EDLD 5301 - Action Research - Week 2

I have really learned a lot about the different areas that action research can be used to help a principal and his or her campus. The nine areas covered in the Dana text were very helpful for me to see all of the vast things that can be researched and examined for successfulness in a principal position. I especially liked the examples given by actual principals from districts that encountered these problems or concerns on their campuses. Being given examples that are abstract or made-up are not near as effective and relatable as real-world examples. Covering these nine area also helped me narrow down my possible topics for action research.

I narrowed down my choices to three possibilities: our campus Response to Intervention program, the motivation of students and teachers, and the benefits of a pull-out Title program versus an inclusion program. After speaking with my site supervisor, I have decided to inquire and research about the Title program possibilities for our campus. We have always been an inclusion title school, but this upcoming school year we are trying a pull-out program. I am interested to see how other schools do this, and their success rates. I am also interested in seeing how this change affects our students’ overall performance on the state assessment given.

Let the exploration begin…

Action Research - EDLD 5301 - Week 1

Action research, or administrator inquiry, is when a school leader takes a deeper look at a question they have about their campus, forms a plan to make changes, implements those changes, and then reevaluates the question to see if improvements have been made. To me, “action” is the key word to the phrase, “action research”. When pulling information from outside resources, you are comparing apples to oranges. Their situation may or may not be the same as yours. Their campus demographic may be completely opposite of yours. It is not just researching the perspectives or programs of other people outside of your school, but taking an intrinsic look at your own self, your own personal position, and your own personal campus to see what concerns are apparent, and to create a plan to try to remedy that situation. The creation of the plan is done through researching the data of outside sources as well as analyzing the data you can get from your campus. After implementing changes, the leader should make sure the changes positively affected the original concern that was addressed.

 

A blog can be an excellent way for educational leaders to share ideas with other leaders in their area or from across the country. The internet is world-wide, so you can gain insight from anywhere. It can almost be used as a journal for personal reflection as you experience different obstacles in the leadership position. A blog can also be used to share your ideas for strategies or programs that may be helpful in the classroom for your faculty or staff.