Internship Plan Update:

My internship plan is in the process, this is only my third class in the masters program.   We must complete 150 campus-supervised hours, at this point in time during the 10 weeks I have had since getting my plan approved I have completed 40 hours.  I have 8 classes left so about 40 weeks of school to get the 110 more hours to complete this on time I will have to average 3 hours of my internship activities per week.  I have a two conferences coming up, one in January and one in March that will add an extra 15 hours to my internship.  Also planned for this year, I have quite a bit of planning and test development to work on at the district office.
I have completed SBEC domain and competencies:

Competency 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8,

I have also completed the Technology Performance Indicators of:

TF I: A, B

TF II: C, E

TF III: A, B, C,D,

TF IV: A, B, C

TF V: C, D

TFVII: A,

TF VIII: A, B,

Action Research Project Update:

 

My action research questions the effectiveness of the program Accelerated Reader (a computer-based reading management program) at raising student reading proficiency levels when students are actively engaged in the program?  My project is going well, all the classes are reading and have active participants.  I made a video to promote the AR store and all the 6^th grade classes showed the video and the students have began spending their AR points to purchase prizes.

I continue to monitor the access to the computers to take the tests as well as monitoring access to the library to ensure that all students have books to read with them at all times.  I will continue to support the reading in every class, everyday.  I am hoping to show that increased time spent reading will lead to an improved reading comprehension level.  I am not planning to have my project completed before June of this year, it takes a while to show growth in student learning.

My Group Video: 90 seconds EDLD 5363

Week 5 Reflection on Web Conferences

Web Conferences:

My thoughts on web conferences as a tool for learning are mixed.  There is some frustration in hoping that all the technology is going to work correctly and the disappointment in waiting for a conference to start that never does.  This is my second time taking on line courses and the first time was ten years ago.  Ten years ago, there weren't any web conferences and there was a lot of on the job learning through failed attempts but the feedback I got from my instructor was amazing.  This time we have updated the technology but in some ways lost the connection with one another.  With the comfort of working at your own timetable, we have lost that ability to make some deeper connections with others when we fail to all gather at the same time.

I believe that the web conference experience could be greatly increased by making students attend and treating the conference period as if it were a "real" class in which everyone is to act professional.
I do appreciate that web conferences are offered as a way to clarify information and ask questions of both the professor and of one another.  I have actually had the opportunity to get to know a few of my master colleagues through this process and gotten some great hints for how to proceed through with the weekly assignment.

Dates of attendance for web conferences: 11/24/12, 11/26/12, 12/17/12
Recordings 12/10/12, 12./16/12
I also attempted to attend two other conferences but they were somewhat cancelled.
We were never told they were cancelled it just stated that there was no host so therefore there was nothing to attend.

My first group Project

Week 3 Reflection:
According to the reading, "Success is in the Planning" our group is right on target, we are all collaborating very well using for the first time google docs and drop box both are so easy to use.
I do feel a bit overwhlemed with teaming up with people I have never met and they were a premade group from their last class.  Not everyone is contributing equally which is a bit frustrating.  I think when you have a group project in a regular class it is easier to make decisions this time I just felt lucky to have a group.  I am learning from the group though and have learned a lot about collaborating for better or worse.
There are five which is probably too big for this task, three of us are working hard one did a bit and the last has done nothing I dont know what is up with him. 
This is my first group project in this masters program so I am learning as I go.
We will see what happens with my group as the next two weeks go on.

My First Podcast

Mr. Mom 2012 My digital Story

Tried to upload this from school but it did not work, thought I did something wrong but worked great from home must have been some blocker from work.  If they really want us to use technology in the classroom they have to stop putting so many restrictions on it.

Mr. Mom 2012 My digital story

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmnK5KS-iLo

This my digital story about my husband, Greg who has stayed home with our kids for seven years now and the struggles of being a stay at home dad in 2012.

