AR Plan Process Overview

ACTION RESEARCH PLAN

PROCESS OVERVIEW

1.      Setting the Foundation: Through a discussion with our Site Base Committee it was asked what we were planning to do with the playground equipment that was donated to our campus. Our campus principal brought it up again during one of our Lead Teacher Meeting. During the time my site supervisor and I were reviewing my Internship Plan, this question was posed again, so my site supervisor asked me to oversee the project of getting that equipment setup and useful for our campus.

2.      Analyzing Date: Seeing as we will be working directly on our campus to set up this playground/outdoor classroom equipment, I will utilize the Internet, literature, interviews with ESC staff that have set up this type of equipment before, site supervisor input, and Site Base Committee input to analyze the data.

3.      Developing Deeper Understanding: As I have used the internet to investigate outdoor classrooms and playgrounds, I have come up with several more questions that need to be asked before setting up the equipment. How many children will the playground serve at one time? Are there children with special needs to consider? Where will we set up the sign-up sheet so the teachers can take turns using the outdoor classroom? Where is the best sunlight for our vegetation box or plant box? Do we need to remove anything from the site? Do we need to level? Who will furnish the “Thompson Water Sealant” to seal the wood, so that the equipment will last for a very long time and so it will not splinter and cause a child to get hurt? And many more questions that surely will come up as we continue the project.

4.    Engage In Self-Reflection: I will use self-reflection during this project because I really want this playground to be used for special projects in which children can become engaged. We used to have a “Water Playground” that was not useful and so it was taken down. I do not want that to happen to this playground. So, as the students and teachers use the outdoor classroom, I would like to take pictures, view the lesson plan, and display the children’s work to show that the outdoor classroom is being used. This will also show our community that the outdoor classroom is being used and is not a waste. Reflection will be a useful tool once the outdoor classroom is in use.

5.      Exploring Programmatic Patterns: During the time that I am working on this project, I will be in constant communication with my site supervisor, Our Head Start Staff, and our Site Base Committee, so that everything that is done will be done for a useful purpose and with our desired goal in mind. We want this outdoor classroom to be useful for students and teachers. . I would maybe survey the teachers and ask them what else they would need to help them make good use of the outdoor classroom.

6.      Determining Direction: In determining my direction, I will definitely need to stay in contact with my site supervisor and our maintenance crew because we want to make sure our outdoor classroom is set up in a way in which it will be useful for students and teachers, but also easy to maintain for our maintenance crew. I will be in constant collaboration with all the people involved in this project so that we are going in the right direction. When I first thought about doing this project, I thought it could be done quickly and I could go on to another project, but as I look at all the goals and desires for the success of this project, I see that it will take longer than I anticipated. I will have to re-vamp my timeline to reflect a different projected date.

7.      Taking Action For School Improvement: I have contacted our ESC Staff and one gentleman has come out to make sure we have all the equipment that was donated. He also showed me pictures from several other campuses he and his co-worker have set up together with community helpers. My site supervisor, Head Start Staff, and Site Base Committee members will be informed constantly regarding the plans of this playground/outdoor classroom. Together we will collaborate to make sure everything is going as planned and we will monitor it’s use so as to address any issues that may arise.

8.      Sustain Improvement: I will also be monitoring the use of the outdoor classroom and surveying the teachers to see what else we may need to do to help improve and sustain the use of the outdoor classroom. I will share outcomes with my campus, our district and our community. I will also share the results with my online blog colleagues.