EDLD 5301 Week 2 Assignment Reflection

In this week’s assignment I learned that administrators need to always think outside the box to solve perplexing campus issues. As a prospective leader I need to recognize that there exists a wealth of information that reflects how certain action research studies have helped other campuses solve serious problems among teachers and students. I also learned that an effective leader always maintains a heightened awareness of issues that impact teacher instruction, student achievement, and parental/community involvement. Most importantly, action research does not alienate the researcher from the practitioner. Rather, it serves as a valuable tool that utilizes effective inquiry to solve some of the most perplexing problems in education. I can already see how action research can benefit our campus in the area of accountability. If teachers want the climate of a school to change, they have to reflect on their own attitudes to see if they need to change first. Thus, only then will real change take place. This sounds like a job for-ACTION RESEARCH MAN!!

My take on action research

I have learned that action research is a systematic approach in understanding and improving how a person learns and teaches. It is a career long process that challenges both teachers and leaders to reflect on their practices and to find what areas need adjustments. Action research empowers the individual to make decisions based on data and past experiences. An effective leader will challenge teachers to implement this type of practical theory to enhance the learning experience for individual students and the class as a whole. Systematically, teachers must collaborate with each other to reflect on how students learn in each other’s classrooms. Many schools are beginning to implement this model by including an official collaboration period for core teachers. The result is that teachers form a community among each other and present a stronger unified front when dealing with students with adverse attitudes and/or circumstances. Action research does not stop there. Administrators must also require teachers to include parental support as part of the action plan equation. Effectively implemented, administrators provide a forum and a model for teachers to follow. In turn, teachers then model to their students how to take ownership of their own learning. Thus, rather than relying on research that leaves out the actual practitioner, action research focuses on how all stakeholders can focus in on specific problem areas to achieve overall campus and community goals.

Welcome

Welcome to my action research blog. I look forward to using this tool to help me develop into a prospective leader. Part of this process is to understand how others perceive me and how I perceive myself. This is especially so among my fellow colleagues. As a community of individuals who strive to become effective leaders we continually have to make adjustments in how we approach issues that are unique to our own campuses/districts. Thanks again for taking a moment or two to contribute your thoughts and ideas on my blog.