EDLD5363 Video

We had to created a video of a defining moment in our life. We adopted a little girl at the age of 3. That was 5 years ago. She was born with some physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. We found out about the Lions Camp for children with disabilities and decided to go for it. It was an amazing opportunity and my video is about our journey. I hope you enjoy it.

ELDL5301 Course Reflection

     The second course of the technology master’s program was Action Research. This has proven to be a very beneficial class for me. The course instructor included three insightful interviews of Lamar Alumni that has proven success with action research. It was great to see the research from a standpoint of someone who has experience with it. Sometimes it’s hard to visualize an idea without firsthand knowledge of it. The three men shared very different aspects of the research project. Tim Chargois does research at the district level, while the others are participating in research for the campus level. It opens your eyes at the possibilities out there.

     Meeting with my mentor to agree on a topic and revise plan proved to be a difficult task. She is the school counselor and her duties include TAKS. The weeks we needed to meet were in the middle of the TAKS season. We ended up meeting via email and in the hall. She was able to guide me as much as possible, but the timing was just bad. It all worked out in the end and we feel my topic is well thought out and will be beneficial to our school.

     The web conferences started off great and then chaos set in. As a technology guru, I wished I could have done something more to help. I need to learn more about that system, so that maybe in the future I can be of some value. The information was great and Dr. Jenkins did his best to keep us engaged and actively participating. The conferences were full of good information, both course-wise and teaching-wise. I was grateful to be able to attend the meetings and look forward to the last one tomorrow.

     The textbooks selected were perfect for the course. I purchased a hard copy of the Harris book, and a digital copy on my IPAD of the Dana text. I was glad to see the digital version of the DANA text, less bulk to tote around. The texts were full of great information and I enjoyed reading them for the most part. Like most texts, some parts were tougher to hold my attention than others. Basically they helped me accomplish what I need, so they served their purpose. I foresee hanging on to those two texts for future references.

     The courseware was pretty straight forward, one assignment each week and the discussions. I enjoyed participating in the discussions. Everyone seems to give thought to his or her responses and I appreciate that. I really enjoyed looking back to the first week to see how far we have come in just five short weeks. That is kind of amazing. I didn’t think it had been that long, then looking back it seems like so long ago I typed the first discussion prompt. Everyone seems to have grown and the discussions were a way to get great feedback.

     Overall the course was well laid out and I enjoyed it. I worked very hard in this course and I hope my efforts show through my research in the end. There was a ton of information to learn very quickly, but it was set up nicely in that it was easy to handle. The professor did a great job, as did the IA in relaying all the information and answering questions. Thanks for a great course.

My Action Research Plan

ACTION RESEARCH PLAN

Cherie Stanley

EDLD 5301

ET8031

GOAL: The goal of my action research will be to determine why the teachers on my campus are not utilizing the technology available to them and find ways to encourage them to use the technology more often and more efficiently.

Action Steps	Persons Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Resources	Evaluation
1. Meet with site mentor and discuss topics of interest for research.	Cherie Stanley Linda Applewhite	April 2001 – April 2011	Conference with site mentor	Various topics were discussed and agreed upon
1.1  Select a topic.	Cherie Stanley Linda Applewhite	April 2011 – April 2011	Conference with site mentor	We selected the best possible topic for the school and my degree plan.
2. Locate and analyze the campus star chart. 2.1 Decide on which teachers to include in the surveys based on the star chart findings.	Cherie Stanley Linda Applewhite	April 2011	Conference with site mentor	We discussed including all teachers (providing they are willing to help) since our school is so small.
3.  Create surveys to admin- ister to teachers about why they do not use the given technology and what would encourage them to use technology more often. 3.1 Survey a random selection  of students to find out if they  feel actively engaged in class and if they feel that technology is being used at an optimal level	Cherie Stanley	May 2011-June 2011	Survey Monkey and printed question-naires Teachers and students	Survey results when all surveys are completed.
4. Conduct outside research to gather more data 4.1 Reflect on the information I have gathered and decide what information is missing.	Cherie Stanley	June 2011 – August 2011	*Internet *Facebook *bzz agent *journals articles	Collect and analyze data from outside sources to help my research findings
5. Interview/observe at least one teacher per grade level on their technology use and at least 2 program teachers. 5.1 Decide if there are problems that are causing the lack of use. For example, internet drops in a bad place, broken equipment.	Cherie Stanley Teachers	Aug. 2011 – Sept. 2011	Conferences and observations with teachers	Collect data and match what I had found through the surveys
6. Create a staff development based on the survey findings of the highest needed area.	Cherie Stanley	Sept. 2011-Dec. 2011	Internet Powerpoint Smartboard	Have teachers evaluate my professional development activity to determine it’s effectiveness
7. Observe to see if the teachers are trying to implement what we went over in the professional development	Cherie Stanley Random Teachers	Sept. 2011 – Dec. 2011	Surveys, obersevations, and questionnaires	Collect data to see if there are any changes in the use of technology
8. Compile and analyze all data. Share the findings with the principal, mentor and possibly campus staff.	Cherie Stanley Random Students	Dec. 2011 – Feb. 2012	Research, All surveys, interviews, observations, and notes	Final evaluation of my work.

Action Research week 2 reflection

This week gave me insight into some really great action research topics. I was able to view several interviews of scholars and they had some interesting topics to discuss. I also was able to indulge in the textbook and research nine different areas to which I was able to search out topics in each area. It was an eye opener as to the amount of things that can be researched and repaired on a campus with just beginning that initial step. Once you dedicate yourself to the plan the rest appears to follow.

How can Educational Leaders Use Blogs

     Blogs can be a great tool for leaders in the educational setting. The can communicate with their staff through a blog, although they might consider making it a private blog for registered users only. Instead of email they can blog staff notices, this way all notices are easily obtainable at a later date in one place. School leaders can also create a parent blog for information about school happenings or important notes. Again, only registered users should be able to see this information. The superintendent might also want to create a blog to communicate with staff or parents. It can be a very efficient means of communication in the school setting. Administrators can post lunch menus, faculty meeting agendas, bus duties, or whatever needs to be conveyed to the staff. 

What have I learned about Action Research?

  

     Through reading the suggested class readings I have absorbed quite a bit of information on action research. First of all, it is an on-going professional development designed to improve in areas that individuals see fit. It can be tailored to the need of the researcher. Usually the principal is the lead inquirer when deciding what needs to be researched and carried out. Once a topic of inquiry is decided upon the principal will created a plan of action; the end result being a change for the greater good of the school. Traditional research usually ends with knowledge gained from others’ expertise, but the action research plan builds upon the knowledge of the researcher. The principal can incorporate the staff in the research process, or choose a inquiry and act on it alone. The principal becomes the lead learner (Dana, 2009) through this process. Action research is an efficient and effective means of gaining knowledge and implementing change on a campus. Sitting in a workshop does not usually give you the means to easily implement what you have heard nor the encouragement to do so. Through action research you can rely on those around you to keep you motivated and vice versa. Your team members can be your office staff, your teachers, your superintendent, your district principals, or you can network with principals in the area schools. However a principal chooses to go about the plan he/she will always follows the steps involved. First inquiry on a specific topic in need of change, create a plan of action, and follow that through. In the end it will lead up to the next inquiry topic, therefore it in an on-going process to help students gain the most out of their school experience. As an educator and possibly an administrator I will be able to use action research to problem solve with in the school. I will be able to fine areas that need improving, gain the knowledge needed to repair any issues and implement the changes needed. I will be able to help the students succeed with everyone in the school working for the common good, and action research will be at the root source of all the greatness.

                                                      

                                                            REFERENCE

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action

Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA : Corwin Press.

EDLD Course Reflection

      EDLD 5306 Concepts of technology was my first graduate school course. I envisioned it to be a rigorous learning experience. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I had prepared to dive in to technology and fine-tune my skills. We indeed did just that. We dove in head-first and I learned about more aspects of technology than I had ever dreamed. It was a fast paced but very thorough course. The course was laid out in a very detailed manor to allow us to efficiently transition from activity to activity. Through all of the web 2.0 skills that we were exposed to I was able to really get my skills into shape. The WORDLE was a great editing tool, the blog was a great way to learn new forms of communication, and the video was a valuable asset to my skills as well. That being said, the outcome of this course was in perfect sync with my expectations.

     I think I am at a mid-level of knowledge of the activities in the class, and with constant integration in my classroom those skill levels will increase. As I teach pre-k, it is hard to incorporate all that I learned, but through my internship I will be teaching the staff and faculty in my school to utilize the various web 2.0 tools etc. I have collaborated with several teachers already to plan how we will approach integrating more technology into their rooms. Web 2.0 tools have been the main interest to the teachers so far. The special education teacher was the most excited as she is always searching for new ways to motivate the unmotivated. My building principal is all in favor of implementing the new ideas that I have and is anxious to begin seeing results.

      I was able to achieve everything I set out to accomplish for the most part. The one thing that I had a difficult time with was the APA format for writing. I have not been a writer in years and really need to work on that. I have had several blogs and I enjoy carrying a “funny” tone in them. It is hard for me not to include that in my writings, even the assessments. It is my nature to crack jokes during a serious and stressful time. I am working hard at not doing so for these assignments. The technology of this course I feel like I can handle. The scholarly writing will be something that I work on throughout my program. Mrs. Borel gave me many greats suggestions. I plan on working with those suggestions to move forward.

      I felt very successful in carryout the course assignments. They each seemed very daunting at first glance. After taking each assignment apart into smaller sections I was able to breathe and complete each task. I learned very quickly that the key to success was to begin early and plan ahead. I could not have been able to complete the assignments had I waited for the weekend to roll around. The only part of the assignments that discouraged me was the volume. It seemed like a lot at first. But as I stated before I took it slow and it was much less daunting.

      Throughout the five weeks of this course I learned that I have more organizational skills that I had thought. I realized early on that organization was going to be a major factor in the success for the course. I also learned that I am on target with my work, and I possess good leadership qualities. Several of my classmates came to me for guidance, so I am guessing I appeared approachable and helpful. I always feel like people do not take me very seriously, so it was a huge boost to be contacted with questions. I truly hope that I was able to lead them in the right direction. I have become very good friends with one of my classmates and I treasure her friendship. She has been a sense of security in the moments when I didn’t think I could handle to course load. Overall the course was a huge benefit to me and I truly enjoyed being a part of it. I look forward to my next journey!