Final Reflection:

What I have discovered within this course, EDLD 5301, are tools that I can use in order to be a more effective learner and educator. First off, I was inspired after listening to the three school leaders, Dr. Johnny Briseno, Dr. Timothy Chargois, and Dr. Kirk Lewis give inspiring advice and insights into their own personal journeys into the effective practices of action research. I especially identified with Dr. Briseno's appeal about using qualitative information in addition (secondarily) to enhancing what we know about the child; in essence to “hone” in on how to serve, because numbers don't always tell the whole story. He confirmed what Nancy Dana illustrates about the passions that drive your journey: look around you and read all you can about what motivates you – look at what is needed surrounding your school.

  As we were encouraged to ask questions of ourselves about where our passions lie in regard to making effective improvements, it was presented to us that a systematic approach would be necessary in order for those changes to be effective and sustained. We explored possible areas of action inquiry within nine common areas of action research. Completing this activity allowed me to think through several areas, and with the help of my site supervisor (principal) and RTI team, we brainstormed several areas that we felt needed immediate attention. 
  Right away, I felt a big burden lifted. Because we too often clutter our minds with the many areas needing improvement, but with no formal approach, we cannot complete the task of creating positive changes. Together we chose the question, “How can the slow learner be helped (successful) within the RTI process?”

  After I identified the question I hoped to explore, I realized that I needed clear direction about how to begin the journey. In the first chapter of In Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools, it was explained that

            Establishing the foundation is essential 
            for genuine improvement to occur and requires        
            having a shared vision, understanding the 
            need for inquiry, valuing improvement by 
            investing time and building interpersonal trust.

           (Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010, p. 13)

  This text provided many tools for conducting action inquiries, and reflection along the way. I see great value in employing the techniques for gathering information to form consensuses in order to take the inquiry from its foundation to sustainment. The templates 7.1 and the CARE Model provide a systematic way to map out a plan of action. Strategies outlined to collect data, such as the Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method, and the Nominal Group Technique all appear to be valid methods of allowing all stake-holders to engage in ways to sustain improvement.

  To be honest, reading the “Travelogue” chapter in Nancy Dana's book, Leading with Passion and Knowledge felt somewhat laborious, but I know I will be rereading it later on as my inquiry begins to take shape.

  One area I hope to improve upon is in the area of discussion and reflection. Much has been written in the required reading within this course about the merits of sharing and reflecting, and as much as my brain knows this is a valid requirement, it takes deliberate effort for it to become practice. I am lucky to have my RTI team to share my concerns, questions, and responses with already, but know I should broaden that reflection to a larger community if I am to gather insights outside my context to consider. 

Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge:  The principal as action Researcher.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., and Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools.  Eye on Education Press.

Action Research Reflection

I am eager to begin the study of how to help the slow learner. I hope this inquiry will inform and equip my school to help this population of struggling learner. Within the RTI process, we can successfully (mostly) intervene appropriately for those students that have some learning "gaps," or for those students that struggle with staying on task, and usually are successfully in identifying those that have true learning disabilities. Where we are not as successful is in a "grey" area of identifying and helping the slow-learner. I hope this process empowers our teachers and interventionists to help these students earlier so that they can remain on grade level, making steady progress, and reaching set goals.

As we build a repertoire of research-based interventions and classroom strategies, I hope to apply what we learn to all students that we suspect to be slow-learners (as well as those that are identified) beyond our monitor group. Additionally, I hope to build the confidence and lesson the anxiety of our teachers in helping these students.

I feel this study will help our RTI team to add to our "tool-kit," the appropriate strategies for these students, as we are always seeking to find interventions that meet specific needs of each learner within the RTI process.

