SDARA
SAN DIEGO ACTION RESEACH ASSOCIATION Spring 2011 Issue
First Edition
Welcome from SDARA! Welcome to the inaugural edition of the SDARA Newsletter!
Upcoming Events/ Important Dates: February 12th, 2011 Minato School Open House Lesson Study Forum 9:00 am
February 28th, 2011 Deadline to submit Proposals for the 8th Annual Action Research Conference Hosted by University of San Diego
March 1st, 2011 Action Research Study Group @ USD 6:OO pm Special Guest: Frank Cornelissen and Marieke Cornelissen *for more info see pg. 3
April 30th, 2011 Deadline to submit Proposals for the Collaborative Action Research Network’s 2011 Annual Conference Hosted by University of Klagenfurt in Vienna
May 12th, 2011 Magical Mystery Tour Hosted by SDARA
I am somewhat surprised, yet excited to be part of an association embedded in action research. My surprise comes from the fact that I knew nothing, nor had even heard of action research just four short years ago. Look at me now, president of an association centered on promoting and supporting action research for me and other practitioners. My introduction to action research came as a component of my graduate work as a USD student in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. As I progressed through the Math, Science, and Technology Education Program I learned that action research is a tool that I can use to effectively and efficiently promote positive change in my practice. As a USD alumnus, I put those practices into action. My excitement, however, comes from my experiences using action research and seeing the transformation of my own practice, and the possibility of helping and encouraging others to do the same. I view teaching as a practice; I am a practitioner of teaching, similar to practicing medicine or law. Doctors and lawyers look to others in their fields for guidance and support in the decisions they make. These professionals do not work in isolation but as collaborative units trying to best meet the needs of their patients or clients. I believe teachers must also seek others in their profession, as a collaborative support group to help meet the needs of their students. People who participate in collaborative communities not only shape their practice, but who they are as individuals (Wiggens and McTighe, 2005). As I reflected on my practice as a math teacher over the past 15 years, before I embarked on the use of action research, I realized that many of my teaching decisions were based on examining test scores and speculation as to what I thought was occurring with student learning. However, the use of speculation to determine the effectiveness of my practice and implementation of new ideas did not get to the core efficacy of my practice as it related to new or different implementations. Then I entered the action research world. The world of action research moved me beyond speculation and into a world rooted in theory, practice and reflection (Sagor, 2005). Through action research I have been better able to get to the core issues affecting my teaching and student learning. I look to SDARA as a collaborative affiliation to enrich my teaching practice and in turn meet the needs of my students. SDARA’s members, comprised of USD alumni, current students, faculty and others in the community, guide and support the efforts of teachers, counselors, school leaders, and other education professionals in their action research efforts. One of my goals is to get to the core efficacy of my practice and help others do the same. References
May 13,14th, 2011 8th Annual Action Research Conference
Sagor, R. (2005). The action research guidebook; the four-step process for educators and school teams. Thousand Oaks, CA; Corwin Press. Wiggens, G. & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by design. ACSD. Alexandra, VA; Prentice Hall.
Hosted by the
Ann Trescott | SDARA PRESIDENT
University of San Diego 1
Action Research Study Group: The Importance of Network Collaboration
March 1st, 2011 With Special Guests: Frank Cornelissen and Marieke Cornelissen On March 1st 2011 at 6:00pm, SDARA will be hosting its first ever Action Research Study Group on the campus of the University of San Diego. The discussion for this group will be lead by special guests Frank and Marieke Cornelissen, practicing action researchers and educators visiting from the Netherlands. Currently they are working in collaboration with the graduate students at High Tech High in conducting Action Research focusing on the creation of networks. Frank and Marieke will lead us in a discussion about the importance of collaboration within the network and the benefits of expanding to a larger population. We were lucky to have Frank as a presenter via Skype at the 7th Annual Action Research Conference last May. The presentation was a fascinating demonstration displaying the power of sharing knowledge and spreading the word throughout larger populations. The San Diego Action Research Association is honored to present students, educators, and other practicing researchers with the opportunity to come together as a community to learn the benefits of Action Research in the field of education. The study group will be an interactive event allowing people to ask question, request feedback about their own practice, and actively participate with actual educators doing research in San Diego schools. We hope you can attend this exciting new event and look forward to seeing you there! Angel Chavarin | GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENATIVE
