Week 5 reflection... better late than never

Well, week 5 was a whirlwind for me. I moved and so, I can honestly say for the first time since we started in June, I did not give it my all. I gave about 90% effort but I just couldn't find the time with moving and all the prep work that goes into moving to devote more time this past week. That being said, I am all moved in and am excited about settling down into a routine now that the new school year is here. My son will be starting middle school this year :(, he is growing up way too fast.  I am also excited about getting going on a new class- I think it will be teaching with technology this time- and learning new things. I think the greatest thing about these classes are the "projects" that we have do do for assignments. To me, they really add to the learning! Have a great week~ Marissa :)

Week 4 Reflection

I don't know about you guys, but this week has really been pleasant.  I completed my assignment rather quickly (by course standards anyway ). I have also enjoyed reading the discussion board this week. Although, I am not happy that everyone feels they will have obstacles, I am glad to know I am not alone! I am so excited that we are coming up on the last week of the course. I need a little break from school, but will be ready to dive right on in August 27th with the next course. I was a little concerned about the 5 week course and the pace of them, but it has really been great. Has anyone been contacted by their field supervisor yet? I haven't~ just curious if I was the only one. Have a great week my friends!

Action Research Project Progress

Ok friends.... this is what I have so far...

Action Research Topic:

In Jefferson County, PCT 7 which sentencing program or programs are the most effective in preventing repeat truancy.

Goal:

The main goal of this project will be to investigate which truancy sentencing programs are most effective in preventing repeat truancy filings. A few sub-goals I hope to learn from this project are: are there any online resources for truancy, what are the best ways to prevent truancy from happening, and what role do parents play in truancy.

Action Step	Person Responsible	Timeline: Start/ End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Search the web, magazines, books and periodicals for information about truancy and its’ effects. Investigate ways other Justice of the Peace offices are using creative sentencing in their courts. Investigate ways school districts are using to prevent truancy. Interview Judges and school personnel to find out their methods in preventing truancy and repeat truants. Find out what impact technology plays in truancy.  Use my blog to record weekly observations about my progress.	Marissa	September 2012	Web, books, periodicals, magazines, personal interviews
Report my finding to Judge Burnett and my site mentor. Decide on which options he would like to implement in the court.	Marissa	October 2012	Materials previously gathered
Observe truancy court; interview other court personnel to gauge which programs seem to be working; interview school officials to see what programs are working; follow up with parents and students to find out if they are still engaged in truancy	Marissa	October 2012- May 2013	Observation notes
Conduct a post-school year survey with  administrators, court personnel, the Judge, and other that may have been involved in the program	Marissa	June 2013	Post program survey	Record results of the survey
Compile all materials, data, observation notes and surveys. Create a presentation to share the results with others.	Marissa	July/August 2013	All materials gathered during the course of this project	Post program wrap up meeting

Week 3- Action Research Reflection

I have finally decided on a topic- thank goodness! I will be researching truancy and sentencing. This project will not only be great research for the children in our area, but also for the court in which I currently work. The only "not so great" thing about this project is, that it really doesn't have a whole bunch to do with technology. My masters will be in Educational Technology. I am hoping though to be able to present my finding with other courts/judges and possibly other schools through the use of technology. Also, I will investigate if there are some technology solutions out there to help children and parents deal with this issue.  This weeks' web-conference was  great. I was a few minutes late, but I can watch those couple minutes I missed sometime this weekend. It seems like with both classes I have had this far, I doubt my abilities on  how in the world I am going to get all of the assignments accomplished, but after the web-conferences I feel so much better about them. This week was no exception. I think we have an amazing class and everyone really seems that they want to help each other and I so much appreciate that! I am not currently teaching so I feel a little slow sometimes with all terminology and such, but I appreciate all the patience from the other classmates~ You guys are awesome!
 I hope everyone has  a great week!