My Action Research Plan

Goal: To Increase Student Reading Proficiency Levels in sixth grade through the use of the Accelerated Reader program. Action Step Person(s) Responsible Timeline: Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation Star Reading Levels Jones Clark Burbridge Ros September (baseline) May (ending level) STAR test Computer Time to test Test Results Weekly Trips to the library for all sixth graders Manny (supervisor) Jones Clark Burbridge Ros Polin Mrs. Mintz (librarian) September thru May Time Access to the library Student record of how often they were visiting the library, # of books checked out for the year Support of reading on a daily basis by all core teachers also all teachers will incorporate the reading of informational texts into their class. Jones Clark Burbridge Ros Polin September thru May Time Books Effort on teachers to consistently remind students of the fact they need to read when they finish early Students will be reading books in all classes. Textbooks will be used in all core classes. Accelerated Reader Print outs to show progress of student reading points/words read Jones Clark Burbridge Ros September thru May Computer Accelerated Reader program Data from Accelerated Reader Library record of the number of books a student checked out throughout the year Mrs. Mintz (librarian) September thru May Computer Library software Data on sixth grade students and the number of texts they checked out Book It Certificates Honor Roll Award Used as a motivational tool to increase student participation in the program * monitoring progress of goals Dr. Raffiee Jones Clark Burbridge Ros Polin Mrs. Mintz Patty (office staff) October thru May 4 Quarter Awards Nov. 6th 10 am Feb. 5th 5 pm April 16th 10 am May 22nd 5 pm Computer Accelerated Reader program Book It Certificates Accelerated Reader Awards for Honor Roll (all four quarters) Data from Accelerated Reader

Reflection of Week 2

Week 2 Reflection of Interviews

In watching the three interviews they all spoke of the importance of being, "data driven."  I know that my district has been data driven for ten years now and luckily the data has been improving over the years with minor dips from year to year.  Mr. Briesco also spoke of the importance of taking the time to research a problem on your campus and you may be the "savior of your campus."  This statement really resonated in me that we are a global community and we have a world of experts and why are we not reaching out more for strategies to increase student and teacher success.  I also found it interesting that Dr. Lewis explained the journey that test data takes from the classroom level to the district level.  I had never really thought that the district doesn't really know what is happening in each teachers room they are focused on grade level or department data more so than each classrooms set of data.  I suppose that because my district is so small I assumed that they were also taking the time to look at individual teachers.  Upon further reflection I do see why that would not be the case and the last person looking at classroom/teacher data would be the administration. 

Summary of Action Research

Why use Action Research:

Action research allows an educator to reflect on their own practice and make positive change through collaboration and data.  Unlike traditional research action research adds the personal touch.  It allows you the opportunity to reflect on your current practices and work towards a deeper understanding of a personal obstacle of student success.  Action research is a continual process of inquiry that will lead you down a path to ask deeper questions of what the root of the problem may be.  With action research the results that are produced may never be duplicated again because they were unique to that school climate and time frame.

 

My Plan for Action Research:

I plan on using action research to look deeply at; How to increase student reading proficiencies? 

 

My middle school has been in program improvement for ten years now.  When I started at this site we had an API score of 525 and now we have a 743.  My principal would really like for us achieve the level of an 800 API score.  Our leadership team has decided that in order for us to get to 800; our students must become better readers.  In my class currently 95% of the students are not reading at grade level.  For our scores to improve we have to make reading and comprehension a priority.  For my action research plan I am considering; how to increase student reading proficiencies?  The sub wandering being:

• What is the relationship between higher test scores and student reading levels?
• How can we have students reading in each subject?
• How to allow students greater access to the library?
• How to allow more opportunities for students to test in accelerated reader?
• How can we improve student academic vocabulary?
   

How education leaders might use blogs...

• Educational leaders might use blogs to communicate with our global community about core standards and practices that are working in the classroom. 

• To share common struggles and strategies they have tried to combat such set backs.

•   Leaders may also use blogs to learn how to integrate technology into their lessons. 

• Educational leaders may also use blogs to stay up to date on policy changes and state laws.  Through the use of blogs a leader will have increased their coworkers by millions. 

• Administrators could use blogs to showcase exemplerary lessons.

• To increase parental involvement and highlight outstanding work by different grade levels, especially as our evidence becomes digital.