Action Research Web Conference #2 Jan. 27, 2011

Another interesting and informative web conference. There were so many outstanding ideas for action research. Still a lot to do and a lot more to learn. I'm actually getting a little more excited about it! This week I will be making my decision on my action research and get the ball rolling. Will post that later this week and hope for feedback from my peers! Oh and professors as well!

Reflection of week 2 - Action Research EDLD 5301

I have learned wondering about things is a good thing especially when you are thinking about action research. These wonderings should come from our passions developed through our work. In education when working as an administrator your wonderings may come from 9 different areas of passion, staff development, curriculum, individual teachers, individual students, school culture, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice. One should not focus their wonderings on controlling or changing others' practice. Discovering passion that is true and sustaining happens over time. Finally, wonderings that begin as one thing and change as time goes on is how we continue to find the best strategies and ideas to have successful students.

As I continue on through this course and deciding on my own action research project I will try to keep in mind all the information I have taken in this week.  This course is definitely going to be a journey!

Reference

Dana, N.F. (2009). The passions that drive your journey. In N.F. Dana, Leading with passion and knowledge: the principal as action researcher (pp. 29-69). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.



Web Conference 5301 Action Research Week 2

It was nice to see familiar faces and some new faces during the web conference this week. This was the first web conference for this course and it was filled with valuable information. It is great to learn that when asking questions I feel might seem stupid, are the same questions some of your classmates had. It's not just me! I like that!  Everyone should try and join in on the web conferences. They are fun and you get to put faces to names. We all get the important questions out of the way and still have time to socialize a bit. This time it was interesting because we had two professors to answer questions and make things clear. Dr. Abshire of course who I had in my last class and Dr. Jenkins. They are really helpful and want us to be successful. Looking forward to the next one.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blog

I can see blogs being used as a way to interact with other educational leaders.  This could be done district wide or even be opened to educators across the state or country.  I see it as a great way to discuss current topics of interest, such as the cutting of education funds.  Blogs can also be used as a way to interact with staff.  Have an idea?  See what your staff thinks about it before you put it into action.            

What I Have Learned About Action Research

I have learned action research is a systematic process used to study behaviors or areas of concern where improvement or a complete change is needed.  These concerns can be with an individual, within a classroom, school wide, or even district wide.  This process begins by asking, yourself or a team of educators posing questions. Once the questions are decided upon, relevant data can be gathered.  When all the data has been gathered and analyzed, a plan of action can be created. This plan of action can then be implemented over time with the intention of improving or changing the area of concern.  To make the action research more meaningful leaders should involve educators who work on the campus where the concern is. This creates collaboration among the educators causing the plan of interventions to be more meaningful and allows for substantial professional growth.  Action research causes us to reflect. When we reflect on what we are doing and compare it to what we want or need to do change will occur. Change is the ultimate goal.

I feel I am involved in a simpler form of action research on a daily basis several times a day. My current position consists of me assisting teachers within our district on behavior challenges in their classrooms. It is part of my job to go in to a classroom, discuss with the teacher about what is happening or not happening in reference to the student. I then observe the student's behavior.  This portion would be the gathering of data. After looking at the data (analyzing it) I sit down with the teacher to give suggestions and create a plan of intervention.  The teacher then implements the plan for an appropriate amount of time.  I then return to follow up and reflect with the teacher to see if the plan is working or not.  If it is, we continue on and keep in touch in the weeks and months to come.  If the plan is not working we sit down reflecting some more and adjust the plan. The teacher and I collaborate and work toward the goal of improving the students’ behavior or changing it all together.