As I reflect on my time in Action Research, I must admit that the course was not what I first expected.  I had the same assumption that many others had – research, meant boring.  However, action research is a different level of research.  I explain it others as research that allows you to reflect on your campus or districts improvement plan.  It begins by posing a question or issue you feel needs to be resolved.  The principal or administrator then conducts research to result in plan of action that will benefit the campus, district, teachers, and students.  By conducting action research, the principal becomes the head learner and sets a positive example for his/her campus.  When the principal decides to be a learner and practices this with his/her staff and students, the campus momentum changes for the positive.  The students will value their learning more knowing their leader values its importance.  With that being said, one of the things that made the most impact on me in this course was learning to use reflective journals and/or weblogs to document my findings and things I have learned.  