MCS FACULTY AND STAFF PUBLISH ACTION RESEARCH MONGRAPH THAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY NYSSBA AND THE MIDDLE STATES ASSOCIATION AS A BEST PRACTICE

Recognized by the New York State School Boards Association and the School Alliance for Continuous Improvement (SACI)/Middle States Association (MSA) as a “best practice,” the Marcellus Central School District Professional Development Committee (PDC) recently published the sixth edition of their action research monograph entitled Teacher-to-Teacher / Project S.H.A.R.E. (Transforming APPR Plans into Action Research). SHARE is shorthand for “studies highlighting the action research of educators” and this year’ edition is packed with useful articles on: Student-centered Learning Environments (by former student teacher Allison Ambrosie who is currently a science teacher with Cortland City Schools), World Language Acquisition in the Primary Years (by World Language teachers Sarah Cartmill, Shelly Marsh, and Audrey Misiano), A Modeling Approach to Developing an Understanding of “Average Rate of Change” (by Mathematics teacher AnnMarie O’Neil and Syracuse University professor Helen Doerr), Service Learning (by DMS teachers Kathleen Rein and Ryann Riefler in conjunction with administrator Deb Glisson), Incorporating 21^st Century Skills While Completing Science Laboratory Exercises (by Science teachers Kristen Lockwood and Jennifer Kelly), Homework in the 21^st Century Classroom (by Social Studies teacher Kristin Palen), Impact of MP3 Players on Cognitive Abilities (by Social Studies teacher Dan Scott), Multi-Cluster Ionization as a Viable Option for Proactive Air Purification in the Marcellus Schools Indoor Environment (by Director of Facilities Keith Watkins), eReaders and eBooks and eMagazines (by Library/Media Specialist Mary Hammontree), Mustang Mini-Grants Help to Promote Teacher Leadership by Supporting Faculty-led Research Projects (by the Administrative Cabinet), and Starting an Inquiry-based Elementary Science Learning Laboratory (by Elementary Science Laboratory teacher Mary Jo Hoeft). The purpose of the monograph is to disseminate the results of action research studies conducted by school district faculty as part of their Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Plans. Not surprisingly, one of the goals of this action research initiative is to “encourage collaboration and reduce insularity among faculty members as they discover common pedagogical interests.” This year’s publication was dedicated to Dave Taddeo upon his “second retirement” from the school district as a public information consultant. Mr. Taddeo’s newspaper articles about the students and the teachers were regular features in both the Syracuse Post Standard and Marcellus Observer. The monograph’s dedication paid tribute to Mr. Taddeo’s commitment to capture district events from concerts, to athletic contests, to theatrical productions, to graduation ceremonies in both stories and photographs. His devotion to the school community helped to ensure that copies of the different school publications - including the district newsletter - would become treasured “keepsakes” for parents and family members alike.