Progress with my ARP

I've just created this blog for my ARP. I've been having a tough time deciding what to use for my ARP. I wanted to fully evaluate all my options. I've got my website ARP page up which has a description of the options I'm considering. I've copied and pasted here.

Overview, here was my first draft list and initial evaluation
1 - Benfield Institute - great group to work with, the timing wouldn't work and I wouldn't have enough chances to keep going back to them and make changes.
2 - Benfield Executives - great impact, ok timing assuming the project continues, I think I will go ahead and make some changes with this group as part of my business but not as my ARP.
3 - Apple/PowerSchool - Not consistent enough work and I"m trying to do less travel
4 - Rising Stars - seems the best avenue, great impact, good environment, John will be helpful and fun to work with. Could benefit both M&A and myself in the long run.
5 - Develop some type of plan to teach virtual ed tech courses at some local colleges.
6 - Some type of virtual teacher prof development

Descriptions of Potential Action Research Projects from my website....

#1 - Apple/PowerSchool

Environment - I am a contract trainer for Apple/PowerSchool training teachers and administration on a web-based student information system (SIS) and gradebooks.

Change - Make some kind of change in the inial training deployed to school districts implementing the PowerSchool system in their schools/districts.

PROS

* The established setting of teachers and pre-determined training would be a good environment.
* The nationwide, diverse audience would be interesting to see the varying degrees of response.
CONS

* As a contractor it would be hard to be able to make a consistent impact.
* I'm never sure how often I will be training because it depends on the supply/demand of the sales.
* I'm actually trying to phase out of training because of the extensive travel away from my family so this might be a step in the wrong direction.
* I would almost never have the same audience so I wonder if the research would be difficult to compare and reflect on.

#2 - Rising Stars

Environment - Working with a long time client of mine, John Meeker I assisted in establishing Rising Stars abour 2 years ago. Rising Stars is a group of professionals with 0-10 years of experience in the education inudstry coming together to help each other and get to know the industry. It also provides forms of professional development by connecting these "rising" stars to "risen" stars in the industry. The members are men and woman in the industry who have been referred to the organization. Members include represenatives from, BlackBoard, Macromedia, Scholastic, Leap Frog and other businesses to education.

Change - I am not exactly sure about this. But I am thinking I could establish both a syncronous and an asynchronous way for this national group to connect, stay connected and share resources. Ideas would be to have "Stars" be part of a tapped in session or offer some type of threaded discussions on a variety of topics.

PROS

* This is an established group
* Since the group has some experience already being "virtual" I think it would be a good audience and the time/place wouldn't be an issue.
* John would be an excellent person to work with on this.
* I would have much freedom and liberty to try different things.
* I have a relationship already with most of these members.
* It would be a way to grow the group and make the membership better.
CONS

* The group is somewhat small (15-20) and not always super responsive so would I have a hard time getting people to participate.
* What is the motivator for these members other than informational?
* How do I keep people involved, intruiged and add value to this for each of them.


 

#3 Benfield Executive Training

Environment - I am a training contractor for this company, and have been for over 7 years, however this executive training and coaching project is quite new. I'm currently contracted for 3 sessions with each executive and have completed one. The company is a reinsurance company located nationwide with their home office here in Minnesota close to me.

Change - I'm not 100% sure what the change I would use for my project. Ideas I have are, to provide them with some alternative ways to use technology on the executive level, such as internal threaded discussions or tapped in meetings. Another idea would be to introduce a new dimension to technical training for executives.

PROS

* There is a lot of potential for ways to use technology with the nationwide locale of all participants
* The training piece has already been established
*
CONS

* I'm not sure how long this project will last, although it seems to be going well, in theory it could be done by the end of the calendar year.
* The executive group, although very influential, might not be the best group to be "testing" on as their attention and time is very limited.