Improving Education for teachers and students through action research.

What are the benefits of action research?  What experiences do you have conducting research that could help you in this process?  What questions do you have?   

Action research is a topic that has tantalized the inner circle of educators for many years.  Supporters say all it does is cause a lot of extra work and that the information is biased because the researchers work with the subjects and may influence students to supply information to enhance the the educator,  that the data does not help the students due to its biased nature.    What is action research?  A clear answer to the question should resonate well with teaching professionals and critics alike.   According to Richard Sagar, author of Guiding School Improvement with Action Research Action research is succinctly defined as a:

disciplined process of inquiry conducted by and for those taking the action. The primary reason for engaging in action research is to assist the “actor” in improving and/or refining his or her actions.  (www.ascd.org). 

This definition of action research can be considered a boon for educators and a comfort to those members of the community that say that only educators benefit from action research.  Mr. Sagar admits that “the actor” (the teacher), benefits from action research. It follows that if teachers refine their actions through this “inquiry process,” then students will improve, as well.  Other benefits include the triangulation process in which teachers/researchers essentially find their questions validated by the educational community at large.  In addition, when the action research is shared, teachers and students can benefit in a whole single school and if the information is shared publically, the data collected could impact teachers in communities as well as in the nation (Sagar).  When teachers reflect on the jobs they do as professionals and try to learn from what they may have done wrong, when they try to improve their practice through reflection and acting upon how the collection of data informs their practice, then teachers are painting a landscape of learning that is charismatic as well as scientific.  The benefit of using a seven step process is that the professional culture of teachers is enhanced.  The widely held belief that teachers are not professionals in the same way as doctors or lawyers is perhaps bound in the quagmire of fiscal rhetoric since teachers are  the largest body of government workers in just about any city, county or state.  Regardless, teachers in America never seem to get the respect of professionals such as scientists like sanitation engineers, for example.  In any case the multi-step process of action research can be a formula to empower the profession of teaching by systematically seeking to improve not only the actions of teachers, but the learning of students. 

In my own time as a teacher, a discombobulated five years, I have embarked in action research through the six-step process of Douglas Reeves.  Douglas Reeves sponsors the notion that the six-step process for data collection can improve student performance on high-stakes tests.  Naturally, the idea follows the same process as Sagar’s seven step process but it is specifically designed to be implemented on a single standard or a group of standards in clusters.  The idea is that students should be able to improve their initial performance on a pre-test of a certain skill or set of skills when teachers collaborate and agree on a strategies that are designed to help the student improve or even maintain their proficiency level.  This is my second year as a sixth grade teacher and we are beginning are second year in the six step process.  I know for a fact that in every situation students have shown improvements as a whole.  We are still refining our processes and we are trying to find ways to make the data more meaningful and less perfunctory in nature.  Many of our veteran teachers promulgate a culture of revolt, the core of which is the additional work required.  This spreads to many new teachers, who hold the attitude of the majority, unfortunately.  My personal belief is that the six-step process will ultimately help students to improve gradually on high stakes tests, like the HSA.  This means no steps are omitted and teachers work collaboratively to implement agreed upon skills that will aid their students.  An added benefit is that teachers will improve in their teaching ability because they have a direct impact on their students’ performance due to the fact that data drives the instructional choices their teams are making.  

  The parallels between the Douglas Reeves six step process and Sagar’s seven step process are natural since Reeves process is action research. I have begun a research proposal on the six-step process at my school.  Changes to the research proposal I have developed are related to helping teachers understand how this process benefits them, rather than attacks them and their professionalism.  The proposal, as it stands, will be altered slightly to show how teachers can use a grading program like Jumpro.pe to help create reports that allow them to input data just one time, rather than two or three times.  The data can also be exported into a database and teachers can create graphs to share with their students. 

Some questions  I have regarding my action research is as follows:  Can the following question be included in an action research project?  Is it possible to improve teachers’ attitudes through the use of technology? 

Since we now have STRIVE HI, should I make changes in the proposal to include this new state law?

What are the best ways to gather data?  Should it be done electronically?  Should I use a survey on line?   Could I create a blog to include the research questions? 

What is the best way to integrate Word Documents and XCELL documents?

A link to my research proposal is attached.  I had originally included it in this blog entry, but I found that some format issues will not translate, namely the translation of charts and tables does not exist.  The following link is from google docs.  Please press the link below or past copy and paste to your browser.  

