{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"38185160","dateCreated":"1303895166","smartDate":"Apr 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"mriel","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mriel","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/mriel-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ccar.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/38185160"},"dateDigested":1531982848,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Pepperdine Students reflections during action research process","description":"This is a place to share observations and reflections of what has happened as you are engaged in the process.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"38242808","body":"I think the process of action research has changed the way I think about handling the problems I see everyday at work. My AR project is looking at what is the best way to improve the sharing of ideas around a specific technology between instructors of different academic areas. I had noticed that faculty members are not familiar as to what instructors in other areas do with technology. There are so many great ideas and projects being done everyday and only a few professors know is happening. I have tried to tackle this problem in the past with failed attempts of getting people together to share what they are doing. These efforts were not successful since they were not focused. I would have sharing meetings that would start with one person sharing and soon the conversation would change into other things and no more sharing was happening.
\n The action research process has showed me what an informed and focused cycle of action can do to finding solutions to problems. There are two parts of the action research process I keep going back to over and over gain: the literature review and the research question.
\n The literature review informed me of what others have done, what has worked and what has not worked for others. Most importantly it has allowed me to learn the learning theories used as a foundation to the actions of others. The review of literature was also really helpful to help me focus my research question. Before the review of literature I was all over to the place as to what I wanted to do but reading about what others have done help me really focus my research question and with that my action cycles.
\n Having a clear research question has been so helpful to me to keep my action cycles focused. Before learning about action research I would have tried something and then tweak it four or five times thinking all these changes would help solve the problem in a better way but really I was getting further and further away from my original problem. With my AR project I keep looking back at my research question to make sure what I am doing is in line with what I am tying to accomplish. Any other ideas that come up during the process now get noted for future use or cycles and that way I do not venture to far away from my problem and my research goal. I will continue to use this focused approach in my practice from now on.","dateCreated":"1303959556","smartDate":"Apr 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"cborja","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cborja","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1303919091\/cborja-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"38360138","body":"Within my action research, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the power of the literature review. It was not only extremely helpful in assisting me to focus my action research, it has been so powerful to leverage within my organization. The ability to identify what others have done, based upon a specific theory or theories, and to show the evidence that others have produced becomes very powerful to move debates and discussions beyond individual preferences and biases.
\n
\nPerhaps it is an oversimplification, but I think that an organization like the Marine Corps (my organization) has been very good at developing a bias for action. While I think that I have learned to look at certain problems through a different paradigm, I came to the program with a well developed propensity to ask why; but too often I did not spend the time researching the theory and actions of others, nor the time to capture, evaluate, and document the results of my own actions.
\n
\nSo I would have to say that to date, the biggest insight for me regarding my action research has been:
\n1. The power of reviewing the literature of the theories, approaches, and results of others attempting to solve similar problems
\n2. The power of capturing, assessing, documenting and levering the results of your own actions to implement change.","dateCreated":"1304193655","smartDate":"Apr 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tjdevlin","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tjdevlin","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1280779326\/tjdevlin-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"38360282","body":"Learning circles have proven to be a great educational multiplier for me this semester. The camaraderie of checking in at least weekly with others that are working their way through the same program was extremely comforting, but the strength of the learning circle was so much more than that. The experience of getting to know the learning problems being tackled by others, their approaches, actions, and reflections was a great way to broaden my own approach to the problems that I am attacking. Additionally, the feedback provided by multiple reviews by my peers and by the instructor significantly improved my individual work","dateCreated":"1304194174","smartDate":"Apr 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"tjdevlin","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tjdevlin","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1280779326\/tjdevlin-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"22849857","dateCreated":"1271345355","smartDate":"Apr 15, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ccar.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/22849857"},"dateDigested":1531982848,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"MD Green Schools Data Series","description":"I am having my graduate student work on the data MAEOE wanted for Green Schools- comparing tests scores before the schools received the award to afterward. Please scroll down to his email below- I wanted to check with you to see how you want us to proceed. Can you discuss with Ryan and get back to me?
\n
\n Elena, if your statistics knowledge would shed any light on this, please chime in. Its been a long time since I did any quantitative statistics and I'm not sure how to best approach this. Perhaps we could even ask Kate Clavijo?
