WOW!

This blog has been a very new experience for me and I struggle with the navigation aspect. In theory the thought of sharing my experiences and processes is fantastic. In practice, however I have shared with very little feedback. I received one comment which proved to be extremely beneficial (THANKS VICTOR!). As I have established in the previous weeks I will use mediation as a form of intervention in students that exhibit violent behavior and document the results. I had not specified the type of mediation because I had simply not thought about the options and because of a classmate's observation my action research took a very big turn in the right direction. I have decided to try a different type of mediation (verbal, non-verbal, etc.) with each visit. Of course I realize each situation will be different and what works with one student may not work with another so an adjustment will need to be made. I am thankful that this observation was made because it allows for flexibility in my action research.

Please post your suggestions of types of mediation!

Action Steps	Person Responsible	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Review the referral and report from the initial office visit. (Be present for the principal consultation if possible)	Ms. Muckleroy	01/03/2012	Original referral and Mainframe access (program that tracks each student)	N/A
2. Begin mediation on the first day of In-school Suspension assignment. Continue mediation every third day thereafter.	Ms. Muckleroy	01/03/2012 – 05/31/2012	Mediation material Literature review of mediation processes	Field notes Teacher/student surveys
3. Monitor behavior for any reoccurrences.	Ms. Muckleroy	01/03/2012 – 05/31/2012	Field notes Survey results Mainframe access	Exit and end of year interviews. Final discipline report

Goal:

The goal of this action research is to find the effectiveness of mediation on students that exhibit and receive punishment for violent behavior. Mediation will show a reduction in reoccurrences of violent behavior and the student will demonstrate the self-control to find alternative methods of conflict resolution.

This week....

This week is all about topic! Every aspect of the school system can be the target of action research. If you can wonder you can research. I am particularly interested in discipline. I want to know why kids fight and if mediation will eliminate recurrences. I want to know if a system could be put in place for kids that are in In School Suspension to get out earlier based on a 5 to 10 step exit process. What I do know is every decision I make needs to be data driven!!!

Use of? (Analysis)

Educational leaders can use blogs to communicate important information, gain insight on a hot topic, and gather the opinions of faculty and community. Leaders can also use blogs as a way to collect data and share their reflections. Welcome to the communication highway.

What is?

Action Research is making change through inquiry, research, analysis, and sharing. As a leader we are faced with many topics of concern and how we answer these concerns defines our leadership. Bring into play prior experiences and knowledge is something we expect from students on a daily basis, why not require this of ourselves. Action research is just that, with a more systematic approach. Action research is an effective tool that should be used by educational leaders to strengthen “teachers’ self-confidence and self-efficacy.” Find an inquiry or concern that is prevalent in your school community then begin collecting data and reading relevant literature. With this data and literature in hand begin analyzing the information. The literature is valuable because it saves you the time and effort of repeating someone’s work. “Someone somewhere had grappled with a similar area of study in a similar situation.” The literature will also help you find valuable resources that you may not have been aware of otherwise. With the analysis done make your changes based on your new insight. Finally share the results of the changes and your process to get to these changes with others. Sharing will open the door for professional discussions and possibly lead to alternative courses of action. Throughout this process of action research reflection is imperative. Reflection will allow revisions to the plan which will ultimately lead to successes.  As a leader I hope to make action research become second nature which should model the behavior I will expect of my faculty.  Do you know action research?

Ringler, EdD. (2007). Action Research an Effective Instructional Leadership Skill for Future Public School Leaders. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 4 (1), 27-37.