In looking at this week's discussion board and viewing the videos in our week 2 assignment, the resounding theme I keep hearing over and over is "increasing student achievement." In other words, if what we are researching does not ultimately lead to increasing student achievement, then what is the point. Our accountability as educators and districts is now measured on a state level by increasing student achievement. This "theme" as it were, makes me feel secure in my choice of research topics.

Why Blog?

I don't really know, to be honest! I guessing that this will give "us" as classmates the chance to "chat" with each other, gleen ideas from each other, and learn from other professionals. I am an avid "facebooker" but have never been a blogger or a tweeter. So I will have to remind myself to post...and to check others blogs. But I'm anxious to learn...and anxious to blog!

What I'm Learning about Action Research

I find this whole idea of action research so interesting, primarily because we a right in the middle of an action research at our school right now. When I came to this district, I was introduced to "concept" of PLC's and last year, even attended their annual nationwide conference in New Orleans. Currently we are examining how the process of RTI (Response to Intervention) works at our school, and where we need to make improvements. One of the issues that I see is that many people don't really understand how Response to Intervention works, especially as it pertains to the high school level, nor do they truly understand how to "intervene" in their classroom before just sending referrals to special education. There seems to be a lack of understanding in HOW to differentiate instruction while keeping standards high and holding students accountable. My plan is to conduct my own action research plan to discover ways that the general education staff  and special education can work together to reach students in the general education classroom FIRST, and then create "cross-curriculum" PLC's (math and history, science and English, etc.), to learn from master teachers how they differentiate and engage learners at the highest level.