Week 4

Overall, this week was a pretty productive week. I met with my site supervisor and we agreed on the action research plan. Now we can move forward. We did decide to add one thing to the research plan. 3 or 4 times before I give the Pre-STAAR Test survey I will give the students a slip of paper and have them rate their motivation on a scale of 1-10 as well as their work ethic on a scale of 1-10. I will review the students ratings and then rate them myself. If my rating is not close to theirs, I will provide feedback as to why I rated them differently. I feel that this activity will allow the students as well as myself to reflect on the level of motivation in the class.

This weeks assignment has been very helpful for me in developing my action research project. I now have a plan set in place that I believe will help me be successful in gathering the data required, analyzing that data, and then moving forward with the results. The template we used helped me a great deal. I now have a timeline to complete my activities and I am excited to move forward with this process.

Action Research Plan

Action Planning Template
Goal: Determine student motivation to pass the STAAR Test.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Observe Students to find topic for research project. Discuss with freshmen teachers.	John Jarrett Freshmen Core Teachers	January 23-27	Email	Identify a common problem with teacher input.
2. Discuss possible research topics with mentor/principal. Decide upon a project.	John Jarrett Chris Halpayne (Principal)	January 30-February 3	Meeting with Principal	Reflections and Discussion
3. Review current literature on motivation to pass Standardized Test	John Jarrett	February 8-22	Motivation Literature	Reflections and Discussion with other teachers.
4. Develop pre STAAR test and post STAAR test survey questions	John Jarrett	February 15-29	Word Literature Review	Survey Questions
5. Review questions with freshmen core teachers. Edit Survey with input from the core teachers.	John Jarrett Freshmen Core Teachers	March 5-9	Meeting Space Email	Discussion Collaboration
6. Finalize Questions with Mentor/Principals approval	Chris Halpayne (Mentor/Principal)	March 5-9	Meeting Email	Discussion Edit and Revision
7. Meet with Technology Director to discuss the use of the ERS response system to give surveys.	Lynn Wilde (Technology Director)	March 12-16	Meeting Computer ERS Response System software
8. Input Surveys into ERS response system program.	John Jarrett Lynn Wilde (Technology Director)	March 12-16	Computer ERS Response System software
9. Have students complete the initial pre STAAR Test survey. Survey will determine how motivated the students are to pass the test as well as how motivated they have been to work throughout the school year.	John Jarrett	April 9-13	ERS Response System software ERS Response System remotes	Data collected by ERS system
10. Have students complete the post STAAR Test Survey. Survey will ask students to reflect on whether their motivation throughout the year was appropriate to be successful on the test.	John Jarrett	May 7-11	ERS Response System software ERS Response System remotes	Data collected by ERS system
11. Compile data using the ERS response system software.	John Jarrett Lynn Wilde (Technology Director)	May 14-18	ERS Response System Software	Data from Surveys
12. Analyze data with the aid of the Freshmen core teachers.	John Jarrett Freshmen Core Teachers	May 14-18	Meeting Space Email	Teacher Discussion and Reflection
13. Develop Strategies to increase student motivation for the next school year.	John Jarrett Freshmen Core Teachers	May 21-25	Meeting Space Email	Teacher Discussion ERS Data
14. Distribute Data, Analysis, and Strategies developed to high school faculty.	John Jarrett	May 21-25	Email	Email Confirmation

Week 2 Reflection

This week I was able to sit down with my principal and we were able to decide on a topic for action research. As mentioned in other post I want to see how the new STAAR Test has effected student motivation. My principal agreed that this would be a good topic to research. With the results we will be able to develop new motivational strategies for next year. Hopefully the end result of this process will be higher student achievement. I am looking forward to the process and I know I will learn a lot.

Educational Leaders Using Blogs

As educators we are in the information business. It is our job to distribute information to students. Blogs provide educators with a medium to share and distribute information with each other to grow and learn as teachers. In the past we were limited to talking and reflecting with only the teachers in our district. In today's world, through the use of blogging, we have the ability to connect with teachers all over the world.

Action Research: What I have learned

One of the most important things I have learned in this action research section is that you have to stop, take a breath, and analyze what is going on. As a teacher, coach, and student, time is always the first thing that I run out of. With tutorials, class, athletics, practice, games, family time, and the other duties that I have to attend to, I am always searching for more time. It is extremely hard to analyze what I need to do for myself. Also, it is hard for a person to analyze oneself in an unbiased way. There is a reason that I do things the way that I do. I believe that it works best for me and it is also what I am used. I know that in order to be successful in my action research project I will have to ask hard questions and get out of my comfort zone. I might have to do something different for a change. Even so, through my readings of the text this week i believe that the action research process is a very valuable one and will help me grow as a person and an aspiring administrator. I am looking forward to my research on student motivation and how it has been affected by the STAAR test. I hope that my results will be helpful to me as a teacher and in the future as an administrator.