EDLD 5397 WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENT

Week 3 Assignment (100 Points)
Overview

The purpose of this week’s assignment is to become familiar with the APA and IRB guidelines while beginning to write a draft Action Research Project Report.

During this week’s activities, you will:

1.    Participate in the optional web conference.

2.    Review and reflect on learning from APA, Lamar IRB guidelines, and your district’s IRB policies. In the course ware Discussion Board, share your reflections on APA and IRB guidelines: a) What did you learn about APA? b) What is the most confusing or least clear aspect of APA for you? c) Compare and contrast the IRB guidelines for Lamar University and for your local school district.

3.    Review with school principal and report progress of Action Research Project in your Discussion Board.

4.    Create draft of first 8 parts of your Action Research Project template after reviewing with your principal.

5.    Create and draft the Dissemination Plan for Action Research Project.

Learning Outcomes

Candidates will:

·         Be familiar with strategies for the dissemination of their research findings and know appropriate audiences

·         Know accepted format(s) for publishing research findings

Performance Outcomes

Candidates will be able to:

·         Review with school principal and draft progress on Action Research Project.

·         Create and draft the Dissemination Plan for Action Research Project.

Assignment Due Date: All weekly assignment components are due by 11:59 p.m. on the seventh day of Week 3 unless the activity directions specify different instructions.

Rubric

Use the following Rubric to guide your work on the Week 3 Assignments.

EDLD 5397 Week 3 Tasks	Accomplished/ Exceeds Standards	Proficient/ Meets Standards	Needs Improvement/ Approaches Standards	Unacceptable/ Does Not Meet Standards
Part 1 Web Conference	The candidate participated in a Web conference or watched the recording of the conference (or read the chat notes) and documented experience in the student e-Portfolio wiki/blog/Google site, and submitted the link to the instructional associate. (1 Point)			The candidate did not participate in a web conference, did not document experience in the student wiki or blog, and did not submit the link to the instructional associate. (0 Points)
Part 2A Discussion Board Prompt A	The candidate clearly addresses each discussion prompt with a minimum of one paragraph for both parts. (9 points)	The candidate addresses each discussion prompt with one or two sentences for both parts.  (7 points)	The candidate addresses only one discussion prompt with one or two sentences for only one part. (5 points)	The candidate does not address either discussion prompt.  (0 points)
Part 2B Discussion Board Prompt B	The candidate clearly addresses each discussion prompt with a minimum of one paragraph for both parts. (10 points)	The candidate addresses each discussion prompt with one or two sentences for both parts. (8 points)	The candidate addresses only one discussion prompt with one or two sentences for only one part. (5 points)	The candidate does not address either discussion prompt . (0 points)

EDLD 5397 Week 3 Tasks	Accomplished/ Exceeds Standards	Proficient/ Meets Standards	Needs Improvement/ Approaches Standards	Unacceptable/ Does Not Meet Standards
Part 3 Draft Action Research Project Progress Report	The candidate provides all 8 elements in the appropriate sections of the Action Research Project template provided.  (50 points)	The candidate provides at least 6 elements in the appropriate sections of the Action Research Project template provided or provides all 8 elements but does not use the Action Research Template provided.  (40 points)	The candidate provides at least 4 elements in the appropriate sections of the Action Research Project template provided or provides at least 6 elements but does not use the Action Research Template provided.  (35 points)	The candidate does not provide the elements in the appropriate sections of the Action Research Project template provided or provides 3 or fewer elements but does not use the Action Research Project template provided.  (0 Points)
Part 4 Draft Dissemination Plan for Action Research Project Using Dana text p. 135-169.	The candidate provides (1) the identification of the target audience, specific persons or groups, and explains why research will be shared with them; (2) how you plan to share your research, how you can use technological tools to disseminate, and what impact those distribution tools will make; (3) explain why each of the four critical tasks should be covered in your sharing. (30 points)	The candidate provides 2 of the 3 sections covered in the Accomplished column. (20 points)	The candidate provides 1 of the 3 sections covered in the Accomplished column. (10 points)	The candidate does not provide information in the Accomplished column.  (0 points)

Week 3 Assignment, Part 1: Web Conference
Due Week 3

During this class, you have the opportunity to participate in weekly web conferences. At the beginning of your course, the professor(s) will provide a list of scheduled web conferences and the URL to access the sessions.

You do not need to download or purchase additional software to participate in the conferences. However, a headset with microphone and web camera is preferred equipment. For further details, see the information sent to you by the professor(s) and/or Instructional Associate via email, discussion board, Virtual Office Hours, and/or announcements.

