Action Research Plan

Hello all!!! I hope you guys are having a wonderful, stress-free week 3. I went into this spring break thinking that I would have tons of extra time on my hands to do school work... NOT TRUE! Lol! After watching last night's web conference, I have made some changes to my action research plan to reflect expectations. Please take a look and let me know what you think! Please be as critical as you need to be... I want this to be right!!! Also, and ideas you may have to add to my plan, please let me know!

Action Research Plan
Research Question: How can our region develop a collaborative culture characterized by social studies teachers from different grade levels and school districts communicating, understanding and sharing expectations for all of our students? In what ways can I facilitate this process? Goal: To promote collaboration among social studies teachers in their districts and throughout Region 5.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Survey social studies teachers, curriculum leaders/coaches, and principals from Region 5 regarding their views and opinions of collaboration within their school and among the region.	Bridget Kirby Monica Mahfouz	March 18, 2013- March 29, 2013	Survey Monkey “The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success”	Review surveys to determine the regions views on collaboration. Analyze if and to what degree collaboration is currently practiced within districts and the region as a whole. Determine the teachers and administrators most desired means of collaboration.
Create Region 5 Social Studies Advisory Council made up of teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators.	Bridget Kirby Monica Mahfouz	April 1, 2013- April 1, 2014	Interested social studies leaders who wish to participate Meeting notes Meeting calendar	Meet with Region 5 Council each month to discuss ways to better our social studies programs. Create a vision statement examining our true goal.  Evaluate strategies and methods for improvement. Determine needed professional development and discuss what is and is not working within the districts. Keep detailed notes during each meeting.
Identify and share current research and literature examining collaboration among educators.	Bridget Kirby Region 5 Social Studies Advisory Council	April 1, 2013- July 31, 2013	Lamar University Library Region 5 Educational Resource Library Online journals	Share findings with Social Studies Advisory Council and the region’s stakeholders. Conduct a workshop on importance of collaboration.
Create Social Studies Facebook Group to enhance sharing of ideas, teaching strategies and tools.	Bridget Kirby Johnny Vines Monica Mahfouz	March 1, 2013	Facebook accounts for teachers	Observe collaboration among teachers and administrators in Facebook group. Regard nature of communication through social media.
Monitor social studies instruction by conducting classroom evaluations and observations. Conduct pre-observation and post-observation conference.	Bridget Kirby Johnny Vines	September 1, 2012-March 31, 2014	Region 5 Walk-Through Tool Region 5 Evaluation Tool 2012-2013 Evaluations and Observations	Determine areas of strength and weakness among the region’s social studies teachers. Analyze past walkthroughs and evaluations to discover areas of improvement. Share information with individual teachers and administrators and discuss ways for improvement.
Survey social studies teachers, curriculum leaders/coaches, and principals from Region 5 at years end to determine new ideals and beliefs about Region 5 collaboration.	Bridget Kirby	April 1, 2014	Survey Monkey “The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success”	At the end of the year review surveys to determine the region’s views on collaboration. Analyze any changes in opinions on collaborations within districts and the region as a whole. Determine effectiveness of methods of communication and collaboration.
Interview Region 5 Social Studies Advisory Council to determine satisfaction of Region 5 collaboration efforts. Video interview conversations to share with the region’s teachers.	Bridget Kirby Region 5 Social Studies Advisory Council Monica Mahfouz Danny Lovett	April 1, 2014	Interview Questionnaire Flip Camera	Review video to analyze views and opinions on the year’s progress toward a more collaborative community. Discuss any areas of needed improvement in order to sustain collaborative community.

Getting Excited about Action Research

I have to be honest here; until this week I have been feeling very overwhelmed and stressed about the action research project. I guess I have felt that I didn't quite have all the information/knowledge I needed to be able to actively and effectively complete this assignment. As I have shared my action research ideas with the professor and and other classmates, I have been getting the same questions: How are you going to measure collaboration? How are you going to collect data for your topic? Etc. After this week's reading in Leading with Passion and Knowledge, I know the answers to those questions!!! As a result, I am feeling comfortable and excited about gathering data about my topic! I have already started drafting interview/survey questions to share with my teachers. Also, I have taken steps in starting a Region 5 Social Studies Advisory Council; I already have 20 teachers and administrators who have expressed interest in being a part of this council. Collaboration is on the rise in Region 5!!! Woohoo! 

It Takes Teamwork to Make the Dream Work!

“Collaboration allows teachers to capture each other's fund of collective intelligence.”
― Mike Schmoker, Results

 “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
― Helen Keller

Deciding on my action research project has proven to be a very difficult process for me so far. I have so many different topics I want to look at, but I have found that many of them are simply too large to take on in the short time frame have to complete this project. I have written question after question after question in the hopes of narrowing down the topic to a more manageable size. My original idea revolved around what I could do to help improve the social studies test scores for our region. Clearly, this topic would prove to be more of a dissertation than an action research plan! Thus, I have broken that topic down into various pieces so that I can focus on one specific facet. After breaking the topic down, I think I have a manageable, interesting, valuable topic to research.

