Using Blogs in a PLC

An educational leader could use a blog to lead a professional learning community with her staff. She could post her thoughts and interesting articles. She could invite her staff to discuss the posts, implement ideas from the blog in the classroom, and post the results in the comments.

Action Research

Action research gives educators a well-defined method to evaluate their own performance, investigate problems in the school, and make positive changes. I would like to try using action research to improve my effectiveness as an Instructional Technology Specialist.

The process starts with an inquiry – I might wonder how ITS’s can deliver staff development to a larger group of teachers.

The next step is to look at available data. I could look at surveys conducted by the district staff development department which allowed teachers to choose the topics, instructors, locations, times, and format of sessions that work best for them. I could also look at recent attendance statistics to determine which sessions were most attended.

Next, the educator reads existing papers and research that pertain to the topic. This helps the educator gather information and ideas relating to the problem. I could look at papers regarding staff development opportunities and motivating teachers.

After looking at data and research, the educator will develop an action plan. If possible, it is beneficial to collaborate with others in this process. I could collaborate with the ITS Staff Development committee to create a plan to increase attendance and improve staff development.

After the plan is implemented, the results are evaluated to see if the plan was successful or needs to be modified.