Response to Ch. 5

I like the example used in Ch. 5 about the stagnant pond and the rocks around the pond.  It was a great example of how important it is to cause ripples in education, to create change and improvement.  Great educators are constantly learning and changing, as is education.

There are several things that could keep my action research project from being successful.  Lack of time to implement "club" days, because of the focus being on STARR.  Some teachers or administrators may think "club" days are a waste of time, time away from teaching our students to pass the STARR.  There is so much pressure on state mandated testing and even district testing.  Being aware of our own learning styles as well as those of our students will help our students in the long run.  They will have a sense of success , and know what they are good at.  Not all persons have academic strengths, but all have strengths and talents of some sort.  Teaching different "club" activites, and giving students a choice to what they want to join , will give students a chance to explore their learning and have fun with it. 

Action Planning Template
Goal: To discover the strengths and talents of each student so each child will reach their full potential and increase their learning.  This will be done through “club” activities will involve different learning styles, based on Multiple Intelligence, and will be implemented to increase educational success, enthusiasm of learning, and to help each child reach their full potential.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Conduct MI surveys and questionnaires among teachers and students.	Classroom Teachers, Admin Team	October 2012- Nov. 2012	Websites and articles determined by research Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligences	Student and teacher questionnaires and surveys
Send out parent letter explaining “Clubs” and providing information about Multiple Intelligences	Administration, teachers	October 2012	Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligences articles and research	Questions from parents
Take questionnaires and surveys and formulate “clubs”, and specify what teachers are going to do for their “club” Place students in their club groups.	Classroom teachers, Admin team	October 2012-November 2012	MI surveys and questionnaires	Teacher questionnaires and survey, student surveys
Provide “club” days to students	Teachers, administration	October 2012-May2013	Howard Gardner articles, research on MI	Student/teacher satisfaction, questions, concerns
Administration of end of year assessments, STARR test, AYP requirements	Teachers, administration	March 2013-June 2013	STARR test and pre tests	STARR test, end of the year benchmarks and assessments
End of the year surveys	Students, teachers,	May 2013	Howard Gardner articles, research on MI, websites, articles	End of the year surveys

week 2

There are so many topics worth researching and trying to pick just one is hard.  There are many that I think would be interesting to research.  Hhowever, I am going to research a topic that is practical to my school now.  Listening to the interviews, confirmed how important data is to research.  I did like though how Briseno said that we shouldn't just look at data.  We need to look at the whole child.  That is where relationships come in.  I think the basis for success as an educator is the relationship you form with your students and their parents.  Students and parents need to now and feel that you value them.  The leadership of a school wears many hats, just as a teacher in the classroom does.  I think the key to picking the right research topic, is finding one that is relevant and practical. One that will be easy to acquire data on.  So, changes can be made.  An action research topic is constantly changing, I like knowing that.

I learned that action research is ongoing, continuous research that is done to increase success.  Action research is inquiry that is done by those that are directly involved in what needs to be changed.  In education, it is the principal and teachers of the school that do the action research to fix, enhance or change something.   The stakeholders are the ones doing the research and collecting the information.  Collecting and analyzing data, reading articles, gathering information, and analyzing what we do already and if it is or is not successful is a part of action research.  I like the idea that action research is continuous, and always changing.  A principal or those stakeholders become responsible for their own learning and their actions.  The actions they take to improve the problem.  Reflection is also very important in action research.  Being able to stop for a moment, and think back to what is working and what is not.  Then the inquirer can make changes where they need be. Action research is a huge learning opportunity. 

I think that action research is something I can plan to do as a teacher in my classroom and one day when I am an administrator.  I feel that as a classroom teacher, I do many things to change what I do in the classroom, to be successful.  Each year, using data from assessments, information from observations, I am able to see what strategies and lessons were successful, and which ones were not. It is important as an educator to take opportunities to continue learning.  We have to be lifelong learners, just like we want to instill that love for lifelong learning in our students.

Educational leaders use blogging for  sources of information and a place to share ideas.  I follow several blogs, for professional and personal reasons.  I get so many ideas from what others have to share.  Getting ideas from others perspectives is always refreshing in many ways.  Following blogs and blog sharing, allows you to learn things from others.  When faced with an educational road block in your teaching, reading how others face those road blocks and what they do is always beneficial.  It is always nice to get new fresh ideas.