Research? Borning? Not!!

Research!?!  The word is very scary or so I thought 5 LONG weeks ago.  Before beginning this course, EDLD 5301 Research, I had no idea what to expect.  I had heard how it was going to be the toughest class ever.  I was nervous and even entertained the idea that maybe this is not really what I want to do.

               As I began the first week of this course, I began watching the lectures and immediately panicked when Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury began talking about “Action Research”.  What was it and how do we do it?   Dr. Arterbury suggested some great tips during the first lecture.  Some of those tips included stay on topic, create a visual road map for the reader, begin my outline with an introductory statement, general-to-specific flow works best, create a varied blend in writing and conclude with summary statements.  After completing the first assignment, I was a basket case who was stressed out waiting for my grade to post.  Finally it did and all was great!  I thought “I can do this!”  The lectures, video conferences, and Facebook Page were very informative and helped me feel at ease when creating my Action Research plan.

              I also enjoyed the readings that were included with this course.  Leading with Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as an Action Researcher by Nancy Dana Fichman and Examining What we do to Improve our Schools: 8 Steps to Improve our Schools by S. Harris, S. Edmondson, and J. Combs. Although both books were very informative, I learned more from “The Dana Text”.  In the book Leading with Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as an Action Researcher, “Administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry.  Inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or “wondering”, collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others (Dana p.2-3).”  This process is a long process and does take quite a bit of time.  I found this process somewhat demanding of my own time since I am currently out of school for the summer and use the month of July to organize my school supply drive of providing supplies to needy students in SISD.  900 students this year!   It will take a lot of time and effort once school is in session.  Finding the time is the key factor when implementing an Action Research Plan.  According to the book, What we do to Improve our Schools: 8 Steps to Improve our Schools, leaders who want to improve their schools (in my opinion, all staff members are leaders in some way), “Need to engage in meaningful improvement in their schools, empower their teacher to willingly and collectively participate in improvement, broaden the definitions of performance indicators, and understand the skills and tools necessary to lead effective change (Harris, xiv).”  The latter states the need to understand all tools and skills to lead effective change, which includes one’s ability to manage their time to inherit a working Action Research plan.

               The assignments and activities for this course were very time consuming and a little frustrating at times but with the closeness we are gaining from our social media board, Facebook, I felt more confident as time progressed.  Our page is truly a beneficial tool when working on assignments and activities.  It allows for current feedback from other students in the program to make appropriate changes to my assignment or activity.

               With the use of the blog for this class, it is amazing being able to see and communicate with others in my class as well as followers outside of my class and rely on their feedback for any suggestions or changes that need to be made to my Action Research Plan.   Blogging is a tool that I have used in the past to communicate with parents and plan to continue to use throughout my teaching career.

 As I reflect back on this course, I have gained many insights into action research.  I am reminded of Lou Holtz’s quote in the Harris text Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools, “We aren’t where we want to be, we aren’t where we ought to be, but thank goodness, we aren’t where we used to be.” (Harris, et al)  This statement reflects my feelings about doing action research.  Through my action research project, I know that changes will occur at my school, whether they are intended or not. I like the forward progress that comes with action research and the constant opportunity to grow as a teacher and a researcher. 

           With the use of the tools and resources received from this course, it will make the process of implementing my Action Research Plan easy and efficient.  I will use the information I obtained to not only follow through with my current Action Research plan but also to create and implement other plans to improve our campus, community and student achievement.