My complete Action Research Plan on decreasing bullying at my campus can be find at this website.
https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1Cw0HXcv7LDtm3BXyfv7wWTB7XKQeli80c-Zf9uaidWc#
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Action Research Plan- Week 3
SCHOOL VISION: Students, teachers, parents, administrators and community partnerships of our wider school community have created a shared responsibility to create a safe and happy environment for all, free from all forms of bullying.
GOAL: To promote and implement an Anti Bullying Policy supported by the Campus Improvement Plan which has a goal for a secure, safe learning and workplace environment which promotes respect, tolerance, cooperation and self esteem among all students and the beliefs contained in the staff, parents and student’s codes of conduct.
ACTION STEPS:
1. The campus must come up with a definition of bullying and the different forms of it. This will help to define for the school community what is perceived as bullying by the school. This should cover relational, physical and cyber-bullying.
2. Teachers, volunteers and other individuals must get comprehensive professional development and training in bullying. Everybody associated with the campus must know the Anti-bullying policies, strategies and responsibilities.
3. Increase Data Management- Gathering accurate information on the prevalence of different types of bullying is therefore a key priority within this strategy, Provide key stakeholders with clear, simple and consistent protocol for recording and reporting instances of bullying.
4. Implement a more effective Policy and Practice- All school, youth and community settings need to develop, implement, monitorand review whole-school/community anti-bullying policies. All stakeholders are encouraged to monitor the effectiveness of their own policy.
5. Better Increase Awareness and Communication- Raise the profile of bullying in school, youth and community settings; Work with parents to raise awareness and understanding of issuessurrounding bullying.
6. Implement Evidence based Initiatives- All work designed to prevent and challenge bullying needs to be informed by good practice, and all staff working with children and young people need to understand the underlying causes of bullying and have the ability to promote positive life andsocial skills.
7. Involving Children and Young People- It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all children and young people are given the opportunity and encouragement to speak out and have their voices heardon matters that directly affect them.
8. Increase Positive Partnerships with the community- Without partnerships working, we would not be able to deliver a consistent anti-bullying approach, because trusting communicative relationships are essential if families are to work together with school,youth and community settings.
GOAL: To promote and implement an Anti Bullying Policy supported by the Campus Improvement Plan which has a goal for a secure, safe learning and workplace environment which promotes respect, tolerance, cooperation and self esteem among all students and the beliefs contained in the staff, parents and student’s codes of conduct.
ACTION STEPS:
1. The campus must come up with a definition of bullying and the different forms of it. This will help to define for the school community what is perceived as bullying by the school. This should cover relational, physical and cyber-bullying.
2. Teachers, volunteers and other individuals must get comprehensive professional development and training in bullying. Everybody associated with the campus must know the Anti-bullying policies, strategies and responsibilities.
3. Increase Data Management- Gathering accurate information on the prevalence of different types of bullying is therefore a key priority within this strategy, Provide key stakeholders with clear, simple and consistent protocol for recording and reporting instances of bullying.
4. Implement a more effective Policy and Practice- All school, youth and community settings need to develop, implement, monitorand review whole-school/community anti-bullying policies. All stakeholders are encouraged to monitor the effectiveness of their own policy.
5. Better Increase Awareness and Communication- Raise the profile of bullying in school, youth and community settings; Work with parents to raise awareness and understanding of issuessurrounding bullying.
6. Implement Evidence based Initiatives- All work designed to prevent and challenge bullying needs to be informed by good practice, and all staff working with children and young people need to understand the underlying causes of bullying and have the ability to promote positive life andsocial skills.
7. Involving Children and Young People- It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all children and young people are given the opportunity and encouragement to speak out and have their voices heardon matters that directly affect them.
8. Increase Positive Partnerships with the community- Without partnerships working, we would not be able to deliver a consistent anti-bullying approach, because trusting communicative relationships are essential if families are to work together with school,youth and community settings.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Action Research- Week 2 Reflection
After watching the videos and talking with my supervisor over various action research projects principals are using, I realized how important of a tool action inquiries are. For me to be a effective 21st century adminstrator, i must use action research in helping solve problems or potential problems on my campus. By doing this, it will make my campus climate more positive for all stakeholders. After talking with my supervisor, we came up with 3 great ideas for action research projects. We finally decided to an action research project over bullying at my campus, especially among the girls. We have seen a trend over the past years that bullying among girls is increasing on our campus. I need to review and evaluate our campus's antibullying program to make sure of its effectiveness. I am going to find out if other schools have implemented antibullying programs onto their campus's that have been successful in limiting bullying among girls on their campuses. I am looking forward in doing this project.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Action Research: What I Have Learned
What I learned about Action Research is that it is a reflective process that allows collaboration among all stakeholders involved to help find solutions to problems that are experienced in school everyday. It gives us the necessary steps to solve those problems and increase student achievement. The purpose of it includes school based curriculum development, professional development, systems planning, school restructuring, and as an evaluative tool. It is a model of professional development that promotes collaborative inquiry, reflection, and dialogue.
Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, by using the techniques of research. This is done by the following:
• It allows teachers and principals work together on problems
they have identified at their campus.
• It allows teachers and principals become more effective
when encouraged to examine and assess their
own work and then consider ways of working
differently that might be more effective.
• Teachers and principals help each other by
working collaboratively on all problems
• By working with each other helps teachers and
principals in their professional development
There are usually about 5 steps of Action Research, they include:
1. Identification of problem area
2. Collection and organization
of data
3. Interpretation of data
4. Action based on data
5. Reflection
By participating in Action Research and reflection, it allows administrators and teachers to grow and gain confidence in their work at school. Action research projects influence thinking skills, collaborate, willingness to share and communicate among each other, and attitudes toward the process of change. Through action research, administrators and teachers learn about themselves, their students, their own colleagues, and find ways to continually improve. It provides all educators with an opportunity to better understand what happens in their school. As I go through this Research class, I will be able understand how to use Action Research at my school in a more effective manner, to create a positive school environment. It will be an excellent tool for me to use as a future administrator.
Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, by using the techniques of research. This is done by the following:
• It allows teachers and principals work together on problems
they have identified at their campus.
• It allows teachers and principals become more effective
when encouraged to examine and assess their
own work and then consider ways of working
differently that might be more effective.
• Teachers and principals help each other by
working collaboratively on all problems
• By working with each other helps teachers and
principals in their professional development
There are usually about 5 steps of Action Research, they include:
1. Identification of problem area
2. Collection and organization
of data
3. Interpretation of data
4. Action based on data
5. Reflection
By participating in Action Research and reflection, it allows administrators and teachers to grow and gain confidence in their work at school. Action research projects influence thinking skills, collaborate, willingness to share and communicate among each other, and attitudes toward the process of change. Through action research, administrators and teachers learn about themselves, their students, their own colleagues, and find ways to continually improve. It provides all educators with an opportunity to better understand what happens in their school. As I go through this Research class, I will be able understand how to use Action Research at my school in a more effective manner, to create a positive school environment. It will be an excellent tool for me to use as a future administrator.
How Educators Might Use Blogs?
Administrators should use blogs because it is a powerful tool to communicate to all stakeholders of the school community. It is a great way to allow collaboration, sharing of ideas, status alerts and community building. By doing this, it allows the school community to view your thoughts and ideas and gives you the chance to have immediate feedback from the everybody. Also a blog allows administrators to send out newsletters, reminders, special events, extracurricular activities, etc. that the school community might what to know about. As a future administrator, i would definitely use blogs as a tool to communicate to all stakeholders.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Week 5 Reflection
What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
When I first started this class, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what technology is and what technologies school district’s have. This course has shown me that I have a lot to learn about technology in education. I thought I would learn some basic uses of technology in the classroom, but I have learned a lot more than that through this course. I realize now that the technology that I use in the classroom is not good enough for a 21st century learner. I have learned about many new techniques and tools of technology, such as blogging or even using cell phones in the classroom. I don’t know when I would implement this in my class but I am looking forward to further professional development to increase my experience. Once I get this done, I can implement more technology in the classroom. As a future administrator, I now have a new vision of technology in a school district, so I achieved much more than I originally thought I would in this class.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
I did accomplish everything in this course and much more. All of the goals that I achieved are relevant in what I do in my classroom and in my district. I realized that there are many technological tools and resources out there for us as teachers and for the students to use. I need to do a better job of implementing this technology in my classroom for the students. I thought that using the web blogs as an educational resource was a great idea. I have never heard of teachers letting students use blogs for class work before this class. To me, that is an interesting idea that I would like to explore one day in my classroom. I realized that my school district and other districts also, must find the financial resources to put in technology to give teachers a chance to teach the students with it.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
