Action Research Projects
Action research is a process in which Powerful Learning Team members collaboratively examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully. Action research is:
- Disciplined inquiry into a problem or possibility within the school or classroom
- Collaborative and usually takes place in a community of practice
- Meaningful, positive, and reflective
- Data-driven, action-based, improvement-focused
- Transformative
A Culture of Curricular Coaches
William Penn Charter School Team Members: Ruth Aichenbaum, Sheila Ruen, Vicki Miles, Judith Hill, Lorre Gifford, Carol Sukoneck, Michael Moulton Community: ADVIS Year 1, 2010-2011 We envisioned creating a professional development model where each PLP cohort member works one-on-one with a teacher interested in incorporating 21st century skills into a lesson that would enhance student learning. We called this project the C3 Model-a Culture of Curricular Coaches. Our focus question was: How do you use 1:1 mentoring as a professional development...
read moreA community for boarding school educators
Westtown School Team Members: Carl Beehler, Brooke Coleman, Carey Kopeikin, Celeste Payne, Ben Temple Community: ADVIS Year 1, 2010-2011 While each team member had individual ideas of projects in which they were interested, we decided to develop a professional learning network (PLN) as an online community for boarding school educators to share ideas and to discuss best practices. Members of our team reached out to residential life leaders (including Deans of Residential Life and Deans or Directors of Students) at nine regional boarding...
read moreContinuing as a network of critical friends
Moorestown Friends School Team Members: Parker Curtis, Teri Kaiser, Stephanie Schuetz, Erika Bohman, Maggie Beck, Cindy Huang, Diana Day Community: ADVIS Year 1, 2010-2011 For the second year of our journey toward an increasingly technology rich curriculum, we are planning to use the Critical Friends model as a framework. We hope that this framework will provide us with a way to more deeply investigate our use of curricular technology. Problem, Issue, or Possibility Objectives and Assessment Implementation...
read moreFinding time for collaboration through technology
Ben Franklin Elementary Team Members: Kirk Samples, Joan Doyle, Sarah Rodriguez, Susan Sailer, Wayne Wittenberg, Stacy Slater Community: Dublin-Dallas Year 1, 2010-2011 Ben Franklin School is in its second year of working toward a successful PLC. Teachers have time to collaborate as grade-level teams on a weekly basis, but this has not solved all of our communication problems. We still lack time for all staff to communicate and collaborate. As a PLP team we decided that using a social networking tool, such as a Ning, could be an appropriate...
read morePeace through technology
Nagel Middle School Team Members: Rose Arnell Community: Dublin-Dallas Year 1, 2010-2011 In an effort to make connections between curricular content and the real world we sought global partners to discuss contemporary issues. Our focus was how technology influences the solutions we create to problems. Students participated in a collaborative network called iEarn and spoke with students in Egypt just as their president was being asked to step down from power. The conversations that ensued were relevant and connected to curricular objectives....
read moreThinking SMART about Digital Citizenship
Forest Hills Elementary Schools Team Members: Julie Thorp, Lisa Courtney, Marie Mehring, Linda Lagemann, Lauren Wiethorn, Annette Thomas,Ann Hambleton Community: Dublin-Dallas Year 1, 2010-2011 As we enter the ever changing world of 21st century learning, we believe that it is essential for our students to have the tools necessary to be safe, effective, and respectful digital citizens. As a team we have researched and created a curriculum for grades 1-6 using the acronym, SMART: Safety first My creation or give credit Awareness of...
read moreThe beginning of a great collaboration
Glacier Ridge Elementary School Team Members: Katie DiCesare, Abby Farris, Lauren Scott, Julie Seaman, Karen Terlecky Community: Dublin-Dallas Year 1, 2010-2011 First we will design a wiki for staff collaboration that initiates conversations about learning and teaching. The next phase will take place over the summer. We will schedule informal “GREat Collaboration” meetings. Over the next year we will develop PLNs within our staff and work towards a broader connectedness for teachers/students using the tools introduced over the...
read moreWhat does engagement look like?
Prairie South School Division Team Members: Patti Rodger, Toni New, Roger Morgan, Lana Nogue, Cori Saas, Shelley Wright, Dean Shareski Community: Canadian Year 1, 2010-2011 The members are exploring levels of student engagement involving the use of Web 2.0 tools. Some of the questions we have are do the use of Web 2.0 tools increase student engagement, what are the factors that create the best climate for student engagement, and how do we best engage the students in our classroom, whether it’s face to face, or online learning? We created...
read moreWorking with the standards
IU-13 Early Childhood and Special Education Services Team Members: Barbara Chubb, Nadine Hart, Teresa Fleming, Christine Brooks-Taitt, Community: IU-13 Year 1, 2010-2011 Our team attempted to align specific sections of the PA Academic Standards with the NETS and give examples and/or suggestions for how the use of technology and 21st century skills can be integrated with the learning of academic competencies. It is our hypothesis that the use of technology with standards-aligned learning activities will serve to increase student engagement,...
read moreProfessional development and higher-order thinking
Our Lady of the Angels Team Members: Mrs. Theresa M. Burg, Marie Williams, Karen Fischer, Joanna Spicer, Theresa Carey. Community: IU-13 Year 1, 2010-2011 Our goal is to create a safe classroom environment that encourages and promotes the utilization and synthesis of the 21st Century Skills. Our plan includes completing an assessment, evaluating and discussing current practices, creating a research based professional development plan and implementing the plan. The professional development will take place during the 2011-2012 school year and...
read moreVoices from the Learning Revolution
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