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3jPgE2I0HnORzJFcjRkOTZ3Ym8/edit?usp=drive_web

Let me know what you think.  Looking for feedback!

Noel Leary

Aloha 6th graders it's me, Mr. Leary. 


 Read  the lyrics to a song by Green Day or Katy Perry.   What are some possible clues to help you find the theme?  What is the message of the song?  You may reply on this post, click the email icon below, or turn in your answer in writing.  We will have class time to work on this so the idea is to really think about the song and what its  message is.  

Another thing to think about is how the theme of James and the Giant Peach could be related to the theme of Katy Perry's "Roar."  How is the message of the poem similar to the story?   Thanks for checking out the blog!
Mr. Leary!

 "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

"Roar"

I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Get ready cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now

[Chorus]
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar

Now I’m floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero

You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up (HEY!)
Get ready ’cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now

[Chorus]
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar...

Roar-or, roar-or, roar-or, roar-or, roar-or

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You’re gonna hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You'll hear me roar
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
You're gonna hear me roar...

Sanctioning personal electronic devices and how to integrate them with higher level cognitive thinking.

Post: How can we purposefully integrate technology and design learning experiences to engage young adolescents?

Beneath the windows, adjacent to the courtyard, there is a line of six beautiful flat screen monitors with keyboards in my sixth grade language arts classroom.  All are functioning perfectly and are connected to the internet via ethernet cables.  Often engaged in conversation about a topic, students have questions about what certain things mean.  Recognizing that instant gratification is so important among our youth, I return their questions about spelling and vocabulary by turning the tablets, so to speak. I ask for a volunteer to look up the concept in question by “Googling” it.   I expect students to rush to the line of computers to access Google or Bing, even Yahoo.  In years past, my students have rushed to reserve their spot in front of the screen.  This year there was no rush, nor desire, for that matter.  The students just sat there.  In a moment of epiphany, I ask, “Did you bring your own device?”  They look at me blankly for a moment. Then invariably, a bright 10 year old with the keen ability to draw an inference whispers to a table partner, ”I think he means your phone.”  “There you go,” I say excitedly “Can you look up the word on your phone, or do you have a tablet?” I begin to realize that not only is instant gratification of the knowledge desired of high interest, but the instant access to that knowledge has an even higher impetus.   With surprise and delight in their voices they ask if it is really okay to use their iPhones, or tablets to look up definitions.  The hurried shuffle of feet scurrying across the room to a line of dormant flat screens is replaced by a multitude of shuffling hands whisking into backpacks, binders and back pockets for what they now know to be their “own device.”

The above scenario is real and is beginning to happen in schools across the nation.  Decriminalizing digital devices in schools is becoming the norm.  CKMS does have an electronics policy that allows students to use their phones in school but must show proof of having signed a contract by having a “k” punch, which is a die cut of the letter k punched out of the id.  Students not wearing an id at school may not use their own electronics and if students violate taboos like texting or gaming during class then the students must present their id’s to administration for a second “k” punch which means they have one more chance.  A third “k” punch takes them out of the game, so to speak, forbidden to use electronics for the remainder of the year.   While some teachers are reject technology in the classroom, others embrace.  All in all, the CKMS electronics policy aligns with the idea of allowing the students the freedom to use the devices they cherish in the classroom and the policy is student and staff driven. 

With the advent of Common Core State Standards and high stakes testing based on Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the current drive in classrooms is a new call for student driven activities and collaboration.  Since personal electronic devices are now permitted in sanctioned ways, åhow can educators fully embrace the use of electronic devices in their curriculum?  How can we as educators ensure that students will be challenged using higher level thinking skills like creation and evaluation.  Below is a chart that briefly describes how this can be achieved and is known as the SAMR model.  Redefinition is where most kids get started in electronics.  Using the computer or ones own device to define words exemplifies Substitution.  Augmentation takes the notion a bit further, asking students to take a quiz on line on Google Docs, for example. While the models in the lower half of the diagram represent Enhancement in the classroom, Transformation takes place in the Modification and Redefinition levels.  Students begin to incorporate different media forms as well as to create their own skits, plays and short films etc.  Further explanation of the SAMR model, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura can be found at the following website:  https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model.