Directions: After reflecting on the attended web conference or listening to the recording of the conference, post insights gained from the discussion.

Workspace

	I was unable to attend this week’s web conference. I will view the video and text when it is posted to review what was covered during the conference. I will make sure I attend next’s web conference!

Week 3 Assignment, Part 2A and 2B: Discussion Board
Due Week 3

Directions:  In the Discussion Board, address each discussion prompt by writing one paragraph in response to part A, and one paragraph in response to part B.

Initial response is due 4^th day by 11:59 p.m.  Respond to at least one colleague by 7^th day @ 11:59 p.m.

Part 2A)
1. Access the website for the American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines at

http://www.apastyle.org/learn/index.aspx

2. View the APA Style tutorial located at the link: http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx called, The Basics of APA Style. This tutorial is designed for those who have no previous knowledge of APA Style. It shows users how to structure and format their work, recommends ways to reduce bias in language, identifies how to avoid charges of plagiarism, shows how to cite references in text, and provides selected reference examples (American Psychological Association, 2011). The basics of APA style. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

3. Investigate the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Policies

Review the Lamar University Policy and Procedures on Use of Human Subjects in Research (http://www.lamar.edu/_files/documents/research/IRB%20Policy%20and%20Procedures.pdf) and Human Subjects Review Board Form (http://www.lamar.edu/_files/documents/research/New%20IRB-2.pdf). The Lamar University policy statement will help you learn about the Institutional Review Board and requirements for research which may include human subjects.

4. Investigate your local district’s IRB policies.

5. In the Discussion Board, respond to the following prompts:

Part 2A) 
        APA and IRB

1.    What did you learn about APA?

2.    Share your understanding of APA style, why it is used, and share any information about what is the most confusing or least clear aspect of APA.

3.    Share your understanding of the IRB policy.

4.    Does your district have an IRB policy? If so, in what ways is it similar to the Lamar University policy? What ways is it different?”

Part 2B)

1.    Post a paragraph describing your progress so far in leading your action research project.  Include at least one lesson learned.

Week 3 Assignment, Part 3: Draft Action Research Project Progress Report
Due Week 3

Directions:

·         Using the following eight outline elements, write your paper at the end of this assignment document in the space entitled Draft Action Research Project Report.

a.    Title – Provide a clear, brief title that describes your Action Research Project. This title should describe what you are trying to find out, not what you think you will find.  (5 points)

b.    Needs Assessment – Indicate how the need for an improvement was determined. Note the data collected to support the need. Present the data in a disaggregated manner in terms of ethnicity, and gender. (5 points)

c.    Objectives and Vision of the action research project. (ELCC 1.1) – After completing the needs assessment, develop a vision relating to the improvement needed and develop an action research project that includes measureable objectives in terms of expected results. (5 points)

d.    Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy – Apply Best Practice to Student Learning (LCC 2.3) – Review recent literature related to the topic of your research project. The research should support why your action research plan would be described as a best practice or possible solution to improving achievement or culture. The review of the literature should be written in APA style with a reference page listing the sources. Explain the decision making process for implementing the action research project. Who was involved? What was considered? What decisions were made? (5 points)

e.    Articulate the Vision (ELCC 1.2) – Describe how you communicated the vision of the action research project to staff, parents, students, and community members. (5 points)

f.     Manage the organization (ELCC 3.1) – Describe the strategy used for organizing the implementation of the project noting responsibilities given to self and others and how you managed any monies, time, materials, and people. Give examples of how you put a priority on student learning and safety. (5 points)

g.    Manage Operations (ELCC 3.2) – Describe the strategy used to lead the operations of the project and set priorities. Include a brief description of how you used the needs assessment, data, group process skills, built consensus, communicated, and resolved conflict. (5 points)

h.    Respond to Community Interest and Needs (ELCC 4.2) – Describe how the action research project will serve the needs of students with special and exceptional needs and students with diverse backgrounds (cultural, ethnic, economic, or special interest groups) Elaborate on methods used to address any specific needs of the school or community. (5 points)

Workspace

Provide the e-Portfolio wiki/blog/Google site link for your Action Research Project. Include a Word document format of your Draft Action Research Project Report on your e-Portfolio wiki/blog/Google site (provided you have a site) in addition to including the content at the end of this assignment document.

