Schools and library program
View more presentations from GinnyHogg.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Schools and Library Program
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: This is a training presentation explaining E-Rate's program and how to get it started.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Week Three in Action Research
I have determined the final topic for my research project, but I still feel a little uneasy about it. Each time I sit down to do more work, I start thinking of other related projects that would be equally interesting!
I will be conducting my action research at a local elementary. I chose this school out of the fourteen I currently support because there are three first grade teachers and the population is diverse. My research will focus on the first grade students who are below grade level at the beginning of the year, and what supports and strategies we can provide to help them become successful by the end of the year.
I will begin the project by meeting with the teachers and getting their support. We will then look at the beginning of the year assessments to identify the first grade students who are below grade level expectations. We will then meet to determine what specifically each of these students needs, and research strategies to assist them. I will observe the teachers and students as these strategies are implemented, and we will track progress over time. The overall purpose of this research project is to determine what can be done in the early grades to ensure reading success so that we have less intermediate students with reading difficulty.
Creating the timeline for my project was difficult. I felt like the implementation or action of the project was not happening soon enough. While the first grade struggling readers need all the time they can get to improve, I also needed time to gather data, analyze data with the teachers, and research possible solutions with the teachers. Once the project gets underway, I will do what I can to speed things up in the beginning to give the students more time.
I will be conducting my action research at a local elementary. I chose this school out of the fourteen I currently support because there are three first grade teachers and the population is diverse. My research will focus on the first grade students who are below grade level at the beginning of the year, and what supports and strategies we can provide to help them become successful by the end of the year.
I will begin the project by meeting with the teachers and getting their support. We will then look at the beginning of the year assessments to identify the first grade students who are below grade level expectations. We will then meet to determine what specifically each of these students needs, and research strategies to assist them. I will observe the teachers and students as these strategies are implemented, and we will track progress over time. The overall purpose of this research project is to determine what can be done in the early grades to ensure reading success so that we have less intermediate students with reading difficulty.
Creating the timeline for my project was difficult. I felt like the implementation or action of the project was not happening soon enough. While the first grade struggling readers need all the time they can get to improve, I also needed time to gather data, analyze data with the teachers, and research possible solutions with the teachers. Once the project gets underway, I will do what I can to speed things up in the beginning to give the students more time.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Picking a Topic
This week as I read about each of the nine areas of focus, I found myself saying, "Oh, that would be a great thing to research!" If the assignment had asked for ten possible action research ideas I could have done so easily!! I am hoping that by reading all of the projects of students in my class I will be able to share in many of those topics.
I have identified three areas of possible action research:
1. Why are our intervention students remaining in intervention year after year? What is our intervention program lacking?
2. How can we support our second language learners in developing reading skills?
3. How can we assist our struggling readers before they fail?
In discussing the intervention action research with my site supervisor, we decided that although this would be a great topic for research, this is not the appropriate year to do so. We are implementing a new reading adoption, and new intervention program at one-third of our elementaries. This research would be better suited to another year.
We discussed the merits of the research regarding second language learners, and thought it to be an exciting topic. Our district, like many others, is quickly becoming a large melting pot of multiple languages. These students often struggle, especially with vocabulary. As we talked we determined that this action research would involve multiple grade levels, and might be too large in scope.
As we discussed the action research regarding assisting struggling readers before they fail, we talked about how students who move on to second grade without mastering reading in first grade seem to struggle all the way through elementary. We talked at length about the number of students referred for dyslexia testing who may not have received the phonics instruction needed in kindergarten and first grade. As we continued talking we began thinking of books that would aid the research, and the excitement grew.
We agreed that the topic for my action research would be finding out what we can do to assist struggling first and second grade readers before they fail. By narrowing the research to first and second grade, I will be able to focus on the foundation of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.
I have identified three areas of possible action research:
1. Why are our intervention students remaining in intervention year after year? What is our intervention program lacking?
2. How can we support our second language learners in developing reading skills?
3. How can we assist our struggling readers before they fail?
In discussing the intervention action research with my site supervisor, we decided that although this would be a great topic for research, this is not the appropriate year to do so. We are implementing a new reading adoption, and new intervention program at one-third of our elementaries. This research would be better suited to another year.
We discussed the merits of the research regarding second language learners, and thought it to be an exciting topic. Our district, like many others, is quickly becoming a large melting pot of multiple languages. These students often struggle, especially with vocabulary. As we talked we determined that this action research would involve multiple grade levels, and might be too large in scope.
As we discussed the action research regarding assisting struggling readers before they fail, we talked about how students who move on to second grade without mastering reading in first grade seem to struggle all the way through elementary. We talked at length about the number of students referred for dyslexia testing who may not have received the phonics instruction needed in kindergarten and first grade. As we continued talking we began thinking of books that would aid the research, and the excitement grew.
We agreed that the topic for my action research would be finding out what we can do to assist struggling first and second grade readers before they fail. By narrowing the research to first and second grade, I will be able to focus on the foundation of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What is action research to me?
Action research is the systematic study of my practices as an educator. It will allow me as an administrator, to hone my skills in teaching and learning. I will be able to study my practices as an administrator, determine what I need to focus on to improve, collect and analyze data related to my quest for improvement, read relevant literature, and make a plan for implementing and sharing what I have learned.
Administrative action research is different from traditional research in that it is focuses on the administrator's needs in his or her current situation rather than information delivered by outsiders. I have learned much from traditional research, but it does not compare to the learning I acquired as a result of inquiry based learning. When I have been a part of the process of determining what I needed to learn, and researched this for myself, I owned that knowledge in a much deeper way.
I have always been an educational book junkie, buying books in mass at whichever workshop I happen to be attending. Usually my purchases are determined by the topics presented, and how engaging the material appears to be. I have to admit I am excited about changing this approach to align more with the action research I am currently undertaking.
I will be using action research to focus on an issue that has been bothering me for years. We, as reading specialists, tend to get involved with struggling readers only after they are failing. I wonder what we can do in the classroom to catch these students before they fall.
Educational leaders can use blogs to build collaborative teams of learning. They can share information learned, question each other, and raise the level of learning. Blogs can also be diaries of learning over time. They are a way of connecting educators for the improvement of education.
Administrative action research is different from traditional research in that it is focuses on the administrator's needs in his or her current situation rather than information delivered by outsiders. I have learned much from traditional research, but it does not compare to the learning I acquired as a result of inquiry based learning. When I have been a part of the process of determining what I needed to learn, and researched this for myself, I owned that knowledge in a much deeper way.
I have always been an educational book junkie, buying books in mass at whichever workshop I happen to be attending. Usually my purchases are determined by the topics presented, and how engaging the material appears to be. I have to admit I am excited about changing this approach to align more with the action research I am currently undertaking.
I will be using action research to focus on an issue that has been bothering me for years. We, as reading specialists, tend to get involved with struggling readers only after they are failing. I wonder what we can do in the classroom to catch these students before they fall.
Educational leaders can use blogs to build collaborative teams of learning. They can share information learned, question each other, and raise the level of learning. Blogs can also be diaries of learning over time. They are a way of connecting educators for the improvement of education.
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