Friday, August 6, 2010
Week 4 Progress
After meeting with my campus supervisor, I realized that my wondering may change and that I have to flexible. We will be having a workshop on Service Learning on Aug. 16th and my supervisor wants me to incorporate a service learning project into my action reserach plan. She would want me to either focus on attendance or parental involvement. She also suggested that incorporating a service learning project will help with both of these issues at our school.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Action Research Plan
1. Examining the Work: Determing which wondering is the most crucial to campus needs at the moment. Goal: to reduce the absentee rate in the Pre-K program by increasing parental involvement.
2. Analyzing Data: CUM folders, absence reports, teacher and parent surveys, informal surverys, book studies, journals, articles, student writing samples, DRA levels.
3. Developing Deeper Understanding: Interview parents privately to determine if there are special/unusual circumstances for student absences.
4. Engaging in self reflection: Determine if the concern lies in needing to change my own teaching style.
Do I teach while keeping in mind all types of learners?
Do I reteach when needed?
Do I allow students who are absent the opportunity to play catch- up?
5. Exploring patters: Are the absences higher in the bilingual or regular classrooms?
Are the 3 yr. olds showing a higher absentee rate than the 4 yr. olds?
Is there a pattern of more girls absent than boys, or vice versa?
Are the absentee rates higher in a 2 parent household or a 1 parent household?
6. Determining direction: All pre-k teachers will be involved in any professional development required to gain a better understanding of parental involvement. Assessment/report card periods will give an insight into the success of the action research plan. Continue to support two-way communication between teachers and parents, administration and parents, and teachers and students.
7. Taking action for school improvement:* gather absence reports, *kindergarten cum folders
*develop parent and teacher surverys, *conduct book studies (journal, articles, etc.)
*collect student samples, *share findings with parents and all pre-k staff, *develop a plan of implementation with parents, *evaluate second semester absenses.
8. Sustaining Improvement: Implement the CARE model. Affirmation: already practicing two-way communication and support parental involvement
Concern: high absences
Recommendation: attain a goal of improving parental involvement, develop deeper relationships with parents by way of communication
Evaluations: 2nd semester attandance reports
2. Analyzing Data: CUM folders, absence reports, teacher and parent surveys, informal surverys, book studies, journals, articles, student writing samples, DRA levels.
3. Developing Deeper Understanding: Interview parents privately to determine if there are special/unusual circumstances for student absences.
4. Engaging in self reflection: Determine if the concern lies in needing to change my own teaching style.
Do I teach while keeping in mind all types of learners?
Do I reteach when needed?
Do I allow students who are absent the opportunity to play catch- up?
5. Exploring patters: Are the absences higher in the bilingual or regular classrooms?
Are the 3 yr. olds showing a higher absentee rate than the 4 yr. olds?
Is there a pattern of more girls absent than boys, or vice versa?
Are the absentee rates higher in a 2 parent household or a 1 parent household?
6. Determining direction: All pre-k teachers will be involved in any professional development required to gain a better understanding of parental involvement. Assessment/report card periods will give an insight into the success of the action research plan. Continue to support two-way communication between teachers and parents, administration and parents, and teachers and students.
7. Taking action for school improvement:* gather absence reports, *kindergarten cum folders
*develop parent and teacher surverys, *conduct book studies (journal, articles, etc.)
*collect student samples, *share findings with parents and all pre-k staff, *develop a plan of implementation with parents, *evaluate second semester absenses.
8. Sustaining Improvement: Implement the CARE model. Affirmation: already practicing two-way communication and support parental involvement
Concern: high absences
Recommendation: attain a goal of improving parental involvement, develop deeper relationships with parents by way of communication
Evaluations: 2nd semester attandance reports
Friday, July 23, 2010
EDLD 5301 Week 2
This week I got to read many examples of the different wonderings and how these are categorized. I'm quite sure that my action research topic will be how to decrease absentee rates in Pre-k and stress to parents how important attendance is in Pre-k. I believe this topic falls under individual student(s) since it specifies a certain grade level.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Educational Leaders & Blogs
By blogging, educational leaders can develop or challenge ideas by others. Blogging allows educational leaders to be connected to a wider audience. They have the opportunity to reflect on their practices and to comment on others' blogs as well as receive comments from others.
Description: Action Research and How to Use It
Action research is the process of seeking out change and reflecting on its practice. It is a systemic process which involves the following eight steps:
1. Setting the foundation
2. Analyzing data
3. Developing deeper understanding
4. Engaging in self reflection
5. Exploring patters
6. Determining direction
7. Taking action
8. Sustaining improvement
Action research begins with a particular problem or wondering. Data is collected and analyzed, relevant literature is read, making changes based on new understandings, and sharing the findings with others. Four content areas which facilitate action research inquiries are university coursework, district meetings, leadership teams, and professional learning communities. Practitioners are active participants in the data collection and the interpretation of the data. The practitioner's ultimate goal is school improvement. Action research is a very helpful tool for administrators and teachers alike. Teachers develop action research projects to better understand their own teaching methods and to develop new ones which will ultimately be beneficial for their students. Principals and administrators use action research to better understand their own practices and to improve the overall status of the school whether it be campus culture, student achievement, fostering community relations, or improving parental involvement.
1. Setting the foundation
2. Analyzing data
3. Developing deeper understanding
4. Engaging in self reflection
5. Exploring patters
6. Determining direction
7. Taking action
8. Sustaining improvement
Action research begins with a particular problem or wondering. Data is collected and analyzed, relevant literature is read, making changes based on new understandings, and sharing the findings with others. Four content areas which facilitate action research inquiries are university coursework, district meetings, leadership teams, and professional learning communities. Practitioners are active participants in the data collection and the interpretation of the data. The practitioner's ultimate goal is school improvement. Action research is a very helpful tool for administrators and teachers alike. Teachers develop action research projects to better understand their own teaching methods and to develop new ones which will ultimately be beneficial for their students. Principals and administrators use action research to better understand their own practices and to improve the overall status of the school whether it be campus culture, student achievement, fostering community relations, or improving parental involvement.
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