The question is “What needs to be enhanced or improved to
better the learners of today in my school community?” As a principal leading a school with future
leaders of America, that question should always be spiraling through my
head. The perfect solution to this
question is Action Research. Action
research allows me as a principal to reflect on my own ability to improve my
leadership skills and analyze data to enhance instruction, curriculum and needs
of all my students. In the constant
changing dynamics of a public school community action research allows me to
identify a problem in my school and find solutions specific to its needs with
the collaboration of my teachers and staff, which work “in the trenches”.
As a principal it can be very easy to have a disconnect from
the staff and other educational leaders due to the demands of the daily
grind. By implementing action research and
blogs into my daily practice will benefit me as a principal in several ways. As
a leader, followers follow by example.
Action research will allow me to lead as a lifelong learner and to
enhance and strengthen the school that I lead.
Blogs will allow me to connect and collaborate with other professionals
in the world of education to build ideas and discuss up to date research. Communities that learn and solve problems
together build a stronger foundation.
What is your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI have collaborated with our district math curriculum coordinator about increasing rigor in math concepts. She has been very helpful!! She had a collection of articles about rigor in children from NCTM and other resources. I have learned it never hurts to ask questions or ask for help. Why reinvent the wheel.....just improve it!!
ReplyDeleteHere is my action plan "Increasing Depth and Complexity in questioing during math lessons"
ReplyDelete*Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation
• What level of questions do teachers use most during math lessons?
• How often are higher level questions being asked?
• How engaged are students in math lessons?
• What is the best ways to train teachers to use higher level thinking questions in a math
lesson to increase higher level thinking?
• Are teachers allowing students opportunities to process information from long and short term memory by asking higher level thinking questions?
• Are students provided opportunities to analyze, compare, contrast, group, infer sequence, evaluate, hypothesize, predict, and speculate throughout a math lesson?
• What is the most effective way to train teachers to incorporate higher level thinking strategies into questioning techniques to increase student understanding of math concepts?
*Activities designed to achieve the objectives
• Surveys, literature, field notes, observation 3rd grade math lessons
*Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
• Teacher surveys, research on depth and complexity questioning,
research on teacher training,
*Draft Timeline for completion or implementation of activities
• February 2012 --- through observation collect data on depth and complexity questioning in math lessons. Survey math teachers on use of level of questioning in their lessons
• March 2012 ---- observe math lessons, use checklist to determine level of questioning within lessons
• April 2012 --- review literature and data to determine effective ways to train
teachers on how to incorporate higher level thinking strategies into questioning
techniques in math lessons.
*Persons Responsible for implementation of the action research plan
• Myself, Kimber Lehmann
*Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
• Personal blog and/or journaling to document progress
*Assessment tool to measure
• Surveys, field notes interviews, meetings with site mentor
I chose this area as my action research project because math is an area of weakness for me. I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone to "expand my horizons".
ReplyDeletePlease let me know your thoughts....how can I improve the plan...what areas need to be looked at closer....
It's very bold to undertake research on an area that is a weekness to you. Kudos for that. I wonder how well you will be able to review the data if it is not something you have a fluid working knowledge in?
ReplyDelete