Action Steps

1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION – The Highland Park World Geography teachers must have a clear, consistent, and shared understanding of the “WOW” framework, design and protocols to implement at the ninth grade level. Leading questions:

How can the “Working on the Work” framework be used to create engagement – centered classrooms?

What is the relationship between previous engagement and “WOW” engagement of staff and that of students?

Through collaboration during our weekly meetings with all geography teachers, the issue of student centered engagement can be reviewed, answered, and analyzed. We will collaborate with one another to encourage colleagues to use the “WOW” framework to examine and provide feedback on new engaging lessons to improve the learning environment.

2. ANALYZING DATA – The geography team will use a variety of data gathering (e.g., tests, benchmarks, quizzes, and performance charts) as well as weekly, monthly, and yearly surveys to the students and teachers. Weekly observation hours can see other teachers on what is working and not working on a certain protocol or design that they are using for that particular section. Afterwards in the collaborative meetings, colleagues can converse on what happened and how they can change the student work.

Why is collaboration with colleagues important in engagement – centered classrooms and student achievement?

3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING – Initial data gathering is likely to lead to additional questions and an effort to dig deeper in understanding how to measure engagement and possible consequences of creating such a student centered classroom or design from the teachers and students. When creating such a student – centered classroom, the student is more geared to ask more questions of connection of units from the past and future. Other questions may come from the other teachers. They may ask questions to engage or further role of the student which seeks the input from them.

Examples: How does technology enhance learning experiences for students and teachers through the protocols of “WOW?”

How can I design learning experiences that will cause more students to engage in their work and learn that which I want them to learn?

With the collaboration with the group in the protocols or designs, observations in the classroom, and data collection, analyzing and examining the class has deeper understanding comes from the engagement of the students and their input as opposed to strategically compliance in the class.

4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION –
Reflective questions may arise that World Geography team must ask themselves to keep this program going?
A) Are the patterns of engagement consistent through the protocols?
B) Is student achievement increasing with deep understanding?
C) Is the content between our colleagues clear, consistent, and shared throughout?
D) Does the “WOW” design engage our students?
E) As a staff and individual, are we focused?
F) Does the design keep the class varied and understood?
G) Is the vision of “WOW” shared by me as an individual?
H) Is “WOW” to in depth and out of place at HPHS?

5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS – With the change at the superintendent and principal position, sharing the same vision throughout the school might be a tougher than just the world geography team. Just between the five members of the team, I see that we are not going to be 100% on board because of change. We have some who don’t mind change and others who are stuck in their ways. Finding time is another programmatic pattern, especially on the observation of classes. I believe watching is the best way for me to learn and explore but it will be tough to find the time. On the student side, we are lucky enough where no matter what type of classroom environment we create; our students will score high on tests and other assessments. This will make it difficult to analyze quantitatively. I am bit worried about the surveys that I want from the students. Many of them won’t take it seriously and others are afraid to answer honestly.

6. DETERMINING DIRECTION –
A. Are you clear on what you are attempting to solve (your research questions)? Yes, the vision is clear and my supervisor is on board with the group implementation.
B. Have you adequately addressed the skills and resources questions? Yes
C. Have you established a collaborative approach to the issue? World Geo. Team of Five
D. Are your timelines realistic? Yes, they fit what we are working on.
E. Do you have a reasonable plan to monitor the project? Observations, surveys, etc.
F. Do you have a reasonable plan for determining the level of success – how do you evaluate if the plan is effective? Tests, assessments, engaging lesson.
G. How will you revise and improve the plan based on monitoring and evaluation? Through collaboration with group.

7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
See part 2 of assignment:

8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT

We are at a time as a group where we can implement and maintain an idea of creating a more student-centered program like “WOW.” The question is about sustaining improvement with this program and how it may change our thoughts on the framework, design, and protocol of “WOW.” We must ensure that all new programs are consistent with and supportive of the beliefs and vision of the school and district to sustain the changes of the classroom and the program.

Week 2 Thoughts

As I read the Dana text and watched the videos, I am trying to figure out my own research topic, but I started to think about another off topic subject that was brought somewhere in the readings. Another part the readings told me the same stuff I heard for many years that we have to stay on same page with district, state, and campus curriculum and with doing that then we can teach our kids. We are supposed to implement all this and fit it in the 45 minutes I have each day with my students. There was a quote in the Dana text that what stays "constant are the teachers or people", but in my opinion, what regulates us is every one above us. It is still hard no matter how you put it to stay within the guidelines yet keep the scores up to the state par. Our classroom need to be enriched as long as enrichment passes the tests. Even though I am not going to research it, but my question should state, what is more important in the classroom; technology, scores, or actually getting kids ready for life outside school? We have to implement technology to bring the kids in, but does that correlate to student achievement?

Week 1 Part 3 Assignment

Action research is a collaborative activity among colleagues searching for solutions to everyday, real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to improve instruction and increase student achievement. Through collaborative means, this type of research allows “practitioners” to handle everyday teaching and learning from inside means and not outside. In the traditional research where principals and teachers were “technicians” to action research that creates “knowledge generators,” the identity of school is changing. This type of research creates an environment for the 21st century learner, administrator, and teacher. It involves everyone invested in the vision of the school because everyone is heard and not held back. The everyday environment changes in educational administration, as “leadership teams may be used for consultative purposes, participative decision making, strategic planning, policy development, monitoring and coordinating programs, and maintaining a commitment to collaboration and shared leadership.” (Dana, pg. 21.) Ways to use action research are:

a. Teachers and principals can identify problems inside their own school
b. Encouraged to examine their own work to see what works and doesn’t
c. Work in a collaborative setting
d. Betters their professional development

Steps for action research that helped me understand how it would help me in school;

1. Gather/Organize
2. Identify
3. Generate
4. Decide
5. Implement
6. Evaluate
7. Communicate
8. Learn from experience

Educational Leaders using Blogs

This is an innovative way to let students comment and analyze other classmate’s ideas, suggestions, or products. It also provides a forum to let them speak their minds in teacher organized fashion. It creates an online discussion forum to let them see if they are following directions correctly. It can also be a resource center or to guide others on how to research online. It promotes reading and writing in an outside forum. Basically, it helps them to collaborate on information about school. Another advantage of blogging is to communicate with the parents and community on what your class is doing at any time. The connects the community and the school and keeps everyone on the same page.