Action Research Plan

1. Initial walk throughs - Results of initial walk throughs to get an actual time of the following: length of wait time, amount of time students spend on talking about mathematics, amount of time students spent writing about mathematics. The walk throughs will be completed during the first two weeks of school. August 30, 2010 – September 10, 2010. This will be the first tool used to evaluate the current time teachers wait after asking a question, time allowing students to talk, and time allowing students to write about mathematics.


2. Interview with teachers to reflect on time they thought they allowed compared to actual time documented on walk throughs - The purpose of the interviews is to allow teachers to see how much time they actually allow on the focus areas compared to the time they think they are allowing. Third week of school September 17, 2010 – September 21, 2010. This will be used to evaluate the current time allowed for the focus areas (wait time, talk time, writing time)

3. Interview with students (10 students from each teacher) - The purpose of the interviews is to get the students idea of how much time they are allowed for the focus areas (wait time, talk time, writing time) in mathematics and to get an idea of whether the students feel they have a high, average or low understanding of mathematics. Third week of school September 17, 2010 – September 21, 2010. This will be used to evaluate the current time allowed for the focus areas (wait time, talk time, writing time)

4. Continue walk throughs and reflections - The main purpose is to establish a better sense of time spent in the focus areas (wait time, talk time, writing time). Weekly during common planning period (Friday’s). Determine if teachers are establishing a better sense of time spent on focus areas (wait time, talk time, writing time)

5. Begin Peer Evaluations - Gather information from teachers that show the relationship of increased time in focus areas and academic performance. Peer Evaluations will be done twice during a six week period by each teacher. Responses will be documented.

6. Individual Interviews with Teachers - Compile data that will be used in final action report. This will hopefully also verbally demonstrate to teachers the benefits of increased time in focus areas. Interviews will take place over the course of the last six weeks. Data collected from interviews will be compiled in final report

7. Individual Interviews with Students -The interview will be used to determine if students feel more comfortable with mathematics as a result of the increased time in the focus areas. Interviews will take place over the course of the last six weeks. Data collected from interviews will be compiled in final report

8. Action Research Report - Culmination of all data collected from interviews, surveys, observations and continuing research that will be presented to faculty. The final report will be given to faculty, staff and administration before school ends, May 2011. This will be a culmination of my action research topic.

The 9 Wonderings of Many School Leaders

In watching the videos, reading discussion posts, and the reading for this week, I found the 9 wonderings of many school leaders to be the most important. In reading each individual description and example, I found that many of these discussions happen at the weekly administrator staffings I attended last school year. On a weekly basis the administrators would discuss areas of concern and brainstorm ideas of how to solve the problem at hand. If action research would have been done for some of the issues or ideas, many things could have been improved upon. What I was most surprised by was that the nine wonderings overlap. For example, in developing teacher leaders, curriculum is improved. In inquiring about curriculum, school performance and teacher leadership improved.

Blogs and Educational Leaders

Blogs are a tool for educational leaders. Being a campus leader is a unique position. There are only a few, and sometimes only one, assistant principals and only one principal at each campus. Blogs help educational leaders get and give information in a nonthreatening environment. Leaders can share success stories as well as solicit ideas on blogs.

Action Research

Many times, educators have to listen to a sales representative talk about how their product will help make all their students successful, listen to how the new textbook is going to be the perfect one for your students, or listen to a staff development presentation on what works best for all students. The presentations most always have data to back up their claims, but action research allows us educators to get our own data in our own needs. Each campus has it's own strengths and weaknesses, and action research allows us to focus on how to better our students and our teachers. Action Research allows teachers to accommodate the student population in most need. Data use is vital when implementing action research. Data is the foundation and basis needed to form conclusions. Once data is gathered, a needs analysis may be formed to establish action research in customizing a plan to help the success for the student population in need.