ETHOS • FALL 2021
Dr. Evan Syropoulos - Literacy Action Research provided me with a unique opportunity to reflect on my practice and evolve as an educator. It enabled me to rethink learning in an exclusively online environment and redesign my syllabus accordingly. Inviting students to become my collaborators in the Action Research journey radically altered the class dynamic. It empowered and actively engaged them, highlighting that we are a community of learners, building on each other’s constructive criticism and thoughtful feedback. Working with my colleagues on the Chapman presentation enabled me to compare and contrast practices, recontextualize my teaching methodology, and rethink curriculum alignment in interdisciplinary terms. There is nothing more intellectually stimulating and rewarding than collaborating and exchanging knowledge with educators from various disciplines that share the same constructivist philosophy and are willing to take risks in order to revolutionize student learning.
How Do Teachers Benefit From The Action Research Process? by Steven Baldino, Konstandinos Koudounis, Eleftheria Maratos, Evan Syropoulos, Jay Whalen and Amalia Zavacopoulou, Elementary, Middle School and Academy Faculty
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s educators in a K-12 American International School developing global citizens, sharing our knowledge and experiences with university students is not a regular part of our day. When we were approached by Dr. Pelonis to participate in a virtual presentation on Action Research to students at a graduate level Education course offered at Chapman University in California, we were excited to say the least. Since one of the final courses at Chapman includes an Action Research component, ACS Athens presented a series of workshops in the form of four sessions. We participated in the second session, entitled “Faculty: From Theory to Practice” in which we presented our Action Research stories, focusing on our different learning experiences, the benefits of Action Research and even any challenges we had to overcome. What a wonderful opportunity to showcase what a reflective practitioner looks like at ACS Athens! The Chapman presentation provided a great opportunity for us to learn about each other’s projects and work process. We were able to come together as a team, make connections in our projects, and give each other valuable feedback along the way. But how has each one of us experienced the unique and rewarding process of Action Research?
Eleftheria Maratos - Middle School, Literacy Going through the Action Research process, I kept up with current educational trends and best practices to best support my students and organize my online lessons effectively and optimally to be productive. It was important to me that my learners be engaged and that learning be meaningful during this challenging time. As teachers, we collect various data, and during the Action Research process, this data was streamlined to enhance my pedagogical focus. The Action Research process drives me to focus on targeted goals and includes new practices in my teaching field. As a reflective practitioner, I consistently review and revise my lessons to see what works effectively and how students respond to activities and assignments presented to them. The journey of learning is interconnected for the educator and the learner. Through my growth, my students will grow to become reflective critical thinkers. The meetings of our Action Research groups proved critical in building professional relationships to share ideas and concerns during our discussions. The collaboration with our colleagues was invaluable. We were grateful for the opportunity to share our experiences with the graduate students of Chapman University. It is our hope that our insights on the Action Research process contributed positively to benefit those starting out in the educational field. Jay Whalen - First Grade, Literacy This year’s Action Research project created many opportunities for me to interface and collaborate with colleagues, as well as students and families. I was able to reflect on the data that I collected in multiple ways, which allowed me to adjust my teaching practices as necessary, in order to meet the various and unique needs of my students, as we alternated between virtual and face-to-face learning. Working with fellow teachers from across grade levels and disciplines as we prepared for our presentations to the Chapman students was a wonderful way for me to further reflect on my Action Research data collection and analysis. Coming together as a collaborative group, we
