Sunday, January 27, 2013

Week 2 - Lessons Learned

This week we were asked to watch two interviews with current school leaders who discussed action research projects and some suggestions for conducting action research. After watching and listening to these two scholars I wrote a summary of what I learned.


Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research, Planning and Development in Beaumont ISD
Dr. Chargois discussed the area of effective and ineffective teachers and what teachers are doing that shows their ethical responsibilities toward student achievement. His suggestions for conducting action research were that the students and teachers involved in the research should have their identities protected and that if students are involved in the research, parental consent should be attained first. He also recommended that the research not be presented in a derogatory way or in a way that would injure the school’s reputation. He also encouraged any results of the research and/or project to be presented to the administration first so they could have the last stamp of approval. While watching and listening to Dr. Chargois, I learned that a good place to start with action research is to look at the connections between what the teachers are doing and the students’ academic achievement/performance. The goal should always be related to and benefitting the students. Teachers should also never stop growing and always strive to be action research oriented.

Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent, Pasadena ISD
Dr. Lewis proposed an action research project for something called expectation graduation. This project would focus on helping 9th grade students graduate on time. The way the research would be conducted is by taking a specific look at changing the way teachers deliver instruction and increasing the rigor of the courses. He suggested that when choosing an action research topic that you choose an area the is practical to you and that you can apply to student learning. While watching and listening to Dr. Lewis, I learned that in my action research project, I should be focused on the outcome and I should choose an area that interests me because the students will benefit from the results of research that is practical rather than something that is theoretical. After listening to Dr. Kirk’s advice, I feel reassured that my action research topic is on the right track.

5 comments:

  1. Sounds great! I enjoyed listening to other leaders and how they use action research. I like the idea of starting with the outcome, and planning from there. Good luck!

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  2. Dr. Timothy Chargois seemed to know how to do action research and how to decide whether a product is good for his district! I think one of our fellow classmates is in his district. What a great leader to have in your corner and contact person.

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  3. I, too, enjoyed the videos. I found the gentlemen very informative. The Gates Foundation does really good things with education. I know they focus a lot on charter schools... it was nice to hear about the study in the the public school district; Pasadena ISD.

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  4. I chose the same 2 scholars to report on, and had very similar summaries. I really liked the advice by Dr. Chargois to never stop growing. Good luck with your project!

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  5. I agree with Dr. Lewis' view on finding an action research plan that is practical! I think we will learn a lot more if we focus on something we are interested in.

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