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Overview & Objectives
Teacher leadership is heralded as a key to school improvement, with teacher leaders serving as change agents in providing higher quality education for all students. Action research promotes the development of effective teaching strategies and school-wide change through teacher leadership. Action research is a platform which is proving successful in helping teachers identify and solve problems they encounter, promoting improved teaching strategies, support, and retention, and positively affecting school accountability.

This session will demonstrate the ways that technology has enhanced classroom action research projects undertaken by K-12 teachers who seek to improve teaching and learning in their classrooms through a formal reflective process. Action research has been recognized by states and school districts as a valuable form of professional development because it applies steps of systematic inquiry to the improvement of practice. Technology supports action research at several stages. A website with digital video provides an overview and tools for the process (http://www.nefstem.org/teacher_guide/intro/index.htm). Teachers may apply graphic organizer tools for project planning, web search tools for learning about the problem they will investigate, spreadsheets for working with data collected about the problem, and blogs for sharing results. The session will give examples of ways each technology may be used, and will share reference materials for participants embarking on their own action research projects.

Well-conceptualized teacher leadership training has been cited as the central component of many successful programs impacting student outcomes, with the positive effects of teacher leaders further emphasizing the need for more specialized programs together with strong partnerships (Patterson, 2002; Zimpher, 1988). To be effective in leadership roles, teachers need to participate in programs that develop the content knowledge and pedagogical skills they need for success, including skills of mentorship and knowledge of adult learning principles. While there are many courses and workshops in administration, curriculum, and specialty areas, there are few opportunities for teachers to prepare for leadership roles which allow them to remain in the classroom while participating in significant school wide activities designed to promote change (Clemson-Ingram & Fessler, 1997). Katzenmeyer (2001) contends, “Within every school there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership, which can be a strong catalyst for making change.” Research supports the idea that teaching practitioners who engage in their own collective, self-reflective inquiry are likely to improve and understand their practice far more than those who do not (Boles & Troen, 1997; Goodlad, 1994; Holmes Group, 1986; Kemmis & McTaggart; 1988; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1989).

Outline
The session will provide a brief introduction of the purpose and stages of action research, referring to the video of teachers, the Decision Tree, and other materials at the Action Research for Teachers website at http://www.nefstem.org/teacher_guide/intro/index.htm. The main portion of the session will demonstrate various supporting tools and organizers for each stage of the action research process. Session facilitators, interacting with participants, will develop a mock classroom action research proposal that integrates a range of technology.

Supporting Research
Barnes, M., Kerlin, D., Thomas, F., & Biehler, S. (2004). A Study of Teacher Leader Professional Development with Action Research, paper presented at National Science Teachers Association, Atlanta, GA.
Boles, K. and V. Troen. (1997). How the emergence of teacher leadership helped build a professional development school. In M. Levine and R. Trachtman (Eds.), Making professional development schools work: Politics, practice, and policy (pp.52-75). New York: Teachers College Press.
Clemson-Ingram, R. & Fessler, R. (1997). Innovative programs for teacher leadership. Action in Teacher Education, 19, 95-106.
Goodlad, J. (1994). Educational Renewal: Better Teachers, Better Schools. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Holmes Group, Inc. (1986) Tomorrow's Teacher: A Report of the Holmes Group. East Lansing, MI: The Holmes Group, Inc. ED 270 454.
House, E. (1983). Assumptions underlying evaluation models. In G.F. Madaus, M. Scriven & D.L. Stufflebeam (Eds.), Evaluation models. Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff.
Katzenmeyer, M., and Moller, G. (2001). Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers Develop as Leaders. Corwin Press, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.
Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (1988, 3rd ed.). Introduction: The Nature of Action Research. In S. Kemmis and R. McTaggart (Eds.). The Action Research Planner, 5-28.
Kerlin, D. & Barnes, M. (2004). Teacher leadership in science and mathematics: The impact of a graduate course. Final report to the Florida Center for Public Policy and Leadership, University of North Florida.
Keys, C. and Bryan, L. (2000) Co-Constructing Inquiry-Based Science with Teachers: Essential Research for Lasting Reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(4) pp 631-645.
Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative date analysis: An expanded source book (Second Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mills, G.E. (2003). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], Commission on Standards for School Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
National Research Council. (1996). The national science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Patterson, J.H. (2002). Resilient teacher leaders for urban schools: reflections for teacher education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 457154)
Strausss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and Techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Zimpher, N.L. (1988). A design for the professional development of teacher leaders. Journal of Teacher Education, Jan-Feb, 53-60.

V-NECC-Virtually Extending NECC Over Time and Place
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Presenter Background & Qualifications
The presenters are teacher educators in instructional technology who have facilitated teacher action research courses and professional development programs. The presenters created the Action Research for Teachers website as a result of a funded action research study. Both presenters have been educators for over 20 years, and currently teach instructional technology at a state university.

Prerequisites
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Referenced Web Links (URLs)
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