EDLD 5301 - Week 3 Reflections

As I continue to work on my action research plan, I am making changes to narrow down and really focus on one issue instead of having a broad subject.  I'm anticipating that my results will show that ipod use in the classroom is beneficial, and we can expand the program to other grade levels on our campus.  I have also enjoyed reading other action plans, and am looking forward to following their action research as well. 

Draft Action Research Plan - Week 3 EDLD 5301

Action Planning Template

Goal:  To determine how ipods can be used in a third grade classroom to increase student performance rates in Math.

                       

                                     Person               Timeline:                Needed     

Action Step(s)          Responsible          Start/End              Resources          Evaluation

1.  Create a pre and posttest Math fluency survey/assessment to use to determine individual students Math fluency.	Melanie Starnes Third Grade Team Principal	November 2011	C-scope Aware Internet Resources Math TEKS	n/a
2. Administer a pre-test Math fluency survey/assessment to the 4 third grade classrooms at Davis Elementary (approximately 88 students).  This survey/assessment will include questions aligned to TEKS.	Melanie Starnes Third grade team	November 2011	Pre-test survey/Assessment	Ensure that I have sufficient data before beginning student use of Math apps on ipods.
3. Begin use of selected Math fluency apps with students in my two math classrooms.  These apps will be used daily, by approx. 44 students.	Melanie Starnes Students	November 2011 December 2011 January 2012	Ipods Math apps	Monitor student use of ipods in classroom.
4.  Literature Review	Melanie Starnes Carol Campbell	November 2011- January 2012	Internet Literature	Review current literature and data regarding use of ipods in elementary classrooms in other similar districts.
5. Administer a post-test Math fluency survey/assessment to the 4 third grade classrooms at Davis Elementary (approximately 88 students).  This survey/assessment will include questions aligned to TEKS	Melanie Starnes Third Grade Team	January 2012	Posttest survey/assessment
6.  Compile all completed data and research into an action research plan presentation.	Melanie Starnes Carol Campbell	January/February 2012	Pre-test data Post-test data Literature data Ipod monitoring data	Using pre and post test data, determine if ipod application use by students increased their fluency rates in Math.

EDLD 5301 - Week 2 Reflections

As I listened to the videos of leaders in Texas, and how they use action research, it helped to clarify pieces of the action research process. One of the suggestions made by Dr. Kirk continues to influence my choices when looking at my action research plan. That suggestion is to make sure the plan is practical and relevant. As I narrow down my research plan, I am trying to make sure that the end result is research and data that is beneficial to my classroom and my campus.

EDLD 5301: How can Educational Leaders Use Blogs?

There are many ways in which Educational Leaders can use blogs. Superintendents can use them to share information with district principals, district teachers, and parents. Principals can use blogs to share information with campus staff, such as upcoming events, links to relevant websites, and campus news. Teachers can use them to stay connected with their parents and other teachers. Blogs provide a way for various groups to stay connected, share information and provide feedback, and eliminates the need to schedule meetings.

EDLD 5301 Action Research - Week 1

Action research is exactly what it's name implies, taking action and gathering information and research about a defined problem. As I've read our selections this week, I've learned that action research is an continuing, ongoing process. It is not something that you can just do once and then leave it alone. You will need to monitor and update the project based on the data and information gathered. Using action research also allows us to gather information that is relevant to our individual campus and team. By researching and gathering data about our campus, we are able to make changes that will allow our students and staff to grow in the right direction.

I'm looking forward to using action research as we begin to incorporate more technology into our classrooms, and use the research and information to monitor the positive and negative aspects of this change. Time will be a major challenge, as we struggle to actually find time to not only learn how to use the technology, but manage to incorporate it into our lessons and daily activities. I think we will definitely see many benefits of our students using various types of technology daily. I know our students will be excited about the new technology and will embrace the change that it brings to our campus.

Relections - EDLD5306 Concepts of Educational Technology

When I started the first class towards my Master's degree, Concepts of Educational Technology, I wasn't really sure what to expect from the class. I had been putting off going back to school for a long time, so I was really just hoping I would survive the course. As a single mom, working full time and raising two daughters, I was nervous about the time commitment and organization of the course, especially after viewing the first assignment. As each week passed, my fears eased a bit, and I adjusted to the assignment deadlines and requirements. I still had the occasional thought that this was just too much to handle, but I was determined to finish. As far as technology, I expected that I would learn more about technology and digital tools, and how to use them in an educational setting. And, I did gain experience using many different tools, such as blogs, wikis, wordle, and animoto.

The experience that I have gained from this course is incredibly relevant to the work that I do as a third grade teacher at Davis Elementary. As a classroom teacher, I have already incorporated many of the tools that I used in this course into my classroom and into my lesson planning. I have also shared many ideas and suggestions with other educators on my campus. Learning about our campus technology ratings and the Star chart have given me needed insight into technology areas that need to be strengthened on our campus. The weekly readings provided information and knowledge about ethics, safety and copyright laws, which I have used when teaching my classroom students about Internet safety and also when creating assignments. And, as I have juggled school work, family life and my full time job, I have become more confident in my ability to organize and manage all three.

I don't think that there were any specific outcomes that I did not achieve upon completion of this course. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to achieve when I began the course, which was to gain more knowlege about technology, technology assessments, and digital tools, and their use in an educational setting. I know that I will probably need to go back periodically and review the weekly assignments, just to gain more knowledge and also to be confident when discussing and sharing the information with other individuals and groups. I do feel like there were some challenges that I had to overcome after beginning the course, that I either was not aware of or had not realized prior to starting the class. For example, I had some technical difficulties with my personal computer, and needed to make some minor adjustments in order to complete the course assignments.

I feel like I was very successful in completing the assignments and meeting all of the required deadlines. To be honest, when I looked at the first weeks assignment, I was worried that I would have trouble finishing in the required time frame. There were a lot of requirements contained in the written assignments, but I discovered that for me it was all about organization and scheduling my time wisely. Once I realized that I was capable of doing the work, I was able to focus on creating a schedule that would blend my work load and classwork. Taking a class online is quite a bit different that taking a course on a college campus, and requires a lot of self motivation. As far as actual assignments, I found I enjoyed creating both the blog and the wiki, and have used my knowledge from the class and started a blog and wiki for my classroom.

I have learned quite a bit from this course, both about myself and about my abilities. First, I have learned to have more confidence in myself. And, I have discovered leadership qualities that I didn't know existed. I have had to step outside of my comfort zone in quite a few situations, and discovered that I would succeed, and in some cases, actually enjoy the experience. A big surprise to me is a new interest in the possibility of becoming a principal. It's never even been something I've thought of before, but as I put myself in leadership situations, I am finding that I enjoy the experience and the challenge. I've learned that I underestimated my technology experience, and that I need to take ownership of what I know and share the knowledge with others. I enjoy teaching and sharing technology, and am becoming more confident about sharing with my campus and team members.

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