Action Research: What is it and how will Julie use it?

Action research demonstrates constant growth and development throughout the school. Rather than relying on the advice of outside experts, action research suggests principals and leaders ask questions about proposed problems, gather data, collaborate with others and propose a plan and/or solutions.  Action research will give opportunities to openly communicate with teachers, staff and/or students to gain perspectives from others. Once a plan is in place, reflection and evaluation will take place to understand how to utilize the tools of action research for school improvement. And it doesn’t stop there! Action research goes round and round – constantly allowing growth and change.

This is my idea for my action research project:

I am a Special Education Teacher at a high school in San Antonio, Texas.  This is my fifth year at the high school and I have had the fortunate opportunities to work in many various positions throughout my department. During the past three years, I have worked as an inclusion/collaborative teacher with several English Teachers. My main purpose was to teach and assist the students receiving special education services in the general education English classroom.  But, as a dedicated teacher, I will help any student who needs assistance and had the pleasure to teach the special education and general education population.

The idea I have for my action research project/plan is to focus on the use of technology that students already possess to help them in school.

In the English class, a consistent problem was that students (both special and general ed.) would be assigned to check out and read a novel (such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird). Every year and in every class period, a group of students would not take their novels home, would not keep up with their readings, would fall behind, and eventually make very poor or failing grades. 

With so many students possessing an iPod, iTouch, and similar devices, I would like to allow students (on a voluntary basis) to download one of these novels onto their device to have the option of reading the novel either by book or on their communication device. Through the iTunes iBook application, classic novels like these can be downloaded onto these devices for free.

My thinking is that the students who will not carry a novel around will more likely read from their device. The excuse of “I forgot my book” will be less likely. The student who are “too cool” to read in public may actually feel that they can read without appearing to do so.

In addition, I would like to teach a group of student to use the calendar on their device. Our school spent a lot of money two years ago by purchasing (very nice and expensive) planners. These planners were given to every student on our campus without cost. The intension was clear, but the students did not like carrying them around and lost them easily. As an adult, and even through my college years, I could not get by without the accessibility of some sort of calendar or planner. With technology so readily available, students may benefit from this organization during high school.

I understand that “using” these communication devices during class is against school policy, so I had to get administrative permission to allow a certain number of students to use the devices for these purposes only.