Using the SAMR guide teachers can now gauge the efficacy of lessons and activities that can be used in the classroom and out of the classroom.  One way that teachers can purposefully incorporate technology is to think about flipping the classroom.  Teachers truly become  true facilitators when class time is used for homework and home work becomes the outlet for the teacher.  TED talks are lectures that students can watch at home or on their own electronic device.  When class begins, students can then complete a project related to teacher made TED talk or one accessed on line.  (The library can used for students who do not have computer or personal device access.) Higher level thinking skills can be used in class for students to create skits, videos, commercials or plays.  In this way students are collaborating through cooperative groups and can have an impact on how students can develop a contribution to the group and to the whole class.  Students can also weigh in on their reading through blogs and make comments with regard to specific questions.  One source for exciting media based work includes a New Jersey based group of educators called New Jersey Educators Now and can be found at the following web address: http://njeducationblog.com/digital-archives. They encourage newsletters, using Google Docs and Gmail accounts Google hangouts allow students to input their ideas on the cloud.  Dr. Katie Martin, on line professor at University of Hawaii suggests the exit pass can be done online using personal devices or computers as the ticket out the door can be done at http://www.today’smeet.com and Glogster is a great way to quickly create public service messages in a collaborative way.  The wealth of ideas continues to unfold as to now teachers can weigh in on helping students to access information electronically and the digital pathways to ensuring higher level thinking skills are clearly marked with the help of the SAMR model. 

Digital Citizenship and Digital Tattoos: the honorary practice of social network vs. cyberbulling. 

Young people begin to feel conscientious about their appearance and their place in society as a whole in the middle years and the idea that their self-image can be "broadcast" to thousands, even millions has overwhelming consequences.  Imagine a child who is called a name in the hallways and goes home to find solace on the social media only to find her friends have turned against her.  This could be horrifying and dangerous.  

But there are a number of people in our society who attack others without physical weapons.  They are cyber-bullies and trollers and they are relentless, mocking their peers and laughing in the face of loss of young people's lives.   To me these people live in the lowest part of the house of ridicule and they leave scars and tattoos on people who are innocent and worthy of more than being dragged through the mire of the social media.  

A tattoo can be a beautiful thing, however.  A tattoo can be embedded in one's cultural heritage.  It can represent honor, respect and tradition..  In Western society, a tattoo can represent a beautiful work of art, honoring one's mother, or paying tribute to one's hero.  My hope is that this blog call to mind the idea of digital citizens and the tattoo's they wear, good or bad and how we can tell the difference.  

My first memorable encounter with digital technology was a digital video game console with a glass top, appropriately placed in the waiting room of medium sized family restaurant in Southern California.   I was eleven and it was the late 1970’s.  The idea of a tattoo was passé and men had long bushy sideburns and Robert Redford hair.  One quarter of a dollar allowed me to lose myself in a pixelated desert of bearded rootin’, tootin’ cowboys shootin’ at pie tins, frying pans, and ducks in a row.    An old timey western shooting gallery had come to life before me and I was in control.  The game was such a novelty my parents and grandparents took note and laughed, begging, “What’ll they think of next.”  My grandmother watched as my middle aged father took his turn, asking his mother if she had any more quarters—“For the boy of course,” he said, clearing his throat. “For the boy.”  Naturally, warmhearted laughter filled that waiting room.

When I think of the digital world today, I think of how its nucleus is communication.  Going back to that game console, there was a form of communication.  I, an eleven year old boy, communicated with the computer through hand controls that allowed me to manipulate digital images.  Digital two way communication became popular with email.  Now people can communicate with the masses via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  I, with no marketing skills or networking capability, have an audience for my toddling blogs as far north as Alaska and as far south as American Samoa, a land where the tattoo has deep rooted cultural significance and is a part of the fabric of being honorable to tradition.   

In mainland America the idea of the tattoo is revitalized. While it may seem cultural to Americans, many view the practice of tattooing as an association with living on the dark side, an association with loud motorcycles, drugs and crime.  Indeed the notion that tattoos can be honorable is a foreign concept and in some circles tattoos may have purely dishonorable implications.  However, many tattoo artists are now world renowned, gifted with their own cable network tv shows and sponsorships in magazines and the internet. 

But the human skin has a way of distorting artwork, like a faded Polaroid photograph. Jimmy’s skin is no exception. Jimmy is covered in tattoos, except for his face, which is usually hidden behind a thick black beard.  Jimmy loves to talk about his “living art.” John Wayne smiles confidently there among serpents and gargoyles that leap from his skin.  His entwined fingers reveal an unspeakable message spelled out on his knuckles.  

