology training updates. Teachers will be encouraged to collaborate with each other on what is or is not working in their classrooms. They will also be given the opportunity to share student work. During the summer, teachers will be encouraged to attend technology staff development offered by the district. Teachers who attend summer staff development will share their learning with the staff before school starts. Based on data collected from evaluations, future professional development sessions will focus on areas of improvement.
Evaluations – How do we know we have met our goals?
Developing evaluations is important because it provides information on all aspects of the programs that work well and any potential problems that might occur. They also determine what impact the program is having on its participants. Most importantly, the purpose of any evaluation should be continual program improvement. When using the results of an evaluation, an administrator can better understand how their programs are working and where it is headed. With all this data, they are better able to make decisions that will improve the programs in the long run. At my campus we do not participate in PDAS each year but instead focus on Appraisal by Collaboration (ABC). This is, in essence, our appraisal system. Each year teams develop a banner question to research and then share the results using qualitative and quantitative data. This year the entire campus has the research question, “How can using technology in the classroom improve student achievement?” This banner question is a great way of evaluating how teachers are doing with technology integration. The data collected can provide us with crucial information that we can use to make future decisions about technology. I think it is important for teachers and students to fill out the STaR chart survey each year. This is another evaluation tool that allows us to see how our campus is performing with regards to all four technology components. At the beginning of the year, teachers should also fill out a survey that shows how “comfortable” they feel with using technology in their classrooms. This information will help administrators choose appropriate staff development for their teachers. Of course teachers should evaluate staff development sessions they attend in order to help the district eliminate ineffective classes and enable them to improve upon others. I think it will also be important to develop a technology checklist and periodically do walk-throughs of all teachers’ classrooms to see how technology is being implemented in the classroom. Teachers who are having difficulty using the technology available or helping students reach grade level expectations in technology should be given the opportunity to attend more training. They would also receive assistance from the campus curriculum specialist.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Texas STaR Chart - Educator Preparation and Development
The Texas STaR Chart was designed around the four keys of the Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. For this blog, I chose to focus on the area of Educator Preparation and Development. This area focuses on the following: content of training, capabilities of educators, models of professional development, levels of understanding and patterns of use, professional development for online learning, and access to professional development. Professional development for teachers in technology is a priority but it doesn't come without barriers. "Preparing teachers and administrators to effectively facilitate and mange 21st Century learning in technology involves radical retooling of the existing educational system. Securing time, resources, and effective models for professional development presents a tremendous challenge to our state and our entire nation." In order for us to meet the demands of the 21st Century, we are going to have to find ways to break down the barriers and find effective ways to prepare our teachers.
According to the 2008-2009 Texas Campus STaR Chart summaries, my campus scored a 15 in the area of Educator Preparation and Development. Our scores indicated that my campus was in the Developing Tech. stage for this area. Two years prior (2006-2007), my campus scored a 10, with individual areas falling at Early Tech. So according to the data, we have seen some improvement, but not enough.
At the state level, 74.2% of the campuses fell in the Developing Tech stage for this area. Only .6% of the campuses indicated the highest level of progress (Target Tech). According to the statewide summary, this is an area we need to focus on as a state to get our campus scores to the highest level of progress.
How are we going to be able to achieve this? The state is going to have to give schools more money for technology. Administrators are going to have to plan in their budget time and resources for technology development. Teachers need to be able to attend technology training to help keep them current. They will also need support and time to implement new technology into their daily plans. Technology integration needs to be a priority in every campus' CIP and teachers need to be required to take staff development in this area every year. Scores on the STaR chart will not improve overnight. It is going to take some work but if we are truly dedicated to making it happen, it will!
Work Cited:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/comm/PartIIIEducatorPreparationandDevelopment.pdf
According to the 2008-2009 Texas Campus STaR Chart summaries, my campus scored a 15 in the area of Educator Preparation and Development. Our scores indicated that my campus was in the Developing Tech. stage for this area. Two years prior (2006-2007), my campus scored a 10, with individual areas falling at Early Tech. So according to the data, we have seen some improvement, but not enough.
At the state level, 74.2% of the campuses fell in the Developing Tech stage for this area. Only .6% of the campuses indicated the highest level of progress (Target Tech). According to the statewide summary, this is an area we need to focus on as a state to get our campus scores to the highest level of progress.
How are we going to be able to achieve this? The state is going to have to give schools more money for technology. Administrators are going to have to plan in their budget time and resources for technology development. Teachers need to be able to attend technology training to help keep them current. They will also need support and time to implement new technology into their daily plans. Technology integration needs to be a priority in every campus' CIP and teachers need to be required to take staff development in this area every year. Scores on the STaR chart will not improve overnight. It is going to take some work but if we are truly dedicated to making it happen, it will!
Work Cited:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/comm/PartIIIEducatorPreparationandDevelopment.pdf
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Texas STaR Chart Presentation
Campus STaR Chart findings to share with faculty.
Texas S Ta R Chart
View more presentations from Lamar University.
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