The Ontario Action Researcher
 

A New Professional Development Kit

In April 1998, The Brant County Board of Education, Nipissing University, and the Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation released a new professional development kit on action research entitled, Action research: School improvement through research-based professionalism (Delong & Wideman).
Packaged in a heavy-duty plastic container, the kit includes two books and a 22 minute video program:

  • The first book, Action research: School improvement through research-based professionalism (Delong & Wideman), gives voice to a wide variety of Ontario classroom teachers who describe their research. It also contains sections on how to begin Action Research, and how to support it in the school and the school system.
     
  • The second book, Action research for professional development (McNiff), describes how to begin to conduct Action Research. It is organised around questions about Action Research frequently asked by teachers. This essential primer is a "must read" for beginning Action Researchers.
     
  • The video program, Improving Schools Through Action Research (Delong & Wideman), includes teachers from Brant County describing their feelings about conducting Action Research in their schools. The program also includes other voices in support of Action Research and puts faces to the names in the two kit books.

The kit is available through the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Commodities Department for the price of $29.95 (Cdn.). It can be ordered by calling (905) 238-0200 or 1-800-268-7221.

The Story of the Partnership

The story of the Partnership that has produced Action research: School improvement through research based professionalism, and the Ontario Action Researcher has now been published in the International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning (Couture, Delong, & Wideman, 1999).
The article contributes to the literature on partnerships between schools and universities. You will find this article on the partnership among the Grand Erie District School Board, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, and Nipissing University at the link: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~iejll.

Fourth Annual "Act, Reflect, Revise" Forum

The fourth annual "Act, Reflect, Revise" forum on Action Research will be held on April 29 and 30, 1999, at the Waterloo Inn in Waterloo Ontario. The forum is a partnership project of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, the Waterloo District School Board, and the Waterloo Elementary Teachers’ Federation Local. It will provide a "shared space" for teachers, principals, superintendents, and others interested in the process of Action Research to exchange experiences and share ideas. The emphasis will be on dialogue and reflection. Recognised leaders in the field of Action Research will be on site, including:

Jackie Delong, Grand Erie District School Board
Doug Hamilton, York Region District School Board
Lynn Hannay, OISE/UT Midwestern Centre
Clay Lafleur, Ontario Ministry of Education and Training
Jack McFadden, Simcoe District School Board
Fran Squire, Ontario College of Teachers
Ron Wideman, Nipissing University
Jack Whitehead University of Bath, U.K.

Please contact Marg Couture
Co-ordinator of Professional Development Services,
the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario at 1-888-838-3836
for more information regarding the "Act, Reflect, Revise" program.
You may also communicate by FAX - 1 (416) 964-0512 - or by Email - mcouture@etfo.org.

Using the OAR List-serve

We welcome you to register on the Ontario Action Researcher List-serve to discuss with other registrants the articles in this journal and the issues related to Action Research that they raise. The List-serve may be accessed through the button at the top of the Home Page. Any message sent over the List-serve will be received by all registrants on the List-serve.