 

Week 3 Assignment, Part 4: Draft Dissemination Plan for Action Research Project

Due Week 3

Directions:

Sharing Your Action Research Plan, Progress, Findings, and Recommendations

Read chapter 5 from the Dana text, The Travelogue: Sharing your work with others, pp. 135 – 169, and write a description of how you will share the progress and process of your action research project, as well as discussing ways to disseminate your action research project findings and recommendations. Be sure to include information on the four critical tasks you must include in effectively sharing your action research project, see the Dana text, pp. 163 – 169:
1) Provide background information.
2) Share the design of the inquiry (procedures, data collection, and data analysis).

3) State the learning and supporting statements with data.
4) Provide concluding thoughts.

As you describe your dissemination plan, identify who might be your target audience. Identify any specific persons or groups, and explain why you want to share your research with them.

Use this workspace to tell about the target audience to share your Action Research Project Results.

Workspace

My target audience is all future and current college students as well as all on-campus staff and faculty members. My message is clear, physical education is still here! Although it may not be required to graduate, physical education will still count toward your elective hours. I would hope that some students want to be active and will register for physical education classes regardless of college credit offered. I would also like to reach our community with this message that physical education is still offered in hopes they will encourage their children and friends to register for physical education classes. With the wide variety of classes and disciplines physical education offers, select community members may decide to attend college just to take physical education classes. Our classes are cheaper than joinging a gym and also offer more student to instructor time. Reaching our administration will also be a target of my audience. They market our college brand and I hope that physical education continues to remain on our college branding outlook.

 

Based on your reading from Chapter 5 of the Dana text, describe how you plan to share your research. Be as creative as possible and remember to think out of the box - be sure to include technology and how that can impact your dissemination plans.

Use this workspace for writing about how you plan to share your Action Research Project Results.

Workspace

My research will be shared in multiple ways including web resources and documents. First and foremost my research will be shared on paper to  my physical education department to evaluate and survey. I will then update my blog with this information for all to view on the worl wide web. So if one is to search physical education not required……..they will be able to view my research findings. This information will also be on my goggle site which I created for physical education. Once finished with my findings, I will present them in a physical education department meeting with my colleagues. This will spark conversation and lead to new discussions and ideas for our future. Students can also access this information as it will be posted on our department Facebook page. Bits and pieces of this information will be available on our college website as well. I will also send a copy of my project to our administrative offices for their review.

 

After reviewing the four critical tasks you must include in effectively sharing your action research project, briefly explain why each of these tasks must be covered in your sharing. You will review this in more detail in Week 4 as you draft your action research report format.

Use this workspace to explain the importance of these four critical tasks.

Workspace

Provide background information – For others to be able to benefit from your research they must know the history and background of your project. What did you study, where, how long, what was involved, etc.  Share the design of the inquiry (procedures, data collection, and data analysis)- It is crucial for others to understand just went into your project. From this they can have an idea of the spectrum of which you investigated. A certain procedure or data collection technique may spark an area of concern or curiosity among colleagues. State the learning and supporting statements with data.- Unless you learned something through your research, how can others benefit? One must have a clear and concise outcome to their research before others can fully understand the mechanics of it.  Provide concluding thoughts- This goes back into the previous task measure, one must have truly learned or understood the conclusion of their research for it to be meaningful in the world. After this one can put it all together in one place for learning and for others to view. From there colleagues and various others can review this information and gage an understanding as well as go deeper or research your topic in another element. The conclusions will spark much more research and further developments in your area of interest.

Week 3 Assignment, Part 3

Draft Action Research Project Progress Report

Physical Education: will it remain on the field or be sidelined?

Needs assessment- Physical education has been taken out of the core classes in order for a student of San Jacinto College effective fall 2013. Physical education will count as an elective credit; students will no longer need two credit hours of physical education to receive an Associate’s Degree from San Jacinto College. We had no say in this decision as it was a state mandate and the college was following that lead. After this decision was made we quickly started to compile ideas to promote physical education to students and let them know we are still here for them. The topic may have shifted from why it is being eliminated to what we can do now that physical education is not required to keep our classrooms full of students.

Objectives and visions- My vision with this action research project has shifted to what we can do to retain students. After the needs assessment was calculated it my initial action research question as to why physical education was being eliminated as a degree requirement was answered I have another problem to solve.  Know that we know physical education is not required how do we keep students signing up for physical education classes? What will motivate them to sign up for a physical education class? We have our devoted students that take physical education classes religiously, but what about the rest of the student body at San Jacinto College?  The objectives of this plan will include working collaboratively with our peers in the physical education department as well as our faculty on campus. We must inform students that although physical education is not required to graduate there are numerous benefits from taking an activity class.  Work must also start with our academic advisors to inform students that while physical education is not included in their degree requirements, they can still take physical education classes and those credits will go toward their elective hours.  Surveys among current and past students have been administered as to if physical education were not required would they still register for a class, more than half of the students polled answered that they would take a physical education class if not required. 

