EDLD 5301 Course Reflection

In course 5301, I learned a great deal about how leaders solve problems and implement change. School leaders are looked at to be the experts in their school; therefore, it is critical they make quality decisions that enhance the entire district. Making quality decisions and developing expertise is a process that takes time to mature but never stops. Inquiry and reflection are measures that leaders can take to continually hone their skills and learn from experiences so they can adapt to change and grow as things evolve.

What is action research or administrative inquiry? It is an in-depth process of examining one’s own actions to identify and solve problems through inquiry. It is the main tool that is used with principals which allows them to “untangle the complexity of their work as administrators and bring the focus of their work back into their leadership in teaching and learning” (Dana, 2009). Traditionally, research was solely based on the findings of “outside” experts whereby practitioners lecture to students based on the external data and research of others, also known as “process-product research” (Dana, 2009). The traditional “process-product” research has evolved over time whereby data is pulled from systematic and qualitative studies that address current issues in the classroom and across the community but still by outside experts. Both of these paradigms have procured respected acumens in the educational world but still lack one important perspective; the perspective of the actual teachers and administrators. Action research is the most effective research strategy that encompasses the administrators and teachers as the data producers, instead of outside researchers. The concept is rooted in the fact that if the practitioners are doing the data analysis and inquiry, they are more prone to actively engage in improvements and changes based on this data.

After learning the grave importance of action research and inquiry, researching some impending issues that exist with regards to E-Rate, and through discussions with my site mentor, I drafted my action research plan. My action research question is this:

In what ways can ESC Region 12 develop methods for E-Rate applicants, namely school districts, to increase student and family participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) applications? Participation in NSLP applications is deficient in junior high and high school students and if we can increase the participation among these students, the data will prove more accurate and can potentially improve the discount the district receives from the federal E-Rate program.

In order to effectively implement change and sustain improvement, the action research plan must go through certain processes to verify effectiveness and determine if modifications are necessary. Force field analysis is a way of analyzing the driving forces for the change and the resisting forces against the change to make sure there is a viable solution for the change. The Delphi Method is another method used to sustain improvement in schools. It is done by way of a collective participation in questionnaires or surveys whereby the facilitator summarizes the results of the first round of questions to the participants and the reason those answers were given. The Nominal Group Technique is similar to the Delphi Method in that it generally leads a group to consensus through a series of activities. These processes help to identify any weaknesses in the plan, modifications necessary, the validity of the issue, the obstacles that may cause problems in the future, and many other insights into the outcome of the research plan.

I was not aware to the extent of these methods that existed for action research and I think they will all prove effective in different situations. I intend to utilize many of these methods that were studied in this course to allow me to continue to work through my action research plans and sustain improvement over time. Thank you for this valuable insight into action research and I look forward to making an impact.

Reference List
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Martin, G.E., Wright, W.F., Danzig, A.B., Flanary, R.A., & Brown, F. (2005). School Leader Internship (2nd Edition). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Draft Action Research Plan on increasing participation in the National School Lunch Program

Action Research Draft

Data Driven Decision Making

Dr. Kirk Lewis of Pasadena ISD speaks to the Gates Foundation grant his district received that is a research based grant to support richer curriculum and instruction delivery that enables students to graduate on time. An action plan from this interview would be to implement professional development classes that focus on research and how to disaggregate data in order to quantify effective processes and procedures. He mentions that some teachers in his district may not have strong research skills but they know how to analyze data because they train re-train on the usefulness of data and research. It is critical that teachers be able to quantify what issues they are having in their classroom with the use of data. There are a myriad of resources that can be helpful in identifying student behavior problems, for example, which can help a teacher overcome a classroom struggle. Dr. Lewis says it is particularly important for educators to analyze data from other scholars and “pull it apart” and translate it into their particular district needs and environment. Another aspect of data and research training is to impart the importance of making the research topic a practical, relative topic. By using practical action research, you increase your personal interest, you enhance your opportunity or success, and you impact the students more effectively because it is something chosen by you for your particular need and environment.

Blogging- A powerful educational tool- EDLD 5301

Some of you may be asking, what is the big deal about blogging? Blogging is a powerful tool that is used among educators and administrators to post professional thoughts, questions, and experiences for others to reflect on and respond. Educational leaders use blogs in many ways to share ideas and collaborate on subject. It is also a way to reflect on personal experiences and allow others to provide feedback on similar situations. It is a learning mechanism and has been referred to as a “professional learning hub” (Dana, 2009). Blogging can enhance action research and inquiry by challenging ideas from others to elicit multiple perspectives and provide insight.

Reference List
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Action Research Analysis- EDLD 5301

So much has been learned and appreciated on the subject of action research and inquiry. Administrator inquiry allows administrators to “untangle the complexity of their work as administrators and bring the focus of their work back into their leadership in teaching and learning” (Dana, 2009). Administrator inquiry is exactly what the name reveals; it is a process of examining one’s own actions to identify and solve problems through inquiry. Dana defines this process as one that elicits change and behavior modifications by reflecting and analyzing the findings of this dynamic inquiry process (Dana, 2009). It is a very powerful and dynamic tool that helps leaders and teachers improve student learning through inquiry by developing and refining teaching skills in learner-centered environments. The benefits to action research are paramount and enhance student performance by allowing leaders and teachers to better refine excellence in the teaching and learning process.

