Week 5 Reflection

This course has been a good jumping off point into learning the action research process.  It has taught me many things, and I know that I will use these new talents in working with the action research project, and I hope to use this as a model for any research that I will perform as a principal at my own school.  I really have seen the benefits of this kind of study and how it truly can have an impact on schools.  It is a drastic deviation from what I consider classic research.  Classic research is performed as a study and a report of information is completed.  Action research takes the extra step of making a change in a school and seeing how this change impacts said school.  We need to be brave when taking the initiative to change processes in schools.  Some schools have become stagnate and almost cry out for change.  Action research is a way that alterations can be made in schools.  Administration and teachers have the benefit of not having to wait for the next big thing to come along and save the school if they use this process.  One can research a topic and place it into practice in a school.  Three things that I have learned from this class are: what an action research project is, the benefits of a blog, and data collection through videos. 

            Action Research is how a principal and a school can grow together. A principal starts with a question that he or she wants answered and then they implement a study of answering that question. (Dana, 2009) This is a crucial step in modern education.  Principals of today are required to be more than just the person who sits in the front office.  They are expected to actually lead the school.  One of the best ways to lead is to lead by example or model what you want from your teachers.  If, as a principal, you wish to show the staff that you want to be a data rich campus and that you really have to know your students in order to achieve this goal, taking part in action research will cause you to model your desires in order to ensure success.    This process provides data to drive campus decisions and feedback about students. When one’s goals as a campus leader are met through the process of action research, modeling expectations can be done with ease.  

            The second topic I learned about was blogging.  I have already found my blogging experience useful.  According to Dana, “Sharing your inquiry in the form of a blog will help you play with, develop, and challenge ideas that have developed about your administrative practice as a result of engaging in inquiry.” (Dana, 2009, p. 150)  Blogs give you the benefit of taking in others’ thoughts about your work without having to formally submit assignments.  It may open you up to new ideas that you had not even thought of during your research.  It is also a good way to bounce ideas off of peers.  Another good idea connected to blogs is the way we work with students.  One could see how this would help students.  It would give students yet another way to connect with their teachers.  In a class, some students are reluctant to ask questions out of fear of embarrassment.  Blogs give students an opportunity to ask questions without stigma.  Another benefit of a blog is that it would allow students to reflect on their learning and have an opportunity to see their learning grow in relation to others’ comments.  In addition, one could also see how blogging could be a benefit to teachers.  Adults can suffer from the same tendencies as our students, and teachers might find success with a carefree way to engage in a campus wide discussion.   In working with teachers, blogs have the added cache of not chaining the staff to a meeting room.  Staff could post on the blogs at their convenience. 

            The third thing I have learned is data collection through video.  One of the best ways to get an accurate picture of a classroom is by videoing.  When you video the lesson one removes the need for statements like “remember when” or “I think I saw.”  The video process allows for evidence that is viewable by the researcher and the teacher and there can be no discrepancy for interpretations when you are viewing the tape.  Dana states “. . .using video can help them collect descriptive information, better understanding an unfolding behavior, capture the process used, study the learning situation, and make visible products or outcomes.”  (Dana, 2009, pp. 86-87)  I think this would be a good tool when working with my action research project because I could video students taking part in a differentiated lesson and the teacher and I could work together to critique the lesson.  This way we could grow the use of Differentiated Instruction on my campus.