Action Research Cycle two

Action Research
There is a certain uneasiness that comes from being the last one to cross the finish line, maybe the uneasiness comes from not knowing the race well enough or perhaps it is simply the thought that maybe I’m missing something in my Action Research equation but I am uneasy as I wait for my second cycle returns. The Actions Research project has been a very challenging part of this graduate program; in some areas the project has pushed me to my limits, especially in the area of curriculum design and execution for my own peer group. My first cycle was conducted with my own school faculty and the results that I got were not a huge surprise, some of the suggestions that I got and the changes that I made were not drastic but nonetheless they were all welcome suggestions.

What changed in your set up from cycle 1 to cycle 2? 

I think that the greatest thing that has changed in the set up from cycle one to cycle two is the acknowledgement in my own mind that it is okay to keep Asperger’s Communication Training at a simple level. I have been so encouraged by my colleagues in this endeavor to create a website that gives information and instruction on communicating with Asperger’s afflicted students but almost everyone has stressed the importance of making it user friendly by keeping the site more informational and less intellectual.

What’s happening that you didn’t expect?
I hope to add an addendum to this posting since my school district is on Spring Break and the second cycle is being conducted with another faculty. I am still waiting for my second cycle to be completed so it is with baited breath that I wait for these results. My gut feeling is that it will be well received with little or no changes, yet with all of this research I wonder if this website will be useful to teachers other than those in my test groups.

How are you tracking data differently?
In the first cycle I tracked three different types of data including a pre-test, a post-test and a comment/suggestion posting. In cycle two I dropped the suggestion/comment area and just kept the pre-test and post-test to have a common area of comparison between cycle one and cycle two and believe that any changes in the results will shed light on the validity of the change in cycles.

How has FPR contributed to your Action Research?
Since I am currently in FPR I don’t know that it has directly affected my Action Research Project but it has affected me immensely as a high school video arts teacher. FPR has made me rethink my instruction in video arts classes and the content of my current curriculum. I have gleaned so many new ideas that I am going to spend this summer revamping my video arts program to utilize much of the course content that I have been given in FPR. The FPR course has been outstanding and was really what I needed at this time in my graduate program and for my own personal development as a teacher.