There are some outcomes that I believe I still haven’t achieved in this course. Even though I have learned a lot, got some hands on experience in making power point presentations and blogs, I still don’t have full confidence in implementing it on my own. This is because I have a fear of the unknown, especially when it comes to technology. I realized though, that I will never get any confidence unless I start implementing this technology in the classroom. I just need to make sure that if I do get the confidence to implement this in my classroom, I need to make sure it fits the needs of my students. This is important for them, if not; they will never reach mine or their goals.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was mostly confident on my assignments during this course. I enjoyed the Discussion Boards, I like seeing what other people think of my posts and I enjoy replying to other people. The two weeks that were the hardest for me, was Week 2 and 4. Week 2 was hard because that was the first time that I had to do a PowerPoint presentation and I really didn’t know how to do it. I know that sounds bad. When I saw that we had to put up graphics and hyperlinks, I was scared that I wouldn’t able to do it correctly. But after a little practice I was able to make a pretty good PowerPoint presentation. In Week 4, I had some trouble with my Technology Action Plan, I was trying to put into a table and was having trouble doing it, and it was discouraging for a while.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
As I finished this course, I am definitely a technology immigrant. My students absolutely know more about this technology than I do. I need a lot more professional development in technology to build my confidence in implementing this technology in the classroom. I do believe that there are many new technology tools and resources out there that would definitely benefit my students in the classroom. If I ever do implement this in my classroom, I need to make sure that I tell the students the risks and dangers of it, especially when the kids get on the internet. The kid’s safety is the most important issue. I do look forward to the day where I can have this new technology for my students in the classroom.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
This was the first time that I ever blogged and I believe it can be used as a great
technology tool for students if used in the right way. It is a great resource for us as teachers to use to communicate to the students and also their parents. It is very easy and quick, all people can use it. I do believe that blogging will become an important communication tool that 21st century students will use in the future. It has a lot of educational value for the students.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
There are definitely concerns when it comes to blogging in education. If there is blogging in a classroom, it should be monitored closely by the teacher. We have to make sure that the students aren’t doing anything that they should be. Some kids might be putting inappropriate information on the blog, some students might be plagiarizing, and these are just some of the incorrect uses of the blogs by the students. Because of this, we must teach the students the ethical issues of using blogs. We can’t rely on parents to do this, because most parents don’t know the ethical issues or haven’t blogged before.
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging is a great way to communicate to an entire staff or parents of your students. It is quick and easy to do. It is a great way to keep everybody informed on what your assignments are or what your expectations are. I can post any important document that I want parents or students to see at any time. Instead of emailing parents, I could just use a blog to communicate to them. I don’t know when I would start using blogs in my class, but I definitely would like to try it one day, I think the students and parents would enjoy it. It would be a great tool for our 21st century learners.
When I first started this class, I thought I had a pretty good idea about what technology is and what technologies school district’s have. This course has shown me that I have a lot to learn about technology in education. I thought I would learn some basic uses of technology in the classroom, but I have learned a lot more than that through this course. I realize now that the technology that I use in the classroom is not good enough for a 21st century learner. I have learned about many new techniques and tools of technology, such as blogging or even using cell phones in the classroom. I don’t know when I would implement this in my class but I am looking forward to further professional development to increase my experience. Once I get this done, I can implement more technology in the classroom. As a future administrator, I now have a new vision of technology in a school district, so I achieved much more than I originally thought I would in this class.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
I did accomplish everything in this course and much more. All of the goals that I achieved are relevant in what I do in my classroom and in my district. I realized that there are many technological tools and resources out there for us as teachers and for the students to use. I need to do a better job of implementing this technology in my classroom for the students. I thought that using the web blogs as an educational resource was a great idea. I have never heard of teachers letting students use blogs for class work before this class. To me, that is an interesting idea that I would like to explore one day in my classroom. I realized that my school district and other districts also, must find the financial resources to put in technology to give teachers a chance to teach the students with it.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
