Revised Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: How will Project Based Learning through an online medium affect the development of new curriculum that meets state technology requirements; enhance critical thinking skills while maintaining subject retention; and reinvigorate, enhance, or transform the traditional classroom environment to be more conducive for student/teacher collaboration?
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Attend Professional Development for Google	Google Trainer Christy Weeks Kristine Brown	Feb. 29, 2012 Mar. 1&2, 2012	Facility Computer Information and experience with Google products	Certification Examination Gaining New knowledge and uses for Google Relevant information for classroom use
Develop Curriculum to include Google programs	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown	Mar. 3, 2012 through Mar. 18, 2012	STAAR Standards for high school U.S. History course as well as technology skill requirements.	Transferability for all tech. skills Transferability for all social studies classes Reflection upon
Implementation of new curriculum into classroom	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown Participating students Participating teachers	Mar. 19, 2012 through Apr. 10, 2012	Laptop computers for students Internet access Google Accounts for students	Reflection and Interviews with participating student Reflection and Interviews with  participating teacher Reflection upon adjustments Reflections upon classroom environment Administrator Walk-Throughs Student assessments in traditional and nontraditional forms
Reflection upon project	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown Participating students Participation teachers	Apr. 11 – 13, 2012	Reflections taken during implementation upon participation, adjustments, and classroom environment Administrator Walk-Through Assessments Student Assessments	Satisfaction of: data sources, consistent timeline, relevant and workable adjustments made, changes in classroom environment Further Research: personal expansion of curriculum, achieved implementation all STAAR requirements, need more data for conclusion,

Reflection for Week3

Though I am on week four, I am writing week three's reflection because week three's progress makes more sense to me now that I am working through week four. In week three I was able to organize my thoughts and get to the specifics about what I would do for my research project. But my notions seemed vague and I found myself repeating information. However, since getting more clarity on the fact that this project will be ongoing and like a living document that must be tended, maintained, and adjusted for; I am actually getting becoming more focused upon what I should do in my project. I know that I am going to develop new curriculum in my classroom using Google, and that I will be gathering all kinds of information along the way, but I have not yet thought through what my goal will be. A colleague suggested that I should add my goal to my action research plan template, and because it was good advice, I am reflecting upon what my goal is exactly and how will I know when I have gotten there? I know that I want to further my student's 21st century skills in technology, and further my classroom to meet technology requirements as designed by the state, but I am still asking myself how will I know when I have reached these goals. Will it be when I have integrated the skills with the subject matter? will it be when I assess the students on the knowledge that they have acquired? will it be when the students fill out a refection paper for me giving their thoughts and opinions about the unit? By asking these questions I am still inquiring, which proves to me that this project is progressing and living as I implement, reflect, and solve.   

Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal:
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Attend Professional Development for Google	Google Trainer Christy Weeks Kristine Brown	Feb. 29, 2012 Mar. 1&2, 2012	Facility Computer Information and experience with Google products	Certification Examination Gaining New knowledge and uses for Google Relevant information for classroom use
Develop Curriculum to include Google programs	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown	Mar. 3, 2012 through Mar. 18, 2012	STAAR Standards for high school U.S. History course as well as technology skill requirements.	Transferability for all tech. skills Transferability for all social studies classes Reflection upon
Implementation of new curriculum into classroom	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown Participating students Participating teachers	Mar. 19, 2012 through Apr. 10, 2012	Laptop computers for students Internet access Google Accounts for students	Reflection and Interviews with participating student Reflection and Interviews with  participating teacher Reflection upon adjustments Reflections upon classroom environment Administrator Walk-Throughs Student assessments in traditional and nontraditional forms
Reflection upon project	Christy Weeks Kristine Brown Participating students Participation teachers	Apr. 11 – 13, 2012	Reflections taken during implementation upon participation, adjustments, and classroom environment Administrator Walk-Through Assessments Student Assessments	Satisfaction of: data sources, consistent timeline, relevant and workable adjustments made, changes in classroom environment Further Research: personal expansion of curriculum, achieved implementation all STAAR requirements, need more data for conclusion,

Choosing a Topic Reflection

I was going to do a project on the change from traditional textbooks to ebooks and the complications of funding, hardware, lack of core curriculum, and adjusting to the needs of my school. But...I was wrong. While I am still interested in gathering information about the change to ebooks, I have decided to focus more upon implementing Google into the classroom. An opportunity has popped up for me to become a certified Google Trainer. While I do not know if this is a big deal, I do know that it is an opportunity that I would love to take. I have been bouncing around the idea of leaving the education world academia and entering the training world of business when I finish this program. I saw Google as a vehicle to be used for both classroom and training. Therefore, I am striking out on a new action research venture. I believe that this will serve both purposes of being a leader and integrating technology. Plus, I can gather information on implement a new type of setting in my classroom which can be applied to business, hopefully.