5301 reflection

One of the major things I realized with the action research is how flexible and beneficial it is for all educators to use.  It is an amazing way to personalize his/her professional development through finding topics of interest and researching about it.  What a great way to be actively involved in a professional development that actually interests you.  From my experience of professional development, it has always been droll and mind-numbing without much information that I felt was relevant to my campus and student demographic.  With this idea, I can tailor my research to actual problems focused for my students and campus.  With my first action research, I have chosen the flipped classroom concept.  This is a topic of interest to me.  I was already planning to attempt a little implementation, but can now use this for research and put data with my implementation.  With this I can see how it affects my students learning.  If the research works the way I hope, I will see some improvement in student learning versus traditional teaching.

Revised Action Research Plan

Here it is.  Let me know what you guys think. :) ~Josh

Action Planning Template
Goal:  How does the flipped classroom concept affect student performance, knowledge acquisition, and productivity?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Research ideas and possible implementation strategies for flipped classroom concept 2. Research apps, equipment needed for concept 3. Interview and observe teachers using concept	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica David Henson teacher in Mansfield ISD	September 16, 2013 September 30, 2013	Variety of articles and books outlining concept and implementation Edshelf.com	-Summary of ideas learned from articles and technology researched Interview over experience
3. Outline major topics to implement concept over with other teacher 4. Create a rubric to grade student sample work for different tasks within topics	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica Josh Hadley Algebra 2 level	October 1, 2013 October 15, 2013 October 20, 2013 October 30, 2013	Curriculum guides & reference materials Technology apps loaded	Survey of Algebra 2 teachers for most needed topics Rubric created
5. Conduct first unit using flipped classroom concept 6. Analyze results from first unit	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica	January 7, 2014 January 31, 2014	Videos created and uploaded USB drives & CDs loaded with videos Unit plans various materials for lessons	Assessments and student work samples in both classes with and without concept used
7.  Conduct second unit using flipped classroom concept 6. Analyze results from second unit; compare to first set of results 8. Report findings to PLC group; site supervisor and other admin interested.	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica	March 10, 2014 May 2, 2014	Videos created and uploaded USB drives & CDs loaded with videos Unit plans various materials for lessons	Assessments and student work samples in both classes with and without concept used

My Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal:  How does the flipped classroom concept affect student performance, knowledge acquisition, and productivity?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Research ideas and possible implementation strategies for flipped classroom concept 2. Research apps, equipment needed for concept	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica David Henson	September 16, 2013 September 30, 2013	Variety of articles and books outlining concept and implementation Edshelf.com	-Summary of ideas learned from articles and technology researched Interview over experience
3. Outline major topics to implement concept over with other teacher 4. Create a rubric to grade student sample work for different tasks within topics	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica Josh Hadley Algebra 2 level	October 1, 2013 October 15, 2013 October 20, 2013 October 30, 2013	Curriculum guides & reference materials Technology apps loaded	Survey of Algebra 2 teachers for most needed topics Rubric created
5. Conduct first unit using flipped classroom concept 6. Analyze results from first unit	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica	January 7, 2014 January 31, 2014	Videos created and uploaded Unit plans various materials for lessons	Assessments student work samples
7.  Conduct second unit using flipped classroom concept 6. Analyze results from second unit; compare to first set of results 8. Report findings to PLC group; site supervisor and other admin interested.	Josh Hadley Valerie Parenica	March 10, 2014 May 2, 2014	Videos created and uploaded Unit plans various materials for lessons	Assessments student work samples

5301 week 2 reflection

This week, I learned more about action research and what all it can cover for an administrator.  I still go back to say it is important to teachers to use this concept as well in more purposeful, meaningful ways.  I know I will take this idea back to my PLC for areas we want to improve on and look at the facts and data to support what we do.  The key thing I took away from this is that isn't about the numbers.  You need to look more qualitative and into individual students.  

Action Research

What I learned about action research?

As my head is currently on nuclear meltdown with tons of information I have read and pondered this week, action research is something I think most educators do in some form.  It isn't the traditional "sit-n-get" professional developments where some expert is paid to shell out his or her knowledge about best practices.  

Here is what it is: a dynamic way to research and reflect on a question you have in your classroom or school.  It gives you a buy-in to this type of professional development because you choose what you will research and create a plan of action for in your class/school.  As teachers, we do this quite a bit.  We have a question, "How can I do better with...?"  So, we go out and Google information, school and curriculum resources, and talk with colleagues to find what we feel would make the best impact.  Then, we take what we find and implement.  At the end, you reflect back and see how the idea worked.  You may use students' work for analysis or informal observations during the class time, but we analyze how it was effective.  If it worked, then we keep it and maybe try to maintain little changes to keep it working.  If it didn't work, then you go back through the process for another strategy that works.  

Action research is tailored to your class or school.  It creates buy in for all educators involved with the process.  It gives them a unique, personal learning experience where they can share the successes and failures, creating dialogue with other professionals.  

How educational leaders might use blogs?

Blogs are a great way to collaborate with other colleagues. Blogging allows us to share our thoughts and reflections at anytime.  You can share and have your colleagues make comments.  This allows you to receive quick feedback without waiting for an actual meeting where you are all together to share.  You can also collaborate with others more globally.  Now, you can connect with other educators from all countries.  With that wealth of knowledge at a global level, this technology now brings this to us in our own homes.  We do not have to wait for some amazing conference meeting to talk with our fellow colleagues.

Teachers aren't human????

Ok, I get back today into the credit recovery lab I am working in for summer school.  The kids acted like I have been missing for ages upon ages.   They love the melo-drama.

Later in the class, I was helping "bob" with some geometry work on trig functions.  Well, we got the answer wrong on the program...and I swore up and down it was right...because we are "never" wrong.

He redid the lesson and came on the question again.  When I looked at it this time, I realized I made an error.  You thought that was the end of the world for him.  Here was the conversation:

"Bob":  YOU GOT IT WRONG MISTER!
Me:  I looked at it wrong is all.
"Bob":  but you got it wrong.  You're the teacher, you aren't supposed to get it wrong.
Me:  I am only human...I make mistakes sometimes.
"Bob":  you aren't human!
Me: no?  Then what am I?
"Bob":  an intellectual being!

There you go folks...we aren't human and aren't capable of making mistakes!  :-)

Last day of CAMT

Wow, I made it!!!!!!!!!!  3 days of CAMT with the hiking from session to session and camping out in front of the rooms to ensure my entrance.  We, as math teachers, are very serious about our sessions...it's almost primal trying to get in to some.  LOL.


I waited 2 hours in line just for the Dinah Zikes presentation.  Of course it is one of the best note-taking ideas I have seen and so popular.  It was worth the wait.  


Overall, it was a great conference.  I received lots of great ideas and need to stew on them to work them into my lessons for the new school year.