EDLD 5301 Week 4 Reflection

This week helped me evaluate and correct any issues that I still had with my action research plan.  I met with my site mentor and received some great feedback and also received great advice and encouragement from a couple of my peers through my blog and the discussion board.  I definitely agree with the two professors on the video that collaboration and peer feedback is the fastest way to learning.  I have two great friends that are in the program with me, Jeanette King and Mary Johnson, their input has been very beneficial in my success thus far.  I also have enjoyed meeting and discussing with the new people I have met throughout this adventure.  I foresee that these new cohorts will be a big part of my completing this course successfully.

Revised Action Research Plan

What are the potential benefits of using Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) to enhance curriculum, increase student motivation, and improve student learning?





Kimberely's EDLD 5301 Workable Action_Plan

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EDLD 5301 - Reflection of Week 3

This week we were to draft an action research plan with specific steps, timelines, resources needed, and evaluation processes.  This assignment was great for getting me to think on a deeper level about my research.  I was feeling really scattered and confused about what I was going to do and how to get started but this week has alleviated some of those concerns.  I feel much more focused now.  I do see that I have a lot of work ahead of me but having specific timelines in places will keep me on track so that I don’t fall behind and get overwhelmed.  I tried to make sure I gave myself realistic timelines so as to not put too much pressure on myself. I also have addressed specific needs and people that will need to be met or contacted during each step.  I am looking forward to getting started and hopefully accomplishing my goal.

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EDLD 5301 - Week 3 - Action Research Plan

This week we were instructed to develop our research question and our action research plan.
Question:
What are the potential benefits of using Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) to enhance curriculum, increase student motivation, and improve student learning?
Plan:
Kimberely's EDLD 5301 Workable Action_Planning_Template

Reflection - Week 2 - EDLD 5301

This week we watched videos of three administrators speak of action research. My understanding of action research became more clear and concise from listening to these three gentlemen speak of their experience and knowledge of action inquiry. I now understand that all research must be data driven and apply to you and your district. I am feeling better about the class now than when we first started.

I also am seeing a different side of the educational system. I see the problems that the principal has to handle on a daily basis and I have respect for him because he handles everything with tact and dignity. I have enjoyed getting to see a glimpse of the administrative side of running a school. This week has really made me feel more at ease of the whole process of action research.

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Action Research Significance/Purpose

Purpose:

The purpose of my action research plan is to identify and examine the advantages of interactive video conferencing for 7th and 8th grade science students and the result it has on their scores.

Significance:

The stakeholders that will benefit from my inquiry will be the 7th and 8th grade science students, the 8th – 12th grade science teachers, all other teachers, and the district as a whole.
The students will benefit by gaining invaluable experiences that they may have otherwise never been able to gain. This type of teaching can also generate an interest in learning that the traditional methods may not have. “After completing a unit on the sun, earth and moon, students in England got to interview a scientist from the London Science Museum. Their excitement about the interview opportunity motivated them to come up with good questions, and they were so pleased with the whole experience that they asked to present to the rest of the school what they had learned” (Horton, 2008).
The 8th – 12th grade science teachers will benefit from there students coming to their classes with experiences and prior knowledge that they haven’t had before. The other teachers in the district will benefit from the research by having this technology introduced and modeled for them.
The district as a whole will benefit because of an enhanced curriculum and better scores.

Horton, J. (2008, May). "How Classroom Video Conferencing Works”. HowStuffWorks.com, Retrieved October 13, 2011, from http://communication.howstuffworks.com/classroom-video-conferencing


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EDLD 5301 - Week 1 - Educational Leaders as Bloggers

Blogs are fastly becoming used by everyone.  Educational leaders can use blogs to keep teachers, parents, and stakeholders informed of school issues.  They can also use them as ways to keep up with their thoughts and ideas on a daily basis.

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EDLD 5301 - Week 1 - What is Action Research?

When I saw the name of this course I was real apprehensive about starting the class. The reason for this apprehension was all because of the word research. I then get a look at the syllabus and it is talking about us starting an action research project. This only heightened my concerns. Fortunately after reading the assigned chapters this week I feel much better about this class and the project. I learned that action research or action inquiry as Nancy Fichtman Dana refers to it in her book is an introspective look at your actions or environment with the purpose of making a change. The inquirer would identify the action that needs changed and then develop a plan to make a difference. The inquirer would then put the plan into action plan and collect data and investigate their findings. At various times the plan would be revisited and reevaluated for effectiveness. Once the plan is deemed effective you would then move it into a maintenance phase.

I know that performing the action research project is going to be time consuming but I am really excited about tackling it because I have a real passion for my topic. I will be conducting an action research plan on the benefits of using video conferencing in the classroom to enhance the TEKS in the curriculum and offer opportunities to students that they otherwise would never get to experience.


Dana, N. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge the principal as an action researcher. 
     Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.


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