EDLD 5301 End of Course Reflections

The lectures for EDLD5301 were quite informative.  Drs. Arterbury and Jenkins did a respectable job in providing a video version of the weekly overviews we received from the professor.  However, I truly feel the lectures would have more of an impact if they allowed the professor of record to present them.  Dr. Abshire stressed that the courses are built ahead of time, but it was still a bit unsettling having such crucial content and instructions delivered by persons with whom we would have absolutely no additional contact.  I attended all of the web-conferences in the first course.  However, I still felt out of sorts and unsure of my success in the Masters program (as it pertains to this construct).  However, this drove me to strive to attend each of the web-conferences with the actual professor which proved to be priceless! As I stated to Professor Abshire during one of our web-conferences, I was initially concerned about the assigned reading.  At first glance, the readings seemed redundant and unnecessary.  However, the more I read, the more I discovered that I knew absolutely nothing about action research.  I appreciated the fact that the content of the readings was assigned sequentially, contextually, and repeatedly.  Just as with out students, repetition was the key for me to adapt from a traditional research perspective. The searches were second nature to me.  However, I was pleased to have more practice. The assignments and activities were quite involved and demanded the utmost attention.  I appreciate the fact that we had far more assignments than those of my colleagues involved in traditional face-to-face matriculation.  The assignments and activities were designed to ensure we are just as prepared (if not even more so) than students learning in the traditional setting.  I feel very confident in what I am learning and have every confidence I will be a strong, confident, and compassionate leader whose ethics and leadership skills help continue to mold future generations.  The discussion board and blogging was new to me.  However, I embraced both concepts with the mindset that they would benefit my program and my students.  The first thing my colleagues and I noticed was that these are tools that I can incorporate into my program to maintain connectivity and interaction between all parties involved, particularly the stakeholders. Dr. Abshire’s guidance made me (and countless others) feel grounded in the program and ready to accomplish the tasks ahead.  She provided thorough explanations, insight, and encouragement.  I am looking forward to continuing on to the doctoral program immediately after successful completion of this Masters’ program.  THANK YOU!

My Action Research Project

Action Planning Template
Goal: To determine how increased student participation in Fine Arts performances / extracurricular activities help increase parental involvement in academic endeavors and daily instructional success
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1.     Formulate staff action research committee, as suggested by assigned AR reading   2.     Obtain summaries of parent participation from selected open house, parent nights, and parent teacher conferences.	Cordelia Cole {K. Nelson, S. Ramirez, T. Bellard, D. Williams} Cordelia Cole, Mrs. Trahan, Registrar, or designee.	August, 2012 – June, 2013 September, 2012 (allow school to begin and work out all the kinks).	Secondary handbook, syllabus, tentative performance schedule Summary reports	N/A N/A
3.     Determine focus group for project through choral music auditions.  Select 3 students each from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.	Cordelia Cole	August 27, 2012 -- Sept. 18-19, 2012	Music Room and Band Hall for Choir auditions; Signed permission slips;	Students perform selected pieces with noted mastery; permission granted by parent
4.     Acquire signed parent volunteer / consent forms	Cordelia Cole, Mrs. Trahan, Registrar, or designee.	First open house night hosted by the school; Sept. 2012	Sign-in sheets and consent forms	N/A
5.     Align PAISD course syllabus and policy on participation and grading from secondary handbook; modify for elementary usage.	Cordelia Cole, Middle School / High School Choir Director, Fine Arts Supervisor	Complete prior to first open house night hosted by the school; Sept, 2012	Officially adopted organizational handbook and syllabus for secondary choirs; elementary syllabus	N/A
6.     Parent meeting to review expectations, issue practice and performance logs, and award expectations based on performance.	Cordelia Cole Action Research Project Committee	Sept, 2012 {Initial meeting at open house; subsequent meeting scheduled afterward to reach parents who were not in attendance afterwards}	Classroom technology, copies of syllabus	Parents complete an evaluation form similar to what is submitted after in-service meetings
7.     Research the relationship between participation in the arts with  parental involvement in academic success	Cordelia Cole	Aug. 27, 2012  - Dec 7, 2012	Professional journals, articles, colleagues’ research, books	Summary presented to Site Supervisor
8.     Monitor & communicate with parents inre grades in 3 week increments (prog report / report card);	Cordelia Cole & AR committee	Sept, 2012 – June, 2013	Gradebook system, newsletter,mailout, and parent email; phone calls	N/A
9.     Implement practice and performance schedule w/attendance logs for students and voluntary supervision logs for parents	Cordelia Cole & AR Committee	Sept, 2012 – June 2013	Gradebook system, newsletter, mailout, and parent email; phone calls	N/A
10.   Collaborate w/other Fine Arts directors & classroom teachers on successful strategies that keep parents and students engaged and involved; implement new strategies	Cordelia Cole, PAISD Fine Arts Teachers	Aug 22, 2012 – June, 2013	Various technology	Successful implementation of mandates and participation by students and parents
11.  Survey students, teachers, and parents within target group; also examine disciplinary reports on included students	Cordelia Cole	May, 2013	Survey monkey, Zoomerang	Survey parents, students, and teachers on how  increased participation in fine arts affected students overall academic success
12.  Write paper based on collected data, generated reports, and evaluations.  *Share w/school admin & faculty.	Cordelia Cole	June – July, 2013	Professional literature, reports, and evaluations. *E-copies of research paper	Did implementing strategies to increase successful student participation in fine arts and extracurricular activities help increase parental involvement in academic endeavors and daily instructional success
13.  Self-reflection	Cordelia Cole	August, 2013	Feedback from blogs, research paper	Reflect; research experience & findings; prepare to implement new strategies into new school year.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

Finalizing the Action Research Plan....

I have fine tuned my action research inquiry a tadbit to adequately address valid concerns on our campus while attending to my job responsibilities.  I have decided to conduct my action research project based on the following inquiry:

*How can increased student participation in Fine Arts performances / extracurricular activities help increase parental involvement in academic endeavors and daily instructional success?*

I scaled it down and narrowed the focus so that I could adequately monitor student participation and parental involvement / attendance.  Details to follow......................

Last night's webconference was primarily about the action research plan.  This was most beneficial to me as I am getting a relatively late start this week due to illness.  The information discussed during the webconference, along with the examples posted today, have confirmed for me that I really need to simplify things.  I was trying to formulate some mega-project that really would have been toooooo broad.  Dr. Abshire kept reminding us to use the templates provided.  Doing so, keeps me from allowing this project to spiral out of control.

I thank you all for sharing, for viewing my posts, and for your comments once my research plan template is posted later today.  Please follow my blog and I will do the same thing to yours.

Musically Yours,
C. Mollyn Cole