Week Two Reflection:

I really did enjoy the videos and the readings this week. The contributions from the leaders involved in action research added to my perspectives on data and inquiry, especially when compared to content and pedagogy (Chargois).
I will admit, that I fell short of time in ordering the Dana text, and have been able to keep up because I used the resources available, but because I am enjoying the readings so much, am purchasing it. (By the way, I fell short on time because I changed degrees in mid-stream).
I love reading the wonderings woven into Dana's book - they give simple and real examples of school issues that we all relate to.
Probably the best thing I've learned this week is that I am interested in this pursuit after all. That's it. It began as a need to have options, and is emerging to become a "want to know more" pursuit.
We'll see if that continues next week....

Action Research...what I have learned

What I have learned about action research is that the name I like better is action inquiry. Action inquiry is an intentional and planned approach to making positive school improvement. I like that it serves to move the principal away from the role of manager to the role of instructional leader. The "action" occurs from taking the needed backward step of asking of the campus, "what is critical that we change/address?" Once this is identified, a plan of action can occur through campus collaboration, collecting the needed data to drive it, and through careful reflection from the administrator regarding the course of action necessary to stay on track. How different this model is from the gathering of pertinent literature readings and advice and logic given from outside sources. And how unchanging. Action inquiry allows the learning from sources to be used not as field guides, rather as resources to pull - one of many resources; the primary resource being the campus team and students themselves.
What I have also learned is that the time needed to invest in this inquiry process will pay you back - but it is time that will have to be carved out of the schedule intentionally. It will not happen by chance. I thought the correlation to how we must purposefully set aside time to exercise is perfect. After all, the benefits of this "exercise" reach beyond ourselves.

Using the Blog world as a part of the process makes perfect sense. It can become the host of reflections and examples that can serve as our stream of consciousness. Blogs are cumulative so an emerging of formed ideas can be witnessed and commented on by the team, giving collaborative feedback and support when needed. It is always great to look back over time to see how solutions were derived, and by what influences.

Course Reflection

When I changed my degree plan to Educational Leadership in Technology from Educational Administration, I did so because I was getting the hands on administrative experience already; I was hoping to add a variety of technology tools to my tool bag. I have learned that they are integrated, and I will be able to step up my campus on the use of technology by incorporating and sharing ideas I have learned in this course. I am primarily interested in the collaboration tools, which I now know are referred to as web 2.0 tools.
The difference between others in this course and myself, it seems, is that technology is not my main job at school. I function as the Instructional Specialist, and if anything has hindered my acquisition of material in this course, it has been a lack of time and prior knowledge of these tools.
It appears to come so easy for everyone else in the course, and I work hard to wrap my brain around much of the readings. I have learned however, that we have much work to do in our district in order to connect the chasm differences of opinions that exists between campuses and the district technology department.

District Level Technology Plan

The Merkel ISD Technology Plan outlines several goals:
1. Integrate technology into all learning areas and make it accessible to all students and faculty. Teachers will serve as facilitators, mentors, and co-learners with students, and will be supported as they integrate technology in all aspects of teaching and communicating on a weekly basis.

2. Provide on-going, long term support, both in financing and through training. On-line resources will be available in addition to on-site help and support. District and campus administrators will recognize and identify exemplary use of technology for maximum learning and teaching.

3. Provide the necessary infrastructure and technological resource. District personnel will work collaboratively to develop a superintendent supported and board-approved technology plan. Resources, including budget money will be available for on-going costs. District and campus support personnel will be in place, and new technology is on a schedule to be installed, with a district technology member that will assist in locating new resources for funding, such as technology grants.

4. Incorporate new and innovative technologies on an on-going basis. The district will begin with internet access to all learning areas, and new and innovative technologies will be installed and maintained on an on-going basis. Obsolete technology will be replaced on a scheduled basis.



While these goals are lofty for a small district (5 campuses; 1200 students), they are ambitious and are willing to appropriate needed funds to assure that technology is used for student achievement. They have included strategies that will be the vehicle for integrating technology into effective teaching and administrative duties.

