Sunday, July 29, 2012

I'm beginning to get a grip on this blogging. I love all the ideas for action research. It will make for a nice check list as I begin the new year and for years to come as I see needs arise to question processes within our school. Thanks to all for the great questions to Dr. Abshire. They are very helpful. I am learning a lot about technology as well.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Blogs for educational leaders could be most useful. They are a quick way to share day-to-day information and experiences with classmates such as ourselves. Online courses are wonderful, but I do miss that connection of conversing and sharing what worked and gaining insight to questions I might have or might be struggling to solve. I hope I can utilize this blog in the way it was intended and gain many friends through the process.

What I haved learned about action research during week 1

Action research by name was not familiar to me. Once I started reading about the inquiry it involved, it then made perfect sense.  I am on a campus that uses this process. We are small, yet work very hard to improve ourselves as professionals to increase our student learning. This means we meet collectively in PLC's, Leadership Teams, and administrators are involved in university course work. 

Each group does come together with a question in mind of how improvement in one area can be reached. Norms and goals are then created with a time line. Assessing takes place either with the administrator or the teachers. Data over time is collected and the groups study the data and reflect on what worked and what still might need improvement. Sometimes it means a new question must be posed if the original goal was not met, other times a new goal is made as progress is evident from the previous goal.

Action research to me is and can be a very personal tool especially as the element of reflection is added to the mix.  " Learning reflective practice is one of the goals of the internship." (School Leader Internship, p.107) This will be a very powerful strategy for growth and improvement as I fulfill my goal to become an effective administrative leader.
I am trying this out to see if I did it correctly. This is all so new to me.