Action Research Spotlight: Members In Action University of San Diego's M.Ed. program was an invaluable experience for me through which I have grown immeasurably as a professional. In my career, I recruit, interview, support, and oversee 350 volunteers and coach their supervisors. In this position, it is essential to use reflective practice to successfully support and lead my team. Reflection is a main component of action research, which has become a integral part of my professional practice. My first action research project spawned from a question that I had pondered for longer than I would like to admit. My profession and passion at the time was training, supporting, and supervising educational museum staff. I have fond memories of my educational research class where Dr. Inoue facilitated an exercise in identifying our "omoi". Now, this is no easy task. To find your "omoi", your driving passion (to sum it up all too briefly), is to pinpoint a gap in your practice. The gap lies between your passion and reality. My thought process went something like this: We have museum visitors from so many different backgrounds, including various levels of education, varying degrees of scientific interest, as well as a broad range of values, ages, and so on. And while I had a training program in place, it lacked a solid focus on visitor need. So my question was this: How can we truly customize museum floor staff interactions for visitors? And how can I teach floor staff to maximize visitor learning experiences by utilizing our exhibits? Our classroom exercise on "omoi" not only helped me hone in on a gap in my practice, but catalyzed my research question and process thereafter. The biggest struggle I incurred throughout my research was juggling the role of Above Nicole Schiffer is the Vice carrying out my phases, while remaining unbiased in my assessment. In order to ensure that President of the San Diego Action my assessment was truly unbiased, I continuously found pertinent literature, wrote about Research Leadership Committee. She my experiences in a journal, and met regularly with my action research team. Thankfully, I recently graduated with her Master’s in had action research team members who were both humorous and dependable. As I kept Education from the University of San implementing actions and discovering new pieces of the puzzle that started with my initial Diego and is currently the Volunteer question, the process became more fluid. When I made my most exciting discovery, which Programs Manager at the Reuben H. involved teaching the museum floor staff more science content, I knew that my action Fleet Science Center. research journey was a success. As the Volunteer Programs Manager at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, my main goal is to provide volunteers the tools to succeed, have fun, and give back. I’ve been with the Fleet for (this story is continued on next page... 2
...story continued) 5 years now and have served in many different capacities. Action research is a tool in my professional career to apply this knowledge of evidence, dialogue and reflection to ultimately better the museum experience. As the Vice President of SDARA, my hopes are to spread the knowledge and tools to conduct action research, as well as be a source of support for those who embark on their journey through AR. I am currently collaborating with my fellow SDARA members to figure out how to best help and support current masters students in their action research. In closing, I would like to leave you with a few questions to ponder: 1. What is a burning question, curiosity, or challenge that you have been pondering for all too long? 2. How can action research help you construct meaning and explore solutions in your practice? 3. How can we, the leadership committee for SDARA, help you in the transformative process of action research? Believe me, I know how challenging action research can be. But I also know how rewarding the discoveries you make along the way truly are. We created SDARA to help you through the rollercoaster of challenges and successes of action research. Please feel free to contact me at nschiffer@rhfleet.org to find out how we can help you! Nicole Schiffer | SDARA VICE PRESIDENT
A look into the Magical Mystery Tour Sponsored by SDARA Deeply understanding action research can be best sought by actually visiting action research sites and interacting with the professionals who are conducting action research projects at the sites. You will have an opportunity to do so this May! Be a part of the Magical Mystery Tour (MMT) that SDARA hosts on Thursday May 12th, 2011 as a pre-conference event for 8th Annual Action Research Conference at the University of San Diego. The event is free for all the registered participants in the conference on a first come, first served basis. On the day, we will gather at the university in the morning and hop into a van or a bus. The sites we are planning to visit on the day include: 1) St. Michael's School in Poway where the teachers have been using the action research framework for creating professional learning community (PLC), and 2) A Grossmont Union High School District site where the USD School Counseling Program has been engaging in collaborative action research with school counselors for the past three years. At each of these sites, we will be introduced to the action research project, will interact with the action researchers, and will informally discuss strengths and challenges of the on-going action research project. The event was highly successful last year with about 15 participants from different parts of the world. I am sure this year’s MMT will be as exciting and inspirational as the last year, and you will enjoy informal interactions with the action researchers and international participants in the event. Please contact SDARA for more details. Noriyuki Inoue, Ph.D. | FACULTY ADVISOR
8th Annual Action Research Conference H o s t e d b y th e U n i v er s i t y o f S a n D i eg o
