Week 5 Reflection

Research is a very daunting task. Many times we shy away from it due to the fact that we know that there is not a lot of time and we do not know how impactful it will be. When starting this class, I was dreading what was in store for me. I have come to find that was not the case. I have learned so many things that I can use and will use now and in the future. Action research is very important and when done right can make a very large impact on schools.
When I think about the lectures for this class, I think about what they wanted from us. The professors did a good job of getting across to us what they wanted us to do and to look at. This helped to understand the whole process better. I really liked Week 2 lectures because it gave us real people saying what they were doing or what is happening in their district. The lectures lead right into the assignments. I felt that they went hand and hand. I felt that the assignments were very well organized and flowed very well. I think that in Week 3, it was a little redundant. I think that if you would have had us do our plan and then come back in Week 4 and use the “8 steps from analysis to action” (Eye on Education, 2010), then we would have had more time to reflect on what we were doing. I did like how we started with data to support what we wanted to look at and then moved into our project proposals. I think that the discussion board went right along with the assignments also. It helped to talked about what we were doing and to think about what task or things might get in our way. I think that we have to be open to listen to other people in order to grow. I believe this also gave me some insight into other projects that would be good for me to look at for our school.
In reflecting on the blogs, I believe that this is something that is very important when it comes to research. You have to have a way to get your information out there for stakeholders to see. I believe that having this blog has helped me to let others see my work and get feedback. I like the blogs because other can comment on them so that what you are doing can only get better. I also think you have to be open. Sometimes things might get said that you might not agree with or do not like, but you have to listen because it helps us to grow.
I was not sure how books were going to help with research. But the Dana book has really showed me what the process looks like and how it would be beneficial to my school. It has been a very easy read and it is something that I will add to my professional library. I believe it shows you what others have done and it also gives you ideas and questions to ask. It states “though engagement in principal inquiry you replenish and invigorate your work as an educator.” (Dana, 2009) I believe this statement sums up what research is now for me and should be for all people who want to make a change.
Research is now something that I will use and will help my teachers to use. I feel that you can go small or big, but you always need to be learning. Sometimes you might not get the results you thought you would, but you have to keep researching so that you make changes happen. I believe that time is going to be the biggest issue, but the Dana book addresses this and gives you strategies to use. I will make research happen!
Works Cited
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2009). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 9 Steps from analysis to action. Larchmont: Eye on Education.

Week 4 - Action Research Plan

This an been in interesting process. I have updated my plan to reflect the comments that I was given. I believe that we have to be open in order for the process to work. I have really enjoyed seeing everyones blogs and how different our projects are. I think that this project is very beneficial to looking at things that need improvement in our schools. We have to have ways to researching things that might be better or need improvement. I will use this when I become an administrator and have a school of my own.

At this time, I have started to pull the data that I need in order to start the project. This project is going to be a year long process and will teach us many things. I have also started to look at strategies. There are many things out there, but I want to make sure that we are doing what is the best for our kids, so it is going to take me a while to find the strategies that I really want to use.

Action Research Plan - Week 3

Week 2

Action research is time consuming. You do have to find time to look at data to see what needs help. You need have to find time to do the research on the topic you picked. I know that I could do 100 different research project for our school. I believe that action research is very important but I can also see that it might become overwhelming if you let it. Action research is something that is beneficial but you have to be committed to it and be willing to put the time in that it will take to make your project successful!

Educational Leaders using Blogs

Blogging could be a powerful tool for the leaders of your school. They could use this to document the process or progress of what you are going with the research project you are working on. You could also reflect on what is happening and give all the teachers and staff an insight into what is going on and what you are thinking as their leader.

Action Research

Action research is when you look at what you have, reflect on it, and then look to see what it will take to make the changes necessary to be successful. You have to start by posing questions, then collecting data to understand your question better, and analyzing the data. You also have to read literature that applies to what you are looking at. You then have to share what you found. Action research requires the administrators and teachers to think outside the box. Since the entire process is done within the school walls, the intent is that the teachers and administrators are more on board because they have been involved in the entire process and have ownership over what is being done. The administrative inquiry does just that, gives us a chance to learn from doing. The process will also help the staff and administrators work together as a team. Action research is not something that is going to come easy. You are going to have to make it a point to do it and find time to make sure that it is happening. Action research is too important to not make it a priority.
I would use action research when I saw that there was a problem within my school. I could use it to look at teaching strategies and how successful they are being. I might want to use it when we are looking at a new program to use. I would use it when I looked at my scores and saw that they were not where the state wanted them or where I wanted them to be. Action research can be used for so many different aspects within the school. The most important thing to remember is that it needs to be used!