There are some outcomes that I believe I still haven’t achieved in this course. Even though I have learned a lot, got some hands on experience in making power point presentations and blogs, I still don’t have full confidence in implementing it on my own. This is because I have a fear of the unknown, especially when it comes to technology. I realized though, that I will never get any confidence unless I start implementing this technology in the classroom. I just need to make sure that if I do get the confidence to implement this in my classroom, I need to make sure it fits the needs of my students. This is important for them, if not; they will never reach mine or their goals.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was mostly confident on my assignments during this course. I enjoyed the Discussion Boards, I like seeing what other people think of my posts and I enjoy replying to other people. The two weeks that were the hardest for me, was Week 2 and 4. Week 2 was hard because that was the first time that I had to do a PowerPoint presentation and I really didn’t know how to do it. I know that sounds bad. When I saw that we had to put up graphics and hyperlinks, I was scared that I wouldn’t able to do it correctly. But after a little practice I was able to make a pretty good PowerPoint presentation. In Week 4, I had some trouble with my Technology Action Plan, I was trying to put into a table and was having trouble doing it, and it was discouraging for a while.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
As I finished this course, I am definitely a technology immigrant. My students absolutely know more about this technology than I do. I need a lot more professional development in technology to build my confidence in implementing this technology in the classroom. I do believe that there are many new technology tools and resources out there that would definitely benefit my students in the classroom. If I ever do implement this in my classroom, I need to make sure that I tell the students the risks and dangers of it, especially when the kids get on the internet. The kid’s safety is the most important issue. I do look forward to the day where I can have this new technology for my students in the classroom.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
This was the first time that I ever blogged and I believe it can be used as a great
technology tool for students if used in the right way. It is a great resource for us as teachers to use to communicate to the students and also their parents. It is very easy and quick, all people can use it. I do believe that blogging will become an important communication tool that 21st century students will use in the future. It has a lot of educational value for the students.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
There are definitely concerns when it comes to blogging in education. If there is blogging in a classroom, it should be monitored closely by the teacher. We have to make sure that the students aren’t doing anything that they should be. Some kids might be putting inappropriate information on the blog, some students might be plagiarizing, and these are just some of the incorrect uses of the blogs by the students. Because of this, we must teach the students the ethical issues of using blogs. We can’t rely on parents to do this, because most parents don’t know the ethical issues or haven’t blogged before.
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging is a great way to communicate to an entire staff or parents of your students. It is quick and easy to do. It is a great way to keep everybody informed on what your assignments are or what your expectations are. I can post any important document that I want parents or students to see at any time. Instead of emailing parents, I could just use a blog to communicate to them. I don’t know when I would start using blogs in my class, but I definitely would like to try it one day, I think the students and parents would enjoy it. It would be a great tool for our 21st century learners.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Technology Action Plan
Objective: to improve the integration, services and development of technology into the classrooms at the Jr. High Campus. This will lead to increased higher scores on the Texas Star Chart.
Goals
Goal 1: To improve teaching and learning in the classroom through the use of technology at
our campus.
Goal 2: To improve educator development and preparation for our teachers through the use
of technology.
Goal 3: To improve administration and support services in our campus through the use of
technology.
Goal 4: To improve infrastructure for technology for the campus.
our campus.
Goal 2: To improve educator development and preparation for our teachers through the use
of technology.
Goal 3: To improve administration and support services in our campus through the use of
technology.
Goal 4: To improve infrastructure for technology for the campus.
Teaching and Learning
Goal 1: To improve teaching and learning in the classroom through the use of technology
Action-
-The campus will provide Internet access to all instructional areas at the Jr. High.
-The teachers will integrate technology application TEKs into teaching and learning at the Jr. High level
-The students will demonstrate proficiency in the technology application TEKS
Educator Preparation and Development
Goal 2: To improve educator development and preparation for our teachers through the use
of technology
Action:
-The campus will provide on-going training in technology literacy skills including multimedia, streaming video, and Internet.
-The campus will provide employee’s access to TEKS, lesson plans, and other teaching tools via the network
-The campus will use the Texas Star Chart as a technology assessment tool.
Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support
Goal 3: To improve administration and support services in our campus through the use of
technology.
Action:
-The district will provide resources to the campus administrators to enable them to use the Texas STaR Chart for planning and measuring technology progress on their campus.
-The district will provide resources to enable administrators to search the AEIS for information on student performance, staff demographics, and school and district accountability ratings and finances.
-The district will continue to provide ongoing training on technology to the teachers at the Jr. High.
Infrastructure for Technology
Goal 4: To improve infrastructure for technology for the campus.
Action:
-The district will provide the campus high-speed fiber connectivity in all the classrooms.
-The district will provide a secure network for the Jr. High campus through the use of appropriate firewalls, content filters and virus protection software.
-The district will try to improve the ratio of students/teachers to computers at the jr. high campus.
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