Action Research Update

My project is basically in two phases.  The first phase is like a trial phase within my department, but it also sets up the entire school to more easily implement the web program into their current lesson plans with little interference of learning the new.

So far it has not gone well as we have come to many road blocks.  The total current collaboration has probably accumulated to 10 hours.  I discussed my idea at our Science department meeting, and then created a cheat sheet to have my department colleagues have their students create accounts during their computer lab time.  Based off of their schedule it took a week for them to do so.  Since every student has a science class we got the majority of the class into the Edmodo.com.  This is where my project came to halt.  Our lesson plans were altered do to us seeing our students struggling with some concepts and therefore we didn’t proceed and decided to re-teach the concepts, and then tested later.  I’m hoping, since we’ll have more time at the beginning of the 2^nd semester that we can implement a project through Edmodo for our next grading period.

The majority of my learning is having to still be flexible and make room for time adjustments.  It seems to be that we are constantly strained, especially to implement anything new.  Instead of moving on with lessons, we are constantly teaching and re-teaching.   

Although I’m confident in my department, presenting this system to my extended colleagues in the building is quite fearful.  We are on a campus of much newness. We have a new principle that we are still trying to get used to.  We have new grading programs, a data team system that is new to us, and new ways of implement RTI information.  Having to throw another thing at them usually (if history repeats itself) comes with great resistance. 

If anything I may introduce a different program that is similar to Edmodo for Creative Thinking purposes or I may have the campus staff implement this at a later time with a simple assignment within their classroom.  There are still many alternatives to consider and adjustments to make. And I hope to finalize those adjustments during this 2 week holiday break.

When I finally do present it to our entire campus staff, I hope show alternative successes they can implement by using the same students that they teach in a different academic area.