Web Conference Reflection

This weekend I was up bright and early, determined to find a quiet spot in my houseful of kids and husband so that I could participate in a web conference targeted to helping students through this weeks assignment.  The web conferences are always helpful in answering and clearing up details about weekly assignments.  The main concerns from this weeks conference seemed geared more towards documenting our hours and reflections of our course embedded activities and TK20.  I was surprised at the number of students still struggling with TK20 - I was under the impression that we were a cohort meaning we have entered a few items already into TK20 for other professors and our field supervisors.  I did learn during the time in the web conference that I am behind in my reflections for various activities I have completed as part of my intern plan.  

This week, I went into the web conference with one question for the week.  Do I need to prepare a presentation in addition to my outline for a presentation.  Apparently there were others in the group with the same question.  Dr. Abernathy was not positive at first whether we needed to or not, but felt that it was not required.  Thankfully another student had the assignment in front of her and was able to quote the requirements for us.

Sunday evening's conference was a bit more enlightening.  Even with technical difficulties with my computer speakers and being in a coffee house trying to listen without headphones because that was what caused my speakers to go out, I was able to pick up bits and pieces from various parent/school community projects other students were doing.  I was surprised at the number of other schools that participate in Backpack Buddies or something of the same idea.  I wish I could have heard more of the conversation on the ones sharing about helping students keep clean by providing the gym showers early each morning because they do not have the means to shower at home or wherever they are living.

As helpful as the web conferences are for students, there is a bit of difficulty participating.  Students arrive at different times and will ask the same questions over and over again.  You could hear the frustration level in Dr. Abernathy's tone after awhile.  When I first started the program, I attended the web conferences without fail - even leaving my son's baseball game to ensure I was there for a conference.  In the past few classes, I have slacked on attending because some professors will want each person on mic to speak and the conferences can get lengthy.  The lag in technology causes confusion as well in the discussion.  The web conferences that have worked best for me, since being in the program, are the ones that has a student or 2 typing responses for those who do not have audio.  Students typing in questions in the chat box, the professor responding to questions and being the only person on mic.  They are productive and effective.

With everything there are pros and cons but thank you Lamar Academic Partnership professors for providing a way for students to interact with you!

Mapping Out the Strategies

When the coaches began planning for this upcoming school year, we already knew we wanted to grow and develop reflective teachers.  Our resource for this would be Marzano's Becoming a Reflective Teacher.  We also had the charge to ensure instructional strategies are relevant, engaging, and incorporate 21^st century learning skills based on research based effective instructional strategies.  With both the knowledge of the high yield strategies and the design questions from Becoming a Reflective Teacher we created a timeline for a focus each month.

Did You Know?

Marzano's 9 is not really Marzano's 9.  Interesting little fact we learned recently during professional development.  Our district has an initiative this school year - everyone will instruct with effective instructional strategies.  Part of that process was to seek staff development to help administration and district leadership to fully understand Marzano's 9 so we brought in Elizabeth Hubbell with McRel from Colorado.  Dr. Robert Marzano was initially with this company before he left and started out on his own.  While he was with McRel, he developed the 9 Effective Instructional Strategies; however, when he left the company the Marzano 9 stayed with McRel so instead of Marzano's 9 they are Classroom Instruction that Works - research-based strategies for increasing student achievement.

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 Recognize this book? It is the first edition of Classroom Instruction that Works.  This is the research based strategies that Marzano was apart of.

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This book? It is the 2nd edition of Classroom Instruction that Works.  If you look at the authors, Marzano is not part of the 2nd edition.

Why the 2nd edition?  Initially in edition 1, the strategies are the high yielding instructional strategies.  Those that yielded the highest gain were put at the top of the list as important.   However, there is a particular order that the strategies should be implement into your instruction.  Take for example "Setting objectives and Providing Feedback."  This strategy only yields a 23% gain.  "Summarizing and Note Taking" yields a 34% gain.  One would think the higher the gain the quicker I need to use it, but can you summarize and take notes prior to setting your objective?  Makes sense, right?

Our instructional coaching team had already sat down prior to this professional development and mapped out the strategies in the order we wanted to focus on them each month with our teachers.  After a pat on the back, we were pleased to announce that we only needed to move one strategy in our order to match the order that McRel recommends in Classroom Instruction that Works: edition 2.

This is the recommended order of emphasis for this research based instructional strategies:

Step 1 - Create the Environment for Learning

• Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
• Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
• Cooperative Learning

Step 2 - Helping Students Develop Understanding

• Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
• Non-linguistic Representation
• Summarizing and Note Taking
• Assigning Homework and Providing Practice

Step 3 - Help Students Extend and Apply Knowledge

• Identifying Similarities and Differences
• Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Back To School

With my contract I begin work 3 weeks before teachers.  The first day back we had our big kick off meeting with curriculum coordinators and all the instructional coaches.  Using our district strategic plan, we created goals for our team, activities for each goal for the coaches as a team, and left with the assignment to use our data from campuses to create individual goals/activities.

