BLOGS

          As educators, we all need to model what we expect our students to be able to do. Our students are way ahead of the technology game. Blogging has been around for years. We need to be technology literate in order to help our students stay engaged. It is a tool that educators can use to share what we know, what our districts are currently doing, or to find out what others are saying and or doing. A Superintendent can use a blog to post new programs implemented in the district that are helping to improve student performance. If there is news to share with district personnel, what better way to share the news than through a blog. Besides, everyone likes to be the first to know breaking news. Let the trend begin. So if you blog, and I blog, then we all will blog.

Thoughts on Action Research

          After giving their first math test of the year to third grade students, their teachers noticed that student performance on the math test was below expectations. The main reason for low test scores was due to the fact that many students could not recall basic math facts in order to complete the problems accurately and in a timely manner. To their surprise, every teacher expressed the same concern. The teachers realized that their method of teaching basic math facts was not working. One of the teachers contacted a friend at another campus who usually has success with her student's math performance.
          The teachers met to discuss what that teacher did differently. They decided to try the method on their students. They worked with their students for weeks and then administered another test. The scores improved somewhat but not enough. The teachers went back to the drawing board and redesigned the method to fit the learning styles of their students. Needless to say by the third administration of the test, most of the students scores increased tremendously.
          This group of teachers saw a need and decided to collaborate in order to find a better way to teach the skill of recalling basic math facts to their students. This is Action Research. When an educator feels passionate about a topic or idea, they take it upon themselves to communicate and collaborate with other educators for different ways and different approaches to teaching. Sharing what you have learned is the best staff development anyone can ever ask for. When teachers help other teachers, they are reaching more students than the ones that are assigned just to their classroom.Educating students has to be a team effort.