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.