Review of literature-  “Colleges' physical education requirements fade away” USA Today by Kim Painter.  January 9, 2013.

This article describes what universities what require as well as do not require physical education as a degree requirement. It gives reasons such as cost effective-ness and higher graduate rates as methods as to why some institutions do not require physical education credits. It also states what students are missing out by not taking physical education classes. With our countries obesity rate escalating, college students need to learn how to eat healthy as well as exercise. Recreation centers or local gyms can be alternatives for those not taking physical education classes, but few students take advantage of them or know of their availability.

“Mandatory Physical Education In Colleges And Universities Is At All-Time Low, Report Shows” Huffington Post. January 7, 2013.

This article reviewed a study detailing that only thiry-nine percent of four year univiersites had physical education classes as an degree requirement. This article had no reasons as to why other than cutting budgets and more graduates.

Articulate the vision- This vision of keeping physical education classes full at San Jacinto College is felt mutually by our entire physical education department. This is our job and we want to remain employed. Each department member is now an avid patriot for physical education on and off campus. We attend all new student orientation sessions and inform students that physical education is still here and offers a variety of options to get fit, learn about nutrition, or just have fun by playing sports. We take students on tours of our gym facility to show them the options they have in physical education. Each instructor advocates physical education classes to their current classes by asking them to sign up next semester as well as tell a friend about what we offer. Physical education department members attend various school meetings to inform other faculty and staff members of the latest information regarding physical education and class offerings. By doing this our vision is spread throughout campus allowing others to know our situation and what to tell students. We have heard rumors that some instructors are telling students that physical education is gone for good; these rumors are detrimental and have to stop.

Manage the organization- Since my topic has changed somewhat, some of organization duties have changed as well as the addition of new responsibilities. Once it was official that physical education was taken out of the core requirements, our entire department started thinking of ways to combat this new obstacle. I have been involved in more new student orientation work to be an advocate for physical education. I teach a Team Sports class to our automotive students; after this decision to eliminate physical education was finalized the automotive department chair informed us that they will no longer require their students to take physical education. While that is major blow to our department we are working with our other technical programs like nursing trying to create custom programs for that particular trade. I have taken the lead with our Facebook page trying to add students and post the latest news and “damage control” for them. We have a weight room that is free to our students; I am spreading the word about this weight room in order to increase student population of our gym. If we have more students in our building the more likely we can promote physical education classes to them.  New flyers and physical education publications are being created by our department to invite students to take classes. Physical education classes are a great way to stay active and give your GPA a boost!  Our department is in the process of ordering t-shirts with the message that physical education is still here, we will wear these shirts all over campus as well as new student orientations.  My approach and target is the first time in college students, to inform them that physical education has an array of choice of activities at a minimal cost.  The fall semester of 2012 and all this summer and spring semesters will be devoted to the promotion of physical education to all students.

Manage operations- This new strategy to retain student enrollment in physical education has many parts and many people involved. It all starts with every member of the physical education department and their approach to “inviting” students into our classes. We are have monthly (sometimes more than monthly) department meetings to share ideas as well as what actions need to be taken. We listen and ask our students questions and use those to build on, to create a more student friendly atmosphere. I have created online surveys that I send out to all my classes, I am working on a way to have these online surveys available to all physical education students.

The conflict that has arisen with this issue is with our administration, it seems there is something more to this decision. We have been informed that a few of our administrators think negatively towards physical education but this decision is not affected by this. Our physical education department is united with each other, we understand the facts surrounding our fate but wish administration would have informed us of this decision much earlier.

Community interest and needs- Given the obesity rates in our nation physical education is necessary. Students need to be active, not just in school, but learn how to incorporate a fitness/nutrition plan into their and their families’ daily lives. We are working on creating three hour lecture and activity classes that will teach students nutrition and fitness components that we hope they will continue to practice out of college. We as physical educators need to spread the word about health and how to live healthy. Our goals are not just to preach nutrition and fitness, but to show students that an active lifestyle can be fun and beneficial to not their life, but their families’ life. 

We serve students of diverse cultures and needs. Many students choose one particular sport, such as soccer or yoga, because it is rich within their cultures roots and practices. Students enjoy the sportsmanship with other students as well as learning things about each other. Some students might “be finding” themselves through sport or dance, physical education allows one to seek change and that change could be the threshold which changes that student’s life for the good. Physical education satisfies the body, mind, and spirit- it should remain a staple in education, not just at the college level, but in elementary and high schools.