Once, he told me that he had made an appointment for a tattoo.  Dumbstruck, I wanted to know where it would fit. Marilyn Monroe gazed at Jim Carey from across a shallow pectoral valley.  His legs and arms were like paisley logs of Sunday funnies.  (It’s true.  People that know Jimmy call him, Cartoon.)  There is simply no room for another of Jimmy’s cartoons.  But Jimmy smiled and told me that his The Joker was yet unfinished.  And while Jimmy's tattoos don't bother him.  Many believe that their tattoos were mistakes and wished they had never gotten them.  

In stark contrast to Jimmy, aka Cartoon, I once met an FBI agent who was a good story teller, almost as good as Jimmy.    His subject was tattooing.  He did not appear to have any tattoos, not any visible ones at least. The FBI agent told the story of the digital tattoo. He told tales of how young men and women had forever changed their lives through social media.  Some had found their fortunes through video and song, true.  His tone changed when he told the story of a young girl with a perfect academic record, a girl who was active in the community, who did not drink or use drugs.  She had her pick of schools and full-ride scholarships, Stanford was her school of choice  and she was excited to attend her dream school.  On her graduation night, however, she made one fatal mistake by posing for a picture in which she was holding a bottle of beer.  That picture was later posted in the social media and Stanford officials saw that picture.  They saw that "digital tattoo" and they called her and asked her if that was truly her holding a beer bottle in her hand.  She could never have imagined the Stanford official's reply when she admitted that she was in fact the one in the picture holding a bottle of unopened beer.  What the Stanford official told her was that her admittance and her scholarship had been revoked and that she was no longer welcome at Stanford.  

The agent went on to tell more stories about social networking.  Some kids were bullied.  Some were bullies. Some have even committed suicide. He stressed to our students that everything that is posted on the internet, is virtually impossible to remove, just like a tattoo.   Yes, a tattoo can be removed with laser treatment, he admitted.  However, scarring remains.  And bullying is a digital crime, a tattoo that is dishonorable and almost impossible to remove.  Cyber-bullying leaves emotional scars and those can be most damaging.

One way to combat the notion of a bad digital tattoo is to promote the practice of an honorable digital tattoo. Countering student work against the Hawai'i Department of Educcation General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) is a good way to demonstrate to students that their activity on the web actually matters to people besides their teachers.  GLO number six  is Effective and Ethical User of Technology: the ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically.  At our middle school, children are asked to sign a contract before being allowed to use personal digital devices on campus. The contract also asks them not to take pictures on campus and post them on the social media.  This contract forbids them to use their phones in the classroom or when prohibited by the teacher.  But the GLOs can impact students in many other ways.  They can be community contributors, Quality produces, self directed learners, complex thinkers  and certainly they can be Effective Comunicators if their message is ethical and demonstrates good quality.  As educators we need to point out the GLOs when students are learning digitally.  There work will improve and when that happens so will their self image.  Consequently they will also improve in their grades and ultimately their contribution to society will be greater.  

One way to combat digital crimes is by teaching children to give compliments on the web or to promote their own music, poetry, writing and other talents, such as acting and  film making can be considered honorable as long as no-one is bullied.  Recognizing the dishonorable and not viewing it is one thing, but to tell grownups about infractions that take place could be beneficial to victims and it could help stop something drastic,  like teen suicide.  That is also honorable and it sets children up for leadership.  

Peer editing can be easily set up so that students can log into a blog or a wiki and share their work and edit the work of others.  They can then give their insights as to the issues at hand as well provide direction and help where needed among their peers.   Students involved in such activities are practicing analysis of the text, editing, reciprocal teaching and team building.

Socratic method may be a way to open discussion about digital tattooing and how children can be active in stopping cyber-bullying.  Socratic method could also be done online through blogs or wikis.  What's also nice is that students who don't have the same classes can contribute to the conversation collaboratively.  

Philosophical chairs is another way to get the discussion started before an electronic wiki session.  Students who may feel conscientious about talking in class may want to weigh in on the web instead.   At my school, I tell students who cannot gain web access at home, that they can use the library after school, during recess or lunch or use the class time provided to complete the work.   While I am just getting off to a wobbling start in this process, I am sure I will gain momentum with time.