May 12-14th, 2011 Globalization and Action Research: Bridging the professional, political, and personal. We live in a global era. Maintaining local ownership and individual focus can be challenging at a time when there is increasing pressure to compete internationally and adhere to global standards. The 8th annual Action Research Conference at the University of San Diego will explore the role that action research plays in bridging the professional, political, and personal in a global era. Our keynote address will feature Dr. Yong Zhao, an internationally recognized expert on the effects of globalization on learning institutions. We’ll also hear presentations by Dr. Zachary Green, describing the role that personal passion plays in guiding our practice, Drs. Nori Inoue and Lonnie Rowell on developing cross-cultural action research understandings, and faculty and students from UCLA’s Center X will describe their use of action research as a political act. In addition we’ll have opportunities for practitioners, researchers, and students to participate in consultancies, workshops, roundtable discussions, and research presentations. Presented By University of San Diego | CENTER FOR STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS 3
One of the most exciting things about action research is that it is a method that can be used by anyone interested in improving conditions in any area of life. Bill Torbert, for example, has written about using “action inquiry” to guide personal changes that a person might want to make to her or his leadership style. For another example, community-organizing and social justice groups working with the Highlander Center in Tennessee have been learning about and applying the techniques of “participatory research” in Appalachia and the South for more than 75 years. The Highlander Center’s work is based on the principle that “the answers to the problems facing society lie in the experiences of ordinary people. Those experiences, so often belittled and denigrated in our society, are the keys to grassroots power.” With such great potential, then, why do so many professional educators dismiss the benefits of participatory research, action inquiry, or action research? There are likely many reasons for this. In part it is certainly because without careful implementation the methods of action research can be highjacked and turned into bureaucratic busy work or, even worse, a punitive stick with which to take a whack at educators for their alleged failures to be accountable. In some school sites and school districts, for example, “reflective practice” – which when developed properly can be a truly liberating and empowering experience – is turned into a psychological weapon to bludgeon teachers’ self-confidence, stifle dissent, and breed conformity. (See, for example Diane Ravitch’s description of contemporary school reforms in her 2010 book The Death and Life of the Great American School System.) In part, let’s be honest here, the slow pace of educators’ (teachers, counselors, and principals) adoption of action research as an element of practice is because it is not included in educator contracts. In addition, the slow adoption is because many educators just do not know about it – and here is where SDARA intends to make a difference. Looking forward to sharing ideas with you ! Lonnie Rowell, Ph.D. | FACULTY ADVISOR
Contact Information Mail: San Diego Action Research Association - MRH 143 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110 Email: sdara.network@gmail.com Phone: 619-260-7708 Fax: 619-849-8143 Follow us on twitter: @sdara_network
Membership Information We are currently looking to expand our efforts by inviting professionals, scholars, students, and community members interested in action research to join our association. Our organization has a small fee of $15.00 for one year of membership. This membership includes local action research events, newsletters about San Diego’s latest and greatest action research work, and a network of practitioners currently working in the field using action research. If you would like to join please contact us with the following information: Name :__________________________________Phone:__________________________
SDARA Visit to Dr. B’s Class
A group from SDARA visited Dr. Buczynski’s Research and Methodology class on January 31st to talk to graduate students about action research. The SDARA group included five alumnae of USD’s MSTE program and two counseling students currently enrolled in the masters program at USD. The SDARA group offered a preview of the requirements, the process and the transformative potential of action research. They opened the visit with an introductory power point that touched on the many facets of action research including finding a question, organizing research, reflection, assessment and forming an action research team to provide feedback. The presentation was lead by Ann Trescott, the president of SDARA, who discussed her experience with action research from her initial skepticism about action research to her recognition of the transformative potential of AR. Using a World Café format, the SDARA group broke into pairs and hosted group discussions on one or two of the facets of AR in greater depth. Groups also discussed the elusive Japanese concept of omoi to help students recognize the importance of passion in their work. In the end, it was exciting to see the vision and passion Dr. Buczynski’s students have as they begin considering the idea that their action research can be more than just a graduation requirement.
Address:________________________________________________________________ Email:_________________________ Field of Specialization: ________________________ Current School/Organization: ________________________________________________
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Susan Naujokaitis |ACTIVE MEMBER OF SDARA