https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q3jrIQRGaAd3KbUD7vAJB-EJ9P8wZAM_cq6uleSwVbM/edit?pli=1

EDLD 5398

It is in the best interest of the current education industry to stay in line with the technology changes of the world. It is very difficult to keep on top of the latest and greatest web tools and other applications; however the devices of 2012 have proven to be much more useful than the previous years. In education, we need to assure that the teachers and all staff members can complete specific tasks on the devices that are state of the art. The students are going to be on the cutting edge with their phones and all of the different programs that are currently being taken advantage of.

It is our responsibility to move forward with the new learner and how to best teach them in the new learning environments of this century. It is important that professional development be utilized and that we expand our knowledge about technology throughout our careers. It is the administration and district level leaders’ job to assure that the staff is motivated and ready to learn.

Places like EBLOGGER, and Google, as well as word documents on Google, are incredibly helpful to the education industry. These different programs make it easier for the staff to communicate with each other. The students can use these applications in high school to assure their full success in a more technological world of college, or post secondary plans. It is in the best interest for each district to stay organized and have a plan on how to implement and teach the uses of these new devices as they are introduced to the public.

Star Chart

SWHS

http://www.slideshare.net/EricaRobinson1/starchartrobinson

Our district's technology

Students in my district are often given the opportunity to use more technology than those who are currently educated in other surrounding districts. Our administration and board have spent a great deal of bond money on new devices. For instance, the district just spent several million dollars to enhance the library and the operating systems inside of it, last year.

Although there are still a lot of places that could use improvement, we also have IPADS in the classroom now for each academic teacher and we have net books which will also help. Students are constantly surrounded by opportunities to learn new decides and help each other advance in the technological world. Teachers have smart (active boards) in their classrooms and also have voting devices.

Students are given ample time in the library before school, after school, and during lunch and can often get a lot of one on one assistance from the library staff on the new devices that have recently arrived there. The students are able to check out cameras during the school hours and use those for personal or other projects too. There are classes offered to parents and students who are currently enrolled on our campus, to learn how to use the new technology that the district offers as well. There is always a meeting at the beginning of the school year to help students better understand how to use the PARENT PORTAL system online and how to check their students grades and progress in each class.

TIMELINE

Date timeline
Year 1 –
Research similar programs and initiatives and Collect data
Consult with other staff members who has implemented similar programs
Meet with administrator to arrange logistics of group meetings
Design criteria for selection of students
Preliminary meeting with students
First interview
Make modifications
Collect data on campus

Year 2-
Implement programs
Collect data
Assess the data and relate to objective/goals
Make modifications

Year 3 –
Make modifications
Collect data

Persons responsible
Assistant Principals (grade level) Jennifer Collier
Intern, Erica Robinson
Counselor, LaWanda Jenkins

Process of monitoring goal and objectives
Test data
Attendance of pep rallies
Number of students involved in extra-curricular activities
Number of students who attend homecoming

Assessment instrument to evaluate effectiveness
Attendance records from year to year – activity to activity
Enrollment in college or technical programs
Student survey

ACTION PLAN

Action Planning Template
Goal: In which ways are incoming freshman students affected/impacted when given a newly designed WELCOME BOOKLET to inform them of events, people, and traditions going on with their classmates on campus? Do interventions, peer support groups and modeling help in this process? What affects do small leadership and mentor groups have on incoming Freshman students?


Action Steps(s):
Person(s) Responsible:
Timeline: Start/End
Needed Resources
Evaluation
Create inquiry for action plan
Erica Robinson, intern
January 2011
Resources from EDLD 5301, observations
Approval from site supervisors
Obtain approval for my action research plan from my site supervisors


Jennifer Collier, Assistant Principal

Lance Stallworth,
Principal
January 2011
Draft of action research plan
Approval from site supervisors
Discuss logistics of group meetings (time, place) and get approval from principals
Jennifer Collier,
Assistant Principal
Jennifer Collier,
Assistant Principal
January 2011
Draft of action research plan, master schedule for


Create criteria for selection of students participating
Erica Robinson, intern and leadership group



Recruit students from a leadership group on campus
(sophomores)
Erica Robinson, intern and the (sophomores) and leadership group



Conduct a preliminary meeting with students to discuss goals and obtain feedback
Erica Robinson, intern

Jennifer Collier,
Assistant Principal



Conduct biweekly group meetings
Erica Robinson, intern



Facilitate creation of “action plans” for group members (sophomores)
leadership group



Facilitate student investigation of helpful information for freshman
leadership group and Erica Robinson, intern



Survey students in group
leadership group and Erica Robinson, intern



Interview students in group
leadership group



Report findings to site supervisors
Erica Robinson, intern

Jennifer Collier,
Assistant Principal



Analyze helpful changes for next year
Erica Robinson, intern and the administration / staff

I am certain of a few factors that contributed to these changes, but am not fully aware of everything that went into making the “high” amounts of school spirit obvious one year and “low” the next. I am curious to know what are the biggest contributing factors leading to such changes. I also need to research how to better prepare the incoming freshman of the traditions that our school follows each year, from activity to activity throughout each sports season.

This study would allow me to see what is helpful for the freshman to know, in order to better prepare them for the activities and events that take place on and off campus. I would conduct the research and then gather the most crucial “what freshmen need to know” information and later compile it into a welcome packet. It will helpful to discover how to improve their knowledge by providing a hand guide to these traditions and events, possibly a calendar, and then plan on delivering the information right when they arrive to campus.

The first step in this process will be to conduct surveys in order to give them a voice. I am excited that this project would do just that. The reading last week really gave me some insight on ways that action research can be viewed as a valuable tool rather than more busy work for the staff that is involved in collecting the data. The sample for this group will be Freshman and Sophomores, and the size of the sample will be approximately 10 sophomores and 10 freshman.
My plan is to present the “what freshmen need to know” information and the finished packet to the administrative team, so that they can possibly use it for the next incoming class of students. This information will benefit teachers, in order to better understand what freshman need help with.

This information will help me to actually gather and collect the information for presentation in the packet. The research will help the freshman, to be better equipped with tools they need to understand the on campus activities and traditions of Spring Woods High School.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, SUGGEST, or WANT TO COMMENT ON?