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Web-Based Action Learning Resources
Action Learning for Individual and Organisational Development
The site provides an overview of the action learning process and covers topics including strategies for organising action learning teams, the benefits of using action learning and the challenges it presents.
The site is particularly useful if you would like a brief overview of the critical elements of action learning, and would like some practical tips for its implementation.
An Australian site with a substantial collection of action research resources including an online journal, papers and links to other relevant websites.
If you have some time spare, then take a look at this site. It provides detailed information about a range of issues associated with action research.
Action Research at Queens University
A Canadian site which includes a selection of materials from action research activities in the Faculty of Education. The site links to action research papers written by teachers.
The site is well worth visiting if you are interested in learning about the types of action research projects which other teachers have embarked upon.
Networks: An On-line journal for Teacher Research
Networks is
an on-line journal, with articles related to teachers and academics classroom
research.
The articles in the journal provide examples of the reflective process used in a variety of settings. If you are interested in finding written examples of teachers engaging in a problem and looking at ways of working through it, this site could be of use. The articles will appeal to a broad range of readers and are regularly updated.
Action Research Laboratory (ARL) (Highland Park High School, Illinois, United States of America)
Highland Park High School has presented action research since 1995 on this site.
The site presents a series of teachers stories, especially focused on assessment and engaging in student learning. The site gives a sense of the impact of a whole schools use of action learning.
Action Research on the Web Help
This site is a cooperative effort of Douglas ESD, Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Public Education Network in the United States.
Although the site has been set up to support postgraduate study in action research, there are some great links to completed action research stories. There is a brief introduction to action research.
Primarily an on-line, refereed journal, which is a partnership between the Grand Erie School Board, Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and Nipissing University in Canada.
If you are looking for teachers stories the journal provides a wide variety of articles from teachers in a variety of contexts, on many different topics. An article by Cila Dale (Volume 4, Issue 1, 2001) on mentoring and supporting teachers may be of use to facilitators. Also has a listserv.
Pathways to School Improvement
Pathways to School Improvement is a much awarded site from the North Central Regional Laboratory in Oak Brook, Illinois (USA). Ten such laboratories cover the United States. The site aims to support schools through improvement cycles.
Of particular interest to facilitators will be the Professional Development Section, which has substantial resources about effective professional development. The segment includes audio and visual grabs and print commentary. Teachers will find other segments on the homepage index of interest. While the United States context is obvious, the resources are substantial well worth a look.
National Staff Development Council
The Council is a non-profit professional association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement.
The Council publishes three journals: Journal of Staff Development, Results, and Tools for Schools. You can access these under publications. You can use the library section to find articles grouped according to themes (including Action Research). There is a strong focus on action and school-based learning in the articles.
Coalition of Essential Schools
The Coalition is a network, based in the United States, of over thousand schools. It seeks to promote higher student achievement and develop more nurturing and humane school communities. For the Australian equivalent, see the Australian National Schools Network.
Under Fieldbook, a substantial number of useful resources can be found. In particular, teachers and facilitators will find the protocols (under School Design/Staff Development) of use in looking at student work. Leaders will also find the resources (e.g. Leadership/Building Consensus) practical and worthwhile.
This site is hosted by the Annenberg Institute for School Reformat Brown University, which aims to improve conditions and outcomes of schooling in America. The Looking at Student Work site is the result of collaboration between individuals and educational institutions, focusing on looking at student work as a means of strengthening connections between instruction, curriculum and other aspects of school life to students learning.
Under Protocols and Beyond the Basics, teachers and facilitators are presented with fantastic resources that will assist in working collaboratively and looking at student work. This includes assistance with fine-tuning questioning, and reflective practices. There is a strong emphasis on the use of protocols to assist analysis of work and practices.