Merkel ISD conducted a comprehensive inventory of their existing telecommunications, computer, and networking facilities prior to creating their technology plan.

Technology Plan for Merkel ISD

I chose to outline the plan for Merkel ISD, as I had no access to Abilene ISD yet. Merkel is approximately 20 miles west of Abilene, and I have friends that work there, and nieces who have attended.

Thursday Night Web Conference Overview

 I was late for class. I hate that feeling. I had to ask for access. Once the door was opened, I fumbled with trying to operate the camera, the sound. I was disruptive, and want never for that to happen again. It's that nightmare-before-the-first-day-of-school-feeling.
Regardless, I learned some operational things that can only be learned from just doing it, which really parallels the same issues we all struggle with in the classroom with students. Just them get in and do it - learning happens this way.
So I am very glad to know that the conference link is waiting in the Important Announcements link (although it says not found, I am hoping it will be resolved soon).
I liked the personal connections that can be made during these conferences, and the real-time answers that can be given. Combining conferences with the flexibility of an online program, makes an ideal way to complete the degree plan.
The conference was also useful in that it outlined the intern plan and gave some helpful tips and requirements information. While this information is available elsewhere, hearing it spoken and explained is a needed addition. Again, looking forward to accessing the uploaded link to revisit.
I am looking forward to attended other conferences that are not required, in hopes they are just as useful.

National Technology Plan

At every level, there is always a "reform plan," and it is no different in the area of educational technology. At the national level, the focus is on empowering learners to be motivated and inspired, regardless of hindrances, in order to achieve. 
At all levels, we realize that we are preparing students for readiness in a world that is changing every day - and this "readiness" has to equip them with skills for jobs that don't even exist yet. The challenges for our educational system are complex; however, the use of technology to drive instruction and derive data is imperative if we hope to reach the urgent priorities issued under the Obama administration, that by 2020,  

• We will raise the proportion of college graduates from where it now stands [39%] so that 60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree.

• We will close the achievement gap so that all students – regardless of race, income, or neighborhood – graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers.  (p.5)

This plan outlines that learning should derive from core set of standards being taught, but achievement will happen only after we motivate engage learners by allowing what impassions them to drive how we support and instruct them.  The goals of learning enlists strategies that will affect students in and out of the classroom- Using technology to apply to all learners anytime, any place. 

Effective teaching happens when we are connected and collaborate. I believe that when we model this to our students, we show them how to develop their own learning communities. Staff development opportunities have so expanded, that is can (and should) be on-going and need-specific, even customizable. 

The goals of teaching employ methods to allow access to technology for a variety of resources. Teaching methods should be supported by resources that allow for collaboration and effective best practices to be utilized.

http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf

Technology Assessment

Through the Texas STaR Chart assessment, valuable information is collected in several areas in order to evaluate the progress of movement toward technology proficiencies.
This is needed in order to plan and manage a budget for future implementation and training, to assess the infrastructure, and to evaluate the effectiveness of current practices. Assessment in the classroom is used to drive instruction; likewise, assessment within the use of technology is important in order to drive its usefulness and effectiveness.

If no formal assessment were in place, it would be easy to very subjectively deduce that technology was being used to a "high degree," simply because teachers felt that to be based on the use of email, new computers, and possibly an Elmo. However, by using a formal assessment, such as the Texas STaR Chart, subjectively is taken away by having criteria applied and grouped by indicators.

These indicators can then supply a rating, giving districts specific targeted areas. Breaking the behaviors and trends into groups allows us to target needs that give specific details about. All this guides us towards making the mark in the long range plans.

Problems exist within the methods we employ, however. I distinctly remember a time I filled out a Texas STaR Chart. Many of the questions were not applicable - but I had to select an option. Also, many people know that funding is attached; and when this happens, many people do not answer honestly. Moreover, many people simply complete the chart to check it of the list of things to do.

http://starchart.esc12.net/docs/TxCSC.pdf