New Idea for Action Research Topic

   My original idea for action research was to research the effectiveness of the use of iPad math apps towards student's math achievement.  Upon meeting with my interning principal and assistant it was decided that our iPads didn't have the necessary math apps for such research.  Upon further discussion with my assistant principal, it was decided that I could research the effectiveness of interactive science notebooks at our campus.  It is mandatory that all grade levels use the interactive notebooks this year on this particular campus.  I am curious as to how these notebooks will help the bilingual classes in science on our campus. What do you think?

My Knowledge in Action Research

  

   Prior to enrolling into Lamar University’s Online Master’s Program, I had no knowledge of the meaning of action research.  I still have a lot to learn, but I want to share with you a couple of unique characteristics of action research and just touch on the vast description of what it is.

   Action research is simply taking a problem, idea, or an inquiry and researching this problem to accumulate as much data as you can.  It’s involving other educators and/or students to share your data with.  This data will be used to tweak or resolve the problem.  Upon stepping back and taking a second look at the problem, if it is not resolved then keep researching and evolving yourself and your strategies until the problem is better or resolved.  

   One unique quality of action research is that the people wanting the change are the same people that are conducting the inquiries to help themselves improve in their own practices.  Through their own observations and communications with other people, they will generate solutions to their own problems.  Action research empowers those who use it.

   Another unique quality about action research is that people will come together to work collaboratively on the problem, thus helping each other become more effective because they can step back and look at their own work and consider how they could change for the better.

   Upon learning about action research it became obvious that as a teacher, I had used action research most of my teaching career!  What teacher doesn’t observe their students and then collect data on these students as well as change their practices towards these students to help the students improve or to help their school environment improve?  While our schools continue to change with the rapid development of technologies and other factors, our schools challenge us to adapt.  It is apparent that educators must meet these challenges and strive to seek ways to be great leaders if our schools are to be lead into the future with success. Using action research as their launching pad is a great way to begin to go forward successfully.

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

   Blogging makes communication interactive with discussions, feedback, and collaborating with others.  What a great way for educational leaders to help others learn!  History teachers could set up a blog for students to read about an important event that took place on that day in history.  These events could be archived and as the lists grow, teachers could have trivia questions that students could give feedback on.  Teachers could use blogs to post an assignment that would require some type of writing feedback, like using vocabulary words to fill in the blanks on a particular story or to give an opinion on a particular current event.  School leaders could use blogs to keep the school community updated with relevant information concerning their schools, like bond issues, school closings or current events.  The ways that educational leaders can use blogs is endless.  They can keep us informed and in touch!