Action Research Excited and Encouraged, but frustrated!

After a very encouraging meeting with my principal late in teh afternoon on July 21st, I have been confirmed in my week 1 wonderings. Because our teachers struggle to use available technology in tehir classrooms now, and we are getting new technology this year, I will be introducing a series of professional development to our teachers. While the techhnology based professional development would cover various topics from hardware to software to acceptable student use, the key to my study is the follow-up throughout the school year.

Purpose:

1. How can increased technology based professional development improve the use of technology in the classroom at PHS?
2. How can follow-up sessions improve teacher willingness to use technology?
3. How can follow-up sessions improve classroom use of technology for students?

Significance:

Teachers

• will learn and use various technology harware and software to help improve teaching and student learning.
• will learn and use communication based programs to remain in contact with students and parents.
• will work in small groups to follow-up on technology use in the classroom.
• will have access to outside professional development opportunities online 24/7.

Administration

• will see imprved classroom use of technology.
• will see increased student participation.

Students

• will utilize technology based resources in the classroom.
• will be active participants in technology based problem solving.
• will have access to online communication methods with teachers 24/7.

Parents

• will have access to online communication methods with teachers 24/7.

Community

• will see increased classroom and school use of technology.
• will see greater participation in technology based learning through communication on websites, blogs, and wikis.

Ideally, by creaing a learning environment on campus for our faculty, student participation and as a result of that participation, learning will greatly improve. Also, my hope is that in the future this will open up greater opportunities for community involvement in the technology based classroom.

So you might be asking yourself, why is she frustrated? Well, let me vent. I know that like in many fields sharing is caring. Why reinvent the wheel if there is success already in a similar or when possible exact area? Well I went to update my discussion post for my graduate class and stumbled upon a post that read almost exactly like mine, only it was typed 12 hours later and had minor differences. I hate to sound childish, but I would've appreciated credit. It took me a while to write my purpose and signifcance in a way that I knew would answer the problems in my school.

Feel free to give me feedback on my excited look at professional development for my action research project, or if you are good with confrontation, comment on how to handle this frustation! Thanks!