Action Research Questions

The action research will be addressed by a main inquiry and smaller, more specific sub-inquiries.  The primary wondering is:   What is the effectiveness of brain-compatible strategies to learning?  The sub-topics are more in depth.  They are as follows:   How are the brain-compatible strategies effective in increasing student engagement in the learning environment?  How are the brain-compatible strategies effective in increasing instructional time in the classroom?  How are the brain-compatible strategies effective in reducing off-task behavior? 

On My Way!

I am excited and feel ready to start my action research plan.  I've begun taking baby steps.  I've spoken to a group of colleagues that have agreed to participate as my focus group for the action research project.  Not only will they help me accomplish my tasks, they will also learn about something that interests them along the way.  I am very thankful that they have stepped up to the plate and hope that this will be a positive experience for them as well as for me.  I plan to facilitate all skills and resources that they will need so they feel supported and guided.  I will take them step by step towards the implementation process, but before that, I have to provide them the knowledge of the strategies they will implement.  I already purchased Marcia Tate's  book Shouting Won't Grow Dendrites, where I plan to extrapolate the strategies that will be used.  I will also actively search and analyze additional sources as to not base my entire research of literature review on one resource.  I will begin reading Marcia Tate's book asap to discover the brain-compatible strategies.

Process for creating the Plan

It feels satisfying to have completed my Week 3 assignment for EDLD 5301 Research.  I had to think and write and edit and revise, then think and write again, until I was able to create an action research plan that fullfilled my own expectations.  All the parts of the assignment helped me create a clear picture about the direction I want my action research to take.  Much of what I wrote was repetitive but that forced me to make sure not to contradict myself. 

Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: Incorporating Brain-Compatible Strategies in the Classroom to improve student comprehension and knowledge retention as well as reduce behavior problems.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.Meet with content area teachers to discuss basics of action research	Focus Group: Hazel Valverde M. Placencio N. Esparza         R. Rodriguez        D. Caldera	1 day	Time after school	Teachers agreed to participate in the action research Project
2. Literature Review	Hazel Valverde	4 weeks	Research materials such as books, journals, articles, and blogs	Review material extensively to learn about and document on brain-compatible strategies
3. Teacher self-reflection	Focus group teachers	1 day	Self-reflection survey	Teachers reflect on their teaching style to find areas of need
4. Meet with teachers to discuss action research goals	Focus group teachers	1 day	Time after school	Understand teachers’ needs with classroom management and engagement techniques
5.  Present brain-compatible strategies to focus group educators	Hazel Valverde Focus group teachers	1 day	Presentation source such as hand-outs, powerpoint Time after school	Teachers fully comprehend strategies to be implemented and ask questions if clarification is needed
6.  Practice strategies to learn and understand	Focus group teachers	3 weeks	Brain-compatible learning strategies, classroom instr. time, continuous support and guidance	Teachers review and practice strategies to learn and gain confidence about strategies.
7.  Implement and document on brain-compatible strategies	Focus group teachers	1 school semester	Brain-compatible strategies, classroom instructional time, means for documentation such as a teacher journal, blogs, etc…	Teacher field notes, discussions, interviews
8.  Analyze the effectiveness of the brain-compatible strategies and generate a report	Hazel Valverde	4 weeks	all documented qualitative and quantitative data gathered throughout the action research project	Results are compiled and evaluated to show if student performance increased and misbehavior decreased
9.  Disseminate and Post action research plan/project report in Google site and Hazel Valverde’s Action Research Documentation Blog, email to Marcia Tate	Hazel Valverde	1 day	Action Research Plan, Action Research Process, Google Site, Weblog, email	The plan and project are displayed and accessible to be viewed and analyzed by others
10.  Present findings to administration for possible adoption by entire staff if results are positive and useful to student learning	Hazel Valverde Socorro Middle School Administration	1 day	Action research project, Meeting time with administration	Admin finds results from the Action Research Project useful to improve campus needs and implements strategies campus wide

What's so special about action research?

This week I learned about the importance of action research for both personal and professional growth.  It was a little overwhelming to learn about the plethora of possible topics in the education field but at the same time insightful that whatever passion I have, there is something I can focus on and dig deeper to understand.  It's odd because action research is very personal because you experience the process personally, while also being universal because you gather data from a variety of sources and your findings can be used openly by all. 

STUDENT MOTIVATION oh my!

I am planning my action research on student motivation but I am faced with a dilema!  Where do I start?  There is a plethora of areas in student motivation that I can focus on.  I am particularly interested in motivating students in the classroom so it becomes more productive and proactive.  I think I narrowed it down but am still working in the final touches.  As soon as I am clear with the direction of my research, I will post it and will be eager to learn what you think.

How can education leaders use blogs?

Education leaders can use blogs in a variety of ways.  For instance, when conducting an action research, they can periodically post their progress and findings and allow for others to provide their input and offer additional suggestions.  As the saying goes, two heads are better than one.  They can also learn from visiting other education leaders’ blogs and learning about their particular situations.  Through reflection, they may be able to use what has worked for others in their own contexts.  It is about sharing experiences to learn from each other because nobody has all the answers and education leaders are constantly faced with unique and challenging situations where blogs can be beneficial.

What is Action Research and how will I use it?

Action research in the education setting is a process used to assess areas of need and acquire and reflect on knowledge.  Anybody can conduct action research to improve students’ education, from superintendents, principals, to classroom teachers.   The bottom line is that it requires cooperative learning and cooperation, therefore, involving all stakeholders.  Action research is a valuable tool used to focus inquiry and efforts on a specific topic.  It is a systematic way of thinking that results in revelations about what is working and what needs to be changed and how.  Action research is a cycle of learning.  First the researcher analyzes which situation or area of their educational environment they wish to further study.  They develop an open-ended question with which to focus on their action research and begin to create a plan of action with which to improve the status of the issue at hand.  The data of results is continuously assessed to observe patterns and modify as needed to reach the desired goals.  Action research is much different from traditional education research because as I previously stated, it involves stakeholders and is focused on the particular campus and/or district’s needs and is not a one-size-fits-all.  Action research is tailored to what the researcher wants to focus on based on their needs so it becomes much more interactive, meaningful, and purposeful.  As an aspiring administrator, I have a gallimaufry of questions, doubts, and curiosities about the profession that I can respond through action research.  I want to obtain my degree in Education Administration having cleared all my major inquiries to be ready to address all the new knowledge, skills, and challenges that I will face in the real world of education administration.  Action research will help me address the issues I want to know more about and how to handle them if I am confronted by them in the future.   For instance, to me, student and teacher motivation are a crucial factor to improve student achievement.  I plan to conduct an action research plan based on student motivation to address, evaluate, and reflect on what motivates students to desire and work towards success.  This action research will help me to develop my next action research plan which would be based on teacher motivation.