I think action research and inquiry will greatly benefit me in my master’s degree venture in many ways. I feel that learning from those around you and getting valuable feedback helps to identify strengths and weaknesses, which is necessary for growth and learning. I also intend to make an impact in my action research plan to improve student NSLP surveys in order to increase E-Rate discount levels for Texas applicants. Only through refined and thorough action planning will I be able to accomplish this task. I look forward to the challenge and hope I can elicit others to share in this mission.

Reference List
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

EDLD 5306 Course Reflection

My expectations for course 5306 were miniscule in terms of the actual outcome. This being the first course of my Master’s program, I was slightly unsure of what to expect to be perfectly honest. I thought I would learn the basic concepts of Educational Technology (as the title of the class indicates) and how those concepts coincide with administration and leadership view of Educational Technology. Turns out, I learned so much more than just the technologies and how they are used but also the purposes and reasons behind their use. This area of study is increasingly more compelling to me the more I learn and understand all the dynamics involved. Knowing that 21st Century learners need a digitally enhanced environment to learn means teachers and administrators must learn to facilitate classrooms that enable using such tools. The foundation of this educational landscape reaches far into the planning, implementation, and curriculum and it is imperative that educators and their leaders understand all the aspects of it from standards and proficiencies to ethical and social behaviors.

The learning attained from course 5306 is most definitely applicable to my current role at ESC Region 12. Since I work with the federal E-Rate program which provides funding specifically for educational technology, it is essential that I understand its uses, applications, and all aspects thoroughly. Technology planning and STaR Charts tie directly into E-Rate because you must have a clear vision for district technology and the teachers must know how to use it in order to enable successful implementation. Although I understand concepts surrounding the Children’s Internet Protection Act with regards to E-Rate, I learned several key concepts about online safety and the legal and ethical issues surrounding it. There were several key takeaways regarding intellectual property that is helping in a current district issue with a contractor. Understanding intellectual property and how to protect the work of the district is something that was lacking and is being put to great use.

I was successful in carrying out my course assignments because I committed my evenings and weekends to coursework. The weekly to-do lists and rubric made it very clear what tasks needed to be accomplished and when. The work load was abundant but manageable. The key to completing all tasks by week’s end was to not get behind and make sure you worked steady throughout the week, as Professor Borel recommended in the week 1 web conference. I also really enjoy the fact that we are utilizing many free online applications that I was not aware were available and the fact that you can learn so much about your colleagues by going to their blogs and wikis. Seeing the respectable work of my colleagues also helped motivate me and keep the momentum going during late nights of studying. The readings provided by the online library are great resources and I like that there are options of the pedagogical content in which you want to engage.

I think I learned a lot about myself and my technology and leadership skills during course 5306. First of all, I needed a primer in the dynamics of educators and leaders as I am not an educator. I am a unique student in this course as I am not an educator but rather work in education as an E-Rate consultant for ESC Region 12. Given this background, it was quite informative learning about the teaching, learning, and curriculum side as well as procedures, policies, and planning regarding technology environments. There is a vast amount of work done by educators and administrators on state and federal policies and procedures that are placed on top of the already hectic schedules. This tells me that education is a noble career and that there will always be room for improvement in procedures and policies because one or two of those balls in the air are bound to get dropped. I am extremely proud to be part of education and know the road ahead will be bumpy but completely rewarding. Many of those rewards will come to light when we see the gap between the “digital natives” and the “digital immigrants” bridged and the vision of the state and national technology plans come to fruition.

Reference List
Prensky, M. (2006). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

E-Rate & Technology Plan presentation

E-Rate and technology plans are interconnected processes. The following presentation was created to train personnel on E-Rate and the district technology plan for WISD.

E-rate & Technology Plan Presentation

View more presentations from ginnieharwood

National Educational Technology Plan

On November 9, 2010 the U.S. Department of Education released a National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology.  The technology plan, under the Administration of Obama, is driven by two main goals: increasing the percentage of college graduates from what it is today (41%) so that 60% of the population has a two-year or four-year degree by 2020 and to refine K-12 achievement so that high school graduates are ready to succeed in college and careers.  It is known that technology is the foundation of everything we do today so it must be a core value for education. 