The purpose of this research project is to promote collaboration among social studies teachers in their districts and throughout Region 5. Question: How can I promote collaboration among social studies teachers in their school districts and throughout Region 5? As the Social Studies Coordinator for Region 5, I have noticed a serious lack of collaboration among social studies teachers in our area, both within school districts and across school districts among similar teaching fields. Because of the nature of the social studies content, it is very difficult to see much vertical alignment. K-2 focuses on the students understanding of communities, social interactions, etc; 3rd grade extends that learning into a more clear understanding of our nation; 4th and 7th grade deals with Texas History; 5th and 8th grade works on American History before 1877; Other than that, the rest of the content act as islands among themselves: 6th grade--World Studies, 9th grade-- World Geography, 10th grade--World History, 11th grade U.S. History after 1877, and 12th grade-- Government and Economics.  Sadly, the lack of communication has put our teachers at an incredible disadvantage. With the implementation of the new TEKS, the use of Process Skills have developed. These skills begin in Kindergarten and extend throughout graduation. Teachers can no longer go into their classrooms, shut the door, and ignore the world around them. They must begin to work together to aid our students in understanding how to think about social studies.

I guess it's the coach in me, but I can understand in great detail the benefit of working together to achieve a goal. Several stakeholders will benefit as a result of this research. First and foremost, collaboration among our teachers will aid our students in better understanding social studies, and as a result their scores will be higher. If we work together to vertically align our content, the students will reap the benefits of learning the content with more continuity and fluidity. Likewise, if teachers work together across school districts, they can share ideas of what is working in another teacher's class. This leads to better instruction for the students. Teachers will also benefit greatly from this research. Working together with other social studies teachers within their districts will save teachers from having to reteach skills that should have been taught years before, thus eliminating gaps. Also, as teachers band together with others who teach the same content in other districts, they will not have to wrack their brains trying to come up with ideas for activities, intervention, and projects. Teachers can share what is working in their classrooms and in effect, work together to improve classroom instruction.

Any thoughts or ideas you guys have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help!!!

Blogging with Purpose

In my last several years as an educator, I have had the desire to create a blog to share my insights. But, like many teachers out there, I couldn't seem to find the time or fit it into my schedule. I am really excited about this part of our assignment this week. There are so many valuable uses for blogs among the education world. First and foremost, blogging provides an excellent source of collaboration that principals and other school administrators do not typically have. Many of the ideas I have used over the years have come from blogs and online journals of people who are in the trenches like me. Blogging is a great way to share ideas and concerns with others who might be having the same experiences. It provides a rare link between educators that spans the world. People from two different sides of the nation, who might be in similar situations, can share their experiences with one another. That is such a powerful thought! Blogging also provides educators with an excellent opportunity to reflect on their own thinking. I can't possibly intimate the many times I have had a thought or idea, but I didn't write it down or reflect on it. As a result, many possibly great ideas have died in my brain, never to be heard from again. I love the example from Leading with Passion and Knowledge when it discusses Dumbledore's use of the "pensieve." When Dumbledore wants to remember something or teach Harry Potter a lesson, he simply visits the pensieve and pulls memories out. There are so many things that have happened to me as an educator that I wish I see with such clarity. Had I utilized a blog, I might have those memories at my fingertips today. Finally, as a former English teacher, I believe that one of the most powerful uses of a blog lies in the opportunity to model a love for writing to students. Sharing with my students that I am a blogger lets them know that there is power in reflective writing. It also shows them that I am not asking them to do something I am not willing to do myself.

Kindle the Flame: Become the "Head Learner"

Socrates once said, "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." While vessels can be filled to a limit, flames can be continuous. Fire begins with an initial spark, and kindling can be added to keep the fire going. This is a great representation of the true purpose of education. Rather than simply filling the brain with knowledge, the goal of education should be to create and cultivate an inquiring mind. As educational professionals, it is necessary that we adopt this inquiring mind in order to truly become lifelong learners. Action research is one of the many ways that we can kindle the flame of learning. In Leading with Passion and Knowledge, administrator inquiry is defined as "the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry" (Dana, 2009). The educational leader will begin with a question regarding an issue in his/her school, collect and analyze data about the issue, read relevant literature, and finally formulate a plan for change. The great benefit of action research is that it serves as job-embedded professional development; learning occurs synonymously with action. Likewise, it ensures that the research is done by someone who is actually invested in the school's success, rather than some outsider who isn't aware of the specific needs of the individual school district. Instead of having to sit and listen to some "sage on the stage" tell a school leader what he/she needs to do, the administrator interactively participates in inquiry with the teachers and students in the school district to make valuable and relevant decisions. In essence, action research leads to real change. Finally, and most importantly, our lives as educators are dedicated to creating successful students who become lifelong learners. The best way to produce this kind of individual is to model what lifelong learning truly looks like, and action research does that. It puts the school leader in the role of "head learner" (Dana, 2009).