\n
\n
\n
\nDr. Sarah Haines
\nDirector, Center for Science & Mathematics Education
\nDepartment of Biological Sciences
\n8000 York Road
\nTowson MD 21252
\n410-704-2926 FAX 410-704-2405","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"22849981","body":"HERE is the original question from Dr. Haines Student:
\n
\nFrom: Tim
\nSent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 1:16 PM
\nTo: Haines, Sarah
\n
\nI was wondering how many years before and after the school's acceptance into the program would you want me to include? I was originally thinking for how many years the school had been "green" i would go back that many years but then the data would not be normally distributed for any stats you were going to run. The main reason it's taking me longer than expected is figuring out a way to organize all the data in a coherent way. With the number of grade levels per school and the number of years per grade level, it's a little messy at this point. Should I maybe average out the scores? But the data still would not be normally distributed. Let me know.
\n-Tim","dateCreated":"1271345489","smartDate":"Apr 15, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"22850051","body":"My question to the CCAR community is how can we structure this evaluation of Green School status to include more qualitative data than test scores?","dateCreated":"1271345542","smartDate":"Apr 15, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"49357056","body":"I am not sure what is involved in doing the evaluation study of the Green school. I wanted to raise the question about the relationship between evaluation research and action research. I think that they are very different but I am not sure that everyone agrees with me. I wonder if anyone wants to respond?","dateCreated":"1326959643","smartDate":"Jan 18, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"mriel","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mriel","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/mriel-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"20794173","dateCreated":"1267226833","smartDate":"Feb 26, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ccar.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/20794173"},"dateDigested":1531982849,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Ecological Literacy Action Research WIKI?","description":"I am in progress for a Master's in Ecological Teaching and Learning looking for a wiki site with a lot of members and active paticipants in discussions where can I find one?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"20794875","body":"Not sure what you are looking to discuss. There a number of people doing action research in schools that are connected to the ccar site.
\n
\nMargaret","dateCreated":"1267228325","smartDate":"Feb 26, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"mriel","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mriel","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/mriel-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"20804377","body":"Thanks Margaret
\n
\nI am new to this CCAR site and I'm looking for any wiki pages or wiki sites that are interested in discussing questions around school reform and ecological literacy. I am a HS teacher currently working as the MD Green School Coordinator. My personal passions can be articulated through the mission from the Pachamama Alliance - To create a world\/society that is Ecologically Sustainable, Spirtitually Fulfilling and Socially Just.
\n
\nWhich people or pages should I look at as I start to narrow my area of focus?
\n
\nBy mid March I hope to have clarified my first cycle of questions and would like to connect with a research community that can help me identify some data collection techniques.
\n
\nThanks
\nRyan","dateCreated":"1267272157","smartDate":"Feb 27, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"20804381","body":"Here is a summary of some free writes that I have done in my journal - Anyone that has overlapping interests or questions will be really valuable contacts for me as I start to frame my action research for next school year.
\n
\nProblem: - Society and Education have become atomized or departmentalized which
\neliminates critical understanding and development of our human interior condition.
\n
\n Questions
\no How can schools maintain specialization and academically rigorous content knowledge while integrating subjective or interior human development which requires interdisciplinary or \u201ctrans-disciplinary study\u201d \u2013 Ex: Our article title \u201cThe Best of Both Worlds\u201d unifying critical pedagogy and place based education. How can I co-create a school or entire education community based on that type of pedagogy?
\no What are the effects of connecting to wild and natural spaces on organizational leadership? On students? On teachers? On activists or community organizers?
\no What does connecting to wild and natural spaces look like?","dateCreated":"1267272261","smartDate":"Feb 27, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1262890310\/MDGreenSchoolCoordinator-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"20856999","body":"Have you looked at High Tech High (hightechhigh.org)? They are having teachers work together in designing cross-discipline and highly creative inquiry\/project based learning. And they use action research as a form or professional learning from practice. I suggest you read through their online materials.","dateCreated":"1267421953","smartDate":"Feb 28, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"mriel","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mriel","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/mriel-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}