How to post research plan

I found two ways to publish my research plan on the blog.  First you can follow the second set of instructions that were on the link they gave us on Epic on how to post your blog.  I did this and it posted it as a link to click.  I also experimented and I copied my plan from word and then pasted it into a new blog and that is the most recent post I have of the actual plan.  Take a look at both ways and hopefully one of them will work for you as well.

Action Research Plan

Action Plan
Goal: Research the impact Gifted and Talented and/or Advanced Placement teacher training has on the gifted and general ed student.  I will focus on the differentiation and rigor levels that are present in classrooms of teachers that participated in the trainings versus teachers that did not and evaluate the student performance in the two types of classroom settings.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Create a list of teachers that attend GT/AP teacher training	Miriam Kline; Sherri Long; Kaye Porter; Dorrie Lang	August 6, 2011	Staff Development attendance list	Ensure each teacher that is educating gifted students is properly certified and has received their required renewal hours.
Construct a list of GT students in each grade.	Miriam Kline; Campus Principals	August 6, 2011	GT identification results; classroom rosters	Ensure each GT identified student is with a certified GT teacher.
Conduct walkthroughs of classrooms of with teachers that have had GT/AP training and document differentiation strategies and rigor levels of instruction	Mitzi Kline and district coordinators, and camps administrators	August 2011 – June 2012	Walkthrough evaluation forms; PDAS expectations	Conducting walkthroughs will allow me to evaluate differentiation levels and rigor levels in GT classrooms and general ed classrooms.
Compare student performance of students in a classroom with GT certified teacher and those that are not.	District coordinators including myself and campus administrators	September 2011-June 2012	District assessment results and state assessment results	Comparing the data will allow us to see if teachers with training in differentiation and rigor of GT students improve the scores of their general ed students by applying skills from GT training.
Survey teachers that participate GT and AP training to see if they utilize the skills they learn with general ed students.	GT/AP teachers	October-November 2011	Survey Monkey	Getting teachers input on their experience with GT/AP training and how much the utilize will allow us to determine if the training is sufficient or needs improving.
Conduct walkthroughs of classrooms with teachers that have not had GT/AP training	District Coordinators (including myself), Campus Administrators	September 2011-June 2012	Walkthrough evaluation forms; PDAS expectations	Conducting walkthroughs of general ed classrooms will allow comparison of rigor and differentiation strategies with GT classrooms.

Action Research Plan

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Oh my, oh my

I must admit, that I am overwhelmed with the action research plan.  At one point I feel I am on the right track, then I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew.  Is there anyone else out there that feels the same anxiety as I do?  I have chosen a topic that I will be working on as part of my new position with my district, however, I'm nervous of doing it all correctly.  My project will be posted soon and I look forward to hearing your feedback.  I ask that you give me as much as you possibly can to help me.  Thanks my friends!

Never stop learning

Howdy!  As I went through this week's lessons, readings, and so on for my Master's something kept being said over and over - the importance of continued education.  Now, I've always known that one must never stop learning.  However, hearing it and reading it multiple times this week, this concept took a new meaning.  As an educator we always want to inspire our students to keep working towards a common goal - graduation, college, career.  But shouldn't we be setting an example that learning doesn't stop once you have landed that dream job.  It should always be a continuing process.  If teachers would model learning and how it never stops, then our students would be more apt to do the same.  Our students hear only a small percentage of what we say, but they see and hear what we do.  I liked how one leader put it, if we will take the time to read 10-15 minutes a day in the area we are interested in, we can learn a great deal of information and maybe how to solve problems through someone else's experience.  Like my colleague and boss states it is always best to, Reduce, Recycle and Reuse - even in education.

Why me?? Why should educational leaders use blogs?

Why blog???  I must admit, this is a question I asked even myself.  Why should I or anyone else blog??  Blogging is part of the 21st Century and as educational leaders, we expect our students to be active learners in the 21st century, therefore we must do the same.  Blogging allows educational leaders to discuss "hot" topics that we all face.  Through blogging other eduational leaders are able to learn and provide feedback.  This open communciation has no boundaries by miles or distance.  It allows open communication for all that have an opinion or desire to learn.  It provides ample opportunity for those that want to stay in the "know."

Wow! Action Research

Research:  (1) A boring way of being told what I am obviously doing wrong by someone who has no idea what it is like to do what I do and then being expected to practice what I learned.  (2)  Sitting for hours reading studies and books on a topic that is foreign to me and then being expected to regurgitate what I read. 

These were the defintions I envisioned when I heard the word, "research."  However, thanks to a new concept called, "Action Research," I have a new opinion and outlook on something I once thought to be a dreary idea.  Action research, also known as administrative inquiry, is the idea that an individual becomes the researcher and solves their own questions through action.  For example, as a teacher we all have issues or problems that we want to solve.  In action research, we, the teacher, take action.  We investigate, question, experiment, interpret data, and discuss our findings.  Now, I know this sounds like a lof of work and who has time for that.  But think of the benefits that one would reap by conducting action research.  I know we promote "student-centered learning" in the classroom.  Well, think of action research as "teacher-centered research."  It is research that enables us to determine the issues we endure and how to better solve them.  To me, the best part of action research is the opportunity to communicate with a community of other professionals.  This open communication allows one to enter the world outside the classroom and learn from others.  It all makes sense, if we expect our students to do it, shouldn't we practice what we preach and become actively engaged in the action of research? 

Action research can be used in a number of ways.  For example, a principal may create leadership teams on his/her campus.  These leadership teams are a small group of faculty and staff that meet to discuss issues and address circumstances facing the campus.   The principal can utilize this time to allow the team time to research the reasons for certain issues (ex.  why are math test scores decreasing) and create a problem solvingn plan based on their findings.  By engaging the leadership team in action research, ensures that not only are the members of the team conducting meetings, but they are also learning.  Action research can be used by a single teacher that is concerned with an issue in their own classroom.  A teacher may decide to research why one of her classes is performing lower than others.  The teacher will analyze all of the circumstances that affect their teaching and student learning.  They will analyze data and design a plan of action.