NETP presents a model of learning based on five criteria: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. Learning must engage and empower students to collaborate, utilize resources, problem solve, and exercise real-life experiences in the classroom and the use of technology is key to this goal.  Technology-based assessments should be implemented to gather relevant assessment data, accurately analyze it, and apply continuous improvement.  These assessments could be interconnected allowing feedback from students, teachers, administrations, parents, and other relevant stakeholders.  Teachers are a critical component of educational transformation so it is important to make sure join together in the vision of the 21^st Century education.  Connecting educators will enable collaboration and continuity of professional development which will prove to be a more effective use of resources and allow more opportunities.  In order to facilitate technology-based learning, there must be a robust infrastructure in place that offers anytime, anywhere connectivity.  This infrastructure would not only support access to information but to people and online learning communities to enhance real-world learning and problem solving skills.  Another goal of NETP is to increase productivity by redesigning and transforming the educational landscape.  The business world and other sectors have integrated new practices to increase productivity and decrease cost and it’s imperative that education adopt some of the same practices.  This will require rethinking basic assumptions that may hinder the need to integrate technology into learning.

Ultimately, these changes should be internally driven from within each state and local district. The Department of Education will play a large role in facilitating these goals and objectives down to each state to boost this transformation. 

  

District Technology Plan

In assessing the 2011-2012 approved technology plan for my district, it was identified in teacher and campus STaR Charts that professional development is the key area of focus for improvement.  It is clearly notated that teachers have a dire need for training on and use of digital tools in the classroom.  There are several strategies outlined in the technoloyg plan to support the goal of Professional Development on integrating technology into teaching and learning, instructional management, and administration.  Professional development opportunities include multi-level technology staff development programs, based on SBEC standards and Technology Application TEKS, that promotes integration of technology into curriculum and training on the use of technology based student projects as an assessment of student learning.  Along with Professional Development is the need for infrastructure and connectivity resources to enable technology integration.  The district is taking strides to implement and upgrade the local area network and wide area networks infrastructure as well as bandwidth adequacy to support the use of technology.

The district has identified the financial resources necessary and available to implement these aforementioned objectives.  Staff development will be funded locally while infrastructure upgrades and connectivity will be funded through local funds (12%) and federal funds, E-Rate (88%).

Frequent asssessment of this objective will be done by performing data walks to focus on the use and integration of technology in the classroom, on-site inspections, equipment repair history logs, physical inventories, utilization reports, and faculty and staff input.  It is important to note that collaborative efforts with other districts as well as business experts aided in providing input for improvements in technology integration.  The district peforms employee surveys to assess staff feedback during training and course of implementation which identifies continuous improvment opportunities for the technology plan committee.  The evaluations will be performed annually at a minimum.

Technology Assessments

I think it is important and extremely valuable for stakeholders to have access to educators' technology leadership knowledge and skills because they are involved in the success and outcome of student achievement.  If stakeholders understand the mission and vision of today's educational system and the importance of technology, this creates a positive and ubiquitous mentality and "buy-in" from the community to support this initiative and less push-back in the long run.  If the community is more informed of the education they are supporting as taxpayers and voting constituents, they are more inclined to support and encourage this movement.  All community members are stakeholders whether they believe it or not!  If they have children, they are stakeholders.  If they have a job, they are stakeholders.  If they vote, they are stakeholders.... and so on.  Therefore, they should play a vital role in keeping up with educational trends and reform and voicing their opinions.  Technology literacy is critical to our future and this is exactly what 21st Century learning entails.  The more invested stakeholders become, the more resources there will be for the 21st Century learning environment including facilities, available technology, and professional development opportunities. 
Along with this level of community involvement comes pros and cons.  A pro would obviously be that stakeholders know where their money is going and know it is being used wisely and successfully.   The other side of this is of course that they realize the effectiveness of technology is not at the target level defined in the plan and this can be discouraging.  Frequent blogging from educators and students can limit the feeling of discouragement if the level of technology achievement can be explained and rectified by a certain timeline.  Posting ongoing data analysis and trends to report to the community will keep them updated and optimistic.  This not only gives stakeholders something to look forward to, but also creates accountability for students, educators, and leadership to meet these standards.

Week 2 Web Conference

I attended the Week 2 Web conference and Professor Borel described all the requirements of the Educational Technology Master's Degree.  There is a lot of ground to cover in only 18 months and the coursework seems rather aggressive but this is the investment in which I committed my evenings and weekends.  That said, I will do everything I can to keep up with everything and "do not get behind" as Prof. Borel recommended.  She discussed the internship for the program as well.  My video conference was breaking up quite a bit so I need to keep up with all the requirements on the Ed Tech Cohort 22 web page, which is where the syllabus and internship description can be found. 

Another thing that was discussed during the video conference was the creation of our blog this week.  I thinking blogging is great and allows for creativity and sharing.  I have blogged before but only on my family website that I created when my daughter was born in 2009.  It was important for me to keep up with all the milestones during those two years that I would have otherwise forgotten.  I think blogging is a great data and discussion tool.  I'll be anxious to see how it helps me during my master's degree venture.

Week 2

I began my Master's Degree last week in Educational Technology Leadership.  I will say that I'm a little overwhelmed with the amount of work being laid out before me but I am confident I will succeed.  I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way.  If any of my colleagues have some suggestions of how to keep things running smoothly, please share.  I'm excited to be a part of this progressive and powerful group!