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This video focuses on 53 useful things you can do with Wikis in your teaching. Although this focuses on higher education rather than special education, there is still a lot of ideas I could take from this and relate it to my own project.

This editorial comments on some innovations in creating change to address the issue of bullying, including an effort called Roots of Empathy. The approach described here is interesting because rather than addressing a problem directly by creating a structure around it, enforcing reward and punishment, and convincing others about right and wrong, the approach is indirect -- it involves setting up a certain environment and tapping into people's innate abilities to behave in positive and productive ways.

More predictable easy pap from Tom Friedman, the NYTImes resident billionaire sage. He reports that we are falling fast and that we, in order to field a strong military and compete in global economics, need to make serious changes in the quality of our national teacher stock. He points to countries that require teachers to graduate in the top third of their college class and he advocates establishing a federal/national teacher's college, similar to a military academy, as a symbolic leader in the all out public relations battle needed to get people to take schooling seriously. He does closes by acknowledging that students and parents have to get on board, too.

Action research in a school. This article discusses how a school librarian was required to have students for one thirty minute class period. She talks about how she didn't want it to be a waste of time so she came up with a plan to make sure the time spent in the library would be well spent. She got feedback from the students to get ideas on what they wanted to get from this experience.

This is a reflective paper after implementing an action research plan. It discusses results of the action as well as difficulties that arose throughout the action research cycle. I thought this was fitting as our own action research projects come to an end. Enjoy!!

The was written in 1997 (by professional development specialists), so it is a little older, however it is a nice overview of the importance of evaluating professional development programs for teachers. Anyone interested in action research related to professional development would find this useful!

University of Maryland cooperative program that empowers communities through community/collaborative work programs. The site promotes and supports land trusts, employee-owned firms, universities, community development corporations etc.

An overview of Action Research, which also offers some different definitions.

This is the journal/report of a computer science teacher at a private school who redesigned his classes, moving away from a grades- and information-based model toward an adaptive learning, self-motivating, community-of-scholars, discovery approach. He designed it as an ongoing action-research project for his graduate degree. The narrative is easy to follow and good things happen.

6 Features of Effective Teaching for Middle Schools & High Schools

This article, and the video linked on the page, talk about the use of interactive visual supports to help teach children with autism, and manage their behaviors. This research is important as the number of children diagnosed with autism increases and the as technology continues to progress. It makes sense that there would be technological advances in the special education field.

A video of three Canadian teacher's effort to incorporate project based learning into their curriculum.

This got me thinking again about inquiry and problem-based learning. Engagement and ownership while working through/with their own ideas allows students to grow.

This article provides a glimpse of the potential backlash from parents as their children begin to utilize social media within their education. Seen as a pastime, some parents are alarmed that social media is being integrated into the school curriculum.

Organizational Behavior is the study of individuals behave in organizations. This site discusses the four major models or frameworks that organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial.

randomized control trials used in medicine to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs are now being used to evaluate policies -- some people get assistance; others don't.\nthis can be read in conjunction with the course reading by Muir, Hazel. 2008. Science rules OK: Running societies the rational way. New Scientist (24 May):40-43.

"The ten major characteristics of Servant Leadership are: listening, empathy, healing relationships, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to human resource development, and commitment to building community."

Backer, T., J. Chang, A. Crawford, T. Ferraguto, D. Tioseco and N. Woodson (2002). "Case study and analysis: The Center for the Improvement of Teaching, University of Massachusetts, Boston."