Week 2 Reflection

This week has been very busy, both as a teacher and a student! The start of the new school year is on the not-so-distant horizon, and I look forward to going back to school to make action research part of my routine. I have enjoyed coming up with a topic and seeing the changes that I have made to my purpose as I continue to review the literature I find. Additionally, Chapter 2 in the Dana text has really given me insight on the scope of topics that can be researched! It was neat to see the thinking process that shaped the purpose of real-life action research topics. It has given me a renewed interest in some of the wonderings I have had in the past. It may be easier than I thought to make this type of inquiry part of my weekly routine!

Blogs for Educational Leaders

Educational leaders can use blogs in a variety of ways. They can use a blog to collaborate with other principals on a variety of subjects, or to stay up to date on the latest education news. The collaboration can be with principals from a variety of schools, including those in other states, districts, or school levels. Blogs can also be used by leaders as a means to update teachers on anything from professional development to their personal life. My own principal used a blog last summer to keep us updated on an exclusive principal professional development she was invited to at Harvard. It was a fun and interesting way to keep up with her learning that also gave her a chance to reflect on what she had learned each day!

Action Research

Like others in this course, the term "Action Research" was both new and intimidating to me. I envisioned spending countless hours by myself, pouring over volumes of texts to learn about a problem or subject that was assigned to me by a professor or mentor. Fortunately, this is not what action research is about!

I was excited to learn that action research, or inquiry as it is also called, is a process that puts you in the driver's seat of your own learning. Action research starts with a defining a problem or a wondering. Once you have identified the question, data is collected and analyzed. It is important to reflect on the data to develop a deeper understanding based on previous experience. At this point, an action is taken based on the results of the analysis. You can take your inquiry a step further by sharing what you have learned with others.

I can use action research to improve my practices in the classroom. By continually analyzing and reflecting upon the data I collect from my inquiries, I can continue to grow and learn as a professional and share my learning with others. I can also become part of my school’s leadership team and help my administrators to make important decisions about the campus. Taking part of the action research process on this team will help to build my experience and help make me a better administrator.

By starting to use action research as a teacher, I can make it part of my daily practice. This will help to ensure that I can find time for inquiry as an administrator!