Our curriculum goals as a team (based on the district strategic plan which can be seen here) are:

1) Design, align, and implement a comprehensive and rigorous K-12 curriculum.

2) Provide innovative educational opportunities to address individual students' needs.

3) Equip teachers with strategies necessary to support students' learning.

Our role based on goals is to:

1)                  Develop classroom teachers with consistent district wide instructional methodology based on Marzano Nine.

2)                  Ensure instructional strategies are relevant, engaging, and incorporate 21^st century learning skills.

3)                  Assist the teacher in understanding the depth & complexity of their TEKS meaning, verb level, & method of assessing.

4)                  Develop opportunities for understanding and implementing the framework of the K – 12 Curriculum.

5)                  Assist the teacher in the application of new programs and knowledge gained from conferences & professional development workshops.

6)                  Actively support and monitor the activities initiated in response to the curriculum audit.

7)                  Develop teacher leaders and provide opportunities for growth.

8)                  Support the district wide initiatives and collaborative teams.

Goal #3 (Equip teachers with strategies necessary to support students' learning) was easily addressed during our planning time.  It was my action plan.  I shared the plan with the rest of the team and we were set.

We are ready to get the year started off on the right foot - providing teachers with the tools they need to engage students and make learning relevant, as well as, developing classroom teachers who use effective instructional strategies.

Week 5 - Quality Indicators

While my reflections may have gone a bit deeper than you would be interested in, I thought perhaps I would post about the Quality Indicators discussed in Week 5. I truly believe the indicators gave validation to what I am doing through my action research, but also to help see the plan as an ever revolving blueprint.  We were asked to read Chapter 6, The Continuing Journey as “Head Learner,” in the Dana text, and carefully review the section “What Are Some Quality Indicators for Practitioner Research,” pp. 179 – 186.

My thoughts on the Quality Indicators:
Quality Indicator 1 is Context of Study. When sharing my action research, it is important to include details that relate to the context of my study, such as the school, teachers, students, curriculum, and of course the content of the action research. As an instructional coach assigned to 3 campuses where my action research will take place, it is important to show these details because each of the three campuses vary in student populations and grade levels so I would expect to see varying results between the campuses.

 Quality Indicator 2 is Wonderings and Purpose.  When the action research is presented by the researcher, the topic must make a relevant case to the needs of the school and be connected to pertinent literature in education.  When reviewing the questions to ask as the researcher, I was hesitant at first that perhaps my action research was to “prove something” but when one reviews any literature by Dr. Robert Marzano on effective strategies implementing they can see that effective strategies is not about proving something, it is about impacting the teaching so that students are successful.  This case is relevant to the campuses based on data already obtained through our district wide curriculum audit.

Quality Indicator 3 is Principal Research Design (Data Collection and Data Analysis).  As the researcher for my action research project, I believe this is a quality indicator I have covered very well.  Data in an action research project can be collected in the form of student work, test scores, field notes, or even interviews.  As I conduct my action research, data is collected daily through classroom walkthroughs looking for evidence of effective instructional strategies.  Interviews/Surveys will be completed to gain an understanding of teachers who may have a better grasp and understanding of Marzano’s 9, and student work and assessment scores will be the data that is reviewed to see the impact the teaching had on their success.  An additional step in my action plan is to analyze data with teachers so they can see areas of need and together we can discuss suggestions to improve those areas.  All participants can see the timeline that is embedded within my action research plan.

Quality Indicator 4 is Principal-Researcher Learning. Once the action research plan is complete, the principal researcher must present the findings of the inquiry. Included in this report should be statements- supported by data- discussing the findings, as well as any discrepant data.  Through out the report, the researcher should weave reading and other experiences that relate to the topic and/or about the process of inquiry research.  It will be interesting to see what findings I discover on perceptions teachers have about effective instructional strategies and the CARA cycle as they participate with me in my action research project. 

Quality Indicator 5 is Implications for Practice.  When the current research is complete, the researcher should determine what changes have taken place because of the research and what future change will occur because of these implications.  I like to believe that my action research plan is based off another initial action research.  This past school year our district participated in an outside sourced curriculum audit.  Based on the findings and implications from this audit, I was able to create my action research focused on one finding – implementing effective instructional strategies.  Through my action research plan, teachers on my campus (with my support) will be able to reflect on previous teaching and make impactful changes to help students be successful.  As we work through my action research plan, my wish would be that teachers see the importance of effective instructional strategies, see how students can benefit from them and would wish to change their own practices to grow themselves professionally.

Happy Week 5!  Let the ACTION BEGIN!!

* Dana, Nancy Fichtman (2009). The Continuing Journey as "Head Leader." In Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Reasearcher (pp 179-186). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Marzano's Instructional Strategies - Cues and Questions

Marzano's Instructional Strategies - Summarizing & Note Taking