Developing Consensus and Overcoming Obstacles in My Action Research Project

This week has been great in terms of getting feedback on my action research project.  The proposal was approved as is so as of now I don't need to repost it, but there were several very helpful suggestions made in terms of how to effectively implement a word wall in the classroom - strategies to use, examples of what worked and didn't work for other teachers and suggestions for overcoming problems with day to day use.  The biggest challenge I see now is how to evaluate the success or failure of the project.  If I look at only the district assessment or End of Course scores how do I know how much impact the word wall actually had on the outcome.  I could do some kind of vocabulary test, but I would want to make sure it is an authentic assessment.  I will be documenting informal assessments, but I don't feel like that is enough.  Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Action Research Project

Action Planning Template
Goal: What impact will the implementation of word walls and word wall activities have on promoting vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in the World Geography classroom?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Conduct a literature review of research pertaining to word walls in secondary classrooms.	Lorelei Clark	November – End of Inquiry	Internet Campus/District Professional Library	Personal Notes and Reflection.
Identify the needed/initial content vocabulary words to be used on the word wall for the second semester Go to the Teacher Center to create a Bulletin Board display for the classroom.	9th Grade World Geography Team Lorelei Clark	December 2011 – Prior to the Holiday Break	World Geography TEKS Teacher Center	Word document of vocabulary divided by regions/topic.
Introduce Word Wall to the students and discuss its purpose and function.	Lorelei Clark	Week of January 3-6, 2012	- Bulletin Board - Vocabulary Words - Individual Student Word Wall sheet for Interactive Notebooks	Personal Notes.
Examine prior year TAKS and Fall District Assessment Scores of all students involved to establish a baseline of student performance.	Lorelei Clark	January 2012	Student data collected from cumulative folders  - TAKS  - District   Assessment  - First Semester Grade in World Geography - Demographic and other Subpopulation data	Spreadsheet of Student Data.
Implement word wall strategies and activities in the classroom.	Lorelei Clark	January – May 2012	Vocabulary Words Strategies/Activities – Warm-up, Mystery Word, Categories, Word Pictures, Bingo, Word of the Day, Story Time, etc.	Personal notes and observations.
Meet with the World Geography Data Team to discuss student scores on Chapter Assessments and the Spring District Assessment.	World Geography Data Team	January – May 2012	Student data from individual teachers.	Excel Spreadsheet of Objective Mastery by Teacher.
Observe use of a word wall by another teacher(s).  Interview teacher(s) on value of word wall in the classroom.	Lorelei Clark	February 2012	Interview Questionnaire	Personal notes and observations.
Conduct student survey on use of Word Walls in the classroom.	Lorelei Clark	May 21 -25, 2012	Student Interest Survey	Results of student surveys.
Examine student data from the Spring District Assessment and End of Course Exam to determine what, if any, effect the use of Word Walls had on student performance.		May 1 – June 1, 2012	Student data collected from cumulative folders  - EOC Exam  - District   Assessment  - Second Semester Grade in World Geography - Demographic and other Subpopulation data	Spreadsheet of student data.  Graph will compare students’ scores from the first semester with those of the second semester in order to determine the impact of word walls on student performance.
Meet with site supervisor to evaluate results of the action research project.	Lorelei Clark	May 2012	Accumulated Data from Inquiry.	Notes from discussion.

Week Two Reflections

This week we explored the passions that drive many educational leaders and naturally lead to topics for action research projects and inquiry studies.  I was particularly interested in the topic of staff development and the role of peer coaching in the growth and reinvigoration of master teachers.  We also looked at how data is driving the educational research being done today and how important it is for teachers and educational leaders to possess the skills to effectively employ the results to improving classroom teaching as well as showing growth in student performance.  Accountability is a key word in education today and for better or worse we are being judged on the results of high stakes testing. 

Instead of helping me to narrow down my focus this week's readings provided me with a whole host of additional topics I would like to research.  I do feel more comfortable in how to approach a topic and how to focus on its purpose and significance.  I still struggle with how to make sure my topic is not too unwieldy and can be actually be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time.  I am still very interested in researching the use of word walls to improve student vocabulary and reading comprehension on the end of course exam, but I'm not quite sure what data I want to specifically study to determine the effectiveness and success of the project.  I also have a tendency to get distracted with unrelated topics while reviewing the literature, a common problem I know.  My goal for next week will be to discuss my project with my site supervisor as well as with my content area team to get their input on how best to implement my vision.  I'm excited about narrowing down the scope of my action research project to make it feasible and applicable to student achievement in my classroom.

What I’ve learned about action research and how I would use it…

I’ve learned about the value of conducting and participating in action research projects for teachers and principals.  Not only are we better able to identify classroom and campus challenges, but we are there to gather and analyze the data and make the needed adjustments to find solutions.  Action research assists educators in assessing the needs of the shareholders, documenting the steps of inquiry, analyzing data and making informed decisions that can have a positive impact on the school.

Because of the nature of their job, a principal spends much of their time putting out fires. Participating in action research lets them take charge of something they can control.  Engaging in action research enables principals to once again become the instructional leader of the school.  Administrative inquiry also allows an administrator to work on problems or issues that are relevant to his or her students and teachers. 

I would definitely use action inquiry and have used it in the past because it is collaborative, practical and challenges the educational leader to get to know his or her campus and its students better as well as requiring the educational leader to practice self-reflection and to get to know themselves better as well.  It has value and can be measured.  There is growth from all the participants.  I realize that finding the time can be a challenge for educators, but I would make sure to allot the time and build it in to my schedule to ensure that I do not become an instructional manager as opposed to an instructional leader. 

Educational Leaders and Blogs

Educational Leaders can use blogs in many ways.  Personal reflection, a vehicle for communication, and means for acquiring quick and efficient feedback are a few of their uses.  They can be used in the classroom to promote student interaction on discussion topics, post assignments and as a source of additional resources for the students to check out to learn more.  They are a great way to keep students and parents updated on what is going on in the classroom or on campus and the information can be assessed anytime from anywhere. 

Collaboration is another important way for blogs to be used in education.  Teachers, principals, and campus leaders can share a variety of information and at their convenience share their thoughts, ideas and suggestions on the educational challenges faced in public education today.  They can also connect you to a larger audience and provide you with new perspectives and experiences from across the globe.

In addition, the use of blogs demonstrates a commitment by the educational leader to develop 21st century technology skills to help them keep up with the learning styles and interests of today's students.