Action Planning Template

Action Planning Template
Goal: Improve critical thinking and problem solving skills by implement blog-based technology like Edmodo.com.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
PHASE I
Communication with school principal for support on implementing Edmodo across the campus to increase critical thinking and problem solving skills.	School Principal, and Perez	11/05 – 11/09/2012	Time to meet with principal	Discussion with principal over this topic.
Have students be set up in Edmodo accounts throughout the campus	Perez and Science Department Teachers	11/12 – 11/20/2012	Computer Lab time or access to laptop carts.  ½ day of instruction to provide directions to students on signing up.	Will have a collaborative list of students in the entire campus signed on to Edmodo.com
Have students practice using Edmodo 3-5 days out of the week by having students answer the classroom Essential Question through Edmodo.	Perez and Science Department	11/26 – 11/30/2012	Access to laptop carts.	Posted answers from students on the Essential Questions
Discuss with students various posts and how they can become better answers by providing skills of a critical thinking	Perez and Science Dept.	11/27 – 12/03/2012	Posts from Edmodo	Classroom discussion.
Students begin research on the advantages and disadvantages of energy resources.	Perez and Science Dept.	12/03 – 12/05/2012	Access to research via books, articles, Internet, and classroom notes to discover advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources	Completion of Energy Charts that list information, including but not limited to advantages and disadvantages, of various energy resources.
Students begin online debate via Edmodo over a superior energy source for our area by stating their advantages of their energy source, while stating the disadvantages of other energy sources to make theirs superior.	Perez and the Science Dept.	12/06 – 12/12/2012	Access to laptops, or netbooks, or computer lab times.	Check for increase critical thinking skills and possible problem solving skills based off of student responses.  Discuss with ELA department on characteristics of good critical thinking skills.
PHASE II
Train remaining staff and introduce them to Edmodo.  Also share results from students’ online debate within Edmodo.	Perez	2/05/2013	Access to laptops for staff	Response from training
Have teachers set up their classrooms/periods (Edmodo refers to these as groups) so students can join them.	Perez and JWMS (J. Wessendorff Middle School) teachers	02/06/ - 03/4/2013	Dedicated computer lab time and teachers taking 10 minutes from their instruction time have students join their group/classes	Collaborative list from teachers and students having Edmodo accounts with full class schedule.
Students answer open ended questions during the beginning of their computer lab times in each of their content areas	JWMS teachers	03/18 – 04/30/2013	Classroom laptops or computer lab time.	Posts from students and suggestions to improved responses.
Prior to the STAAR exam, teachers will assign a persuasive essay to students to see if they are able to communicate critically over a debatable topic.	JWMS teachers	05/01/ - 05/15/2013	Persuasive Essay Assignment	Grades from students and acknowledgements of improvement in critical thinking skills.