Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology

I am a big fan of the National Educational Technology Plan. The plan sets out to achieve the following two overarching goals:
• We will raise the proportion of college graduates from where it now stands [39%] so that 60% of our population holds a 2-year or 4-year degree.
• We will close the achievement gap so that all students – regardless of race, income, or neighborhood – graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers.
The plan calls for the utilization of technology as a means to achieve such ambitious goals. The plan also acknowledges states the urgency of transforming and redesigning the current education system. I really loves that this plan acknowledges the necessity of a “revolutionary transformation rather than evolutionary thinking” as it relates to our current education system and practices. It does not take much time to see that other countries are surpassing us when it comes to technology and education. The goal of the plan seeks to implement state of the art technology in learning to enable, motivate, and inspire students, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. As a part of this, the plan seeks to utilize technology to provide engaging and powerful lessons. In addition the plan also seeks to equip educators by training them to implement new technology and strategies in order to increase student achievement. The plan takes into account that 21st century learners must know how to use the latest technology.
As good as the plan is, I have a couple of concerns. The first concern is our current economic status and while that is out of our control, it does determine the amount of funding available for such initiatives. The government at both the state and federal levels has experienced decreased revenues which in turn will lead to spending cutbacks. The other concern I have is the reality that until we can get parents caught up on technology, their children will always be behind. It is important that the plan focus in on training and equipping parents as well. This plan has a good foundation, and if the dollars are there to fund and support it, it should keep our education system and its product competitive.

Final Thoughts

This class has definitely changed the way I do things. I have always been frustrated with people who complain about things yet never try to come up with solutions. This course has provided me with a new way of thinking and a methodology to go about being a problem solver. As I look around it is obvious to me that great leaders must be great problem solvers. I now understand the importance of being able to problem solve and how to do it. When action research is conducted properly, the results can be greatly beneficial. Based upon my readings from Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher by Nancy Fichtman and Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action by Sandra Harris, I learned that administrative inquiry is the researching, discussing with colleagues, observing, trusting your prior knowledge, before you decide on the actions to be taken to solve a problem.

I benefited greatly throughout the course by learning to look around on our campus and identify potential possibilities for inquiry. I was able to spend good time with my site supervisor picking his brain and gaining great insight into the process of action research. I also benefited greatly from the interviews of both Jonny Briseno and Timothy Chargois in week 2 where they offered action research ideas and suggestions for conducting action research. Their insight brought a real clarity to the process of action research and its real world implications.

Due to the nature of this class it forced me to seek out advice and input from colleagues in addition to online sources. I was able to find a lot of great information by browsing the web and reading various publications. Perhaps one of the greatest tools this class offered me was the discussion forum in which I was able to collect great thoughts and advice about mine and my classmates’ action research projects. The collaboration from my classmates was paramount in my experience. I feel that this class has spurred me on to becoming a junkie about action research. I now look at the troubles and problems all around me in a new light. As opposed to being a complainer I am now equipped to do something about the problems that surround me in and out of school.

References:

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin and American Association of School Administrators

Revised Action Research Plan

This revised plan places more accountability on the part of the teacher now. Teachers will be required to post updated grades visibly in their classroom no later than Wednesday of each week. Assistant principals will look for posted grades as they conduct regular walkthroughs now. The idea is that students don't keep up with their grades and this should help them to do so. Please give me feedback to what you think!

My Action Research Plan

Action Research Ideas

This week I have spent some time thinking about potential research topics. I spent time with my site supervisor discussing problems that exist on our campus and how they . Our timcould be fixed. Our time was well spent and I was able to generate the following 3 research topics feom our conversation.

3 Action Research Ideas:

1. Implementing the use of everyday technology such as the iPod and iPhone into the classroom to decrease student behavior issues and increase student productivity.

2. Developing a process to reduce our campuses growing number of students who are failing classes and having to retake the same class the following year causing there to be unnecessary sections that take away teacher availability that could be used to teach new innovative courses.

3. Developing a plan to effective police our campuses senior off-campus lunch policy in which it is currently easy for underclassmen to leave for lunch as well slipping out with the seniors.

Not Another Blog!

Blogs provide a new and fun way to provide personal news to whoever wishes to see it. In the case of educational leaders it provides a great way to communicate with stakeholders. Educational leaders can use a blog to notify stakeholders about important dates and information. A blog could also bring to light student success stories on campus. It could also be used as a way to convey the mission of the school and to show ways in which the school is moving toward that goal. A blog is a great supplement to a school website and adds a more personal touch.

What in the World is Action Research?

I knew little about what action research was before completing the assigned readings for the week. Upon reading about this research technique I was excited and ready to begin using it. Action research provides an opportunity for members within the school to become problem solvers. It is a systematic approach to identifying and solving problems that deal with the students, teachers, and administrators in your building. Action research, by nature, fosters collaboration among colleagues as they develop into lifelong problem identifiers and solvers. Action research also is intended to lead to action and unlike other research techniques it is cyclical and the process never stops.
Most educators are currently using some form of action research and they don't even know it. The beautiful thing about action research is that it provides a systematic framework that is data driven and intentional in dealing with problems specific to your situation. Traditional research techniques attempt to provide a "one size fits all" which we all know is ineffective due to the unique, specific challenges faced by each school. I am excited to begin using this research method in my career as an educator, but I also see how it will be useful in all areas of my life as become a problem solver.