Action Research

Action research is the process of the practicing professional to conduct research during the professional practice in order to collect data that will help inform, reform, and improve his practice. This powerful way of using experimental design, or best practices that are new to the instructor is an extremely effective way to influence the practice of one's grade level or subject are colleagues, one's  campus, or one's district. When teachers conduct research in their own classrooms, the students will benefit from the best practice being used, the teacher will be more reflective about actions taken during instruction, the steps taken will be completed on purpose, and overall achievement should increase. If it does not, the practice can be tweaked or abandoned. The result is that the practice will be improved, the practitioner's understanding of their practice will improve, and the environment where the practice takes place will improve. The power lies in the fact that instead of being a consumer of other's research the person at the level of delivery is now the creator of the research. That person is now empowered to take chances and feel confident that what they have had success with is the right strategy to use. In the case that the data does not support the use of the strategy, it can be discontinued or conducted in modified ways.

Usefulness of Blogs

As I read the information on blogging that is available and watched a video about how blogs work, their usefulness as a communication tool, I was struck with the genius of sharing ideas in this way. Then I became terrified that I was going to have to create a blog. To put in writing what I am thinking is not new but to share it on a blog where more than just the professor can comment and provide feedback involves a great deal of risk. To open one’s self up to the criticism of other professionals is downright scary. But then again, it is an incredible way to learn. I realize that my view that a blog is scary is anchored in my old world mental model of what it means to learn and publish. In the blog you can receive feedback from so many different points of view that your final product will likely be of better quality than it would have been with a limited amount of feedback. Learning then becomes a group endeavor. I don’t have to know it all, just be willing to learn from all the little pieces that others can offer. Incredible.

     In a world of emerging technologies it is important for educational leaders to utilize the latest advances and model their effective and responsible use for staff and for students. This example is a powerful way to motivate innovation in your district and in classrooms at your campus. That said about technology in general, a blog is an extremely useful tool that I will use in my next leadership role to help keep my teachers and staff informed of announcements and general information, to share links, videos, and reflections and to generally communicate about our campus and education in general in an efficient way. Once I am skilled at that, I will likely create a blog that discusses our one-to-one iPad initiative and provide a forum to reinforce what we are learning about the use of that technology in the classroom. The experience of creating my blog made me feel as though I was entering the new age. However, when I asked my seventeen year old son if his teachers blog, he stated, “Dad, nobody blogs anymore. They Vlog – you know, video blog.” I felt ancient once again. I think this bolsters my original point: we have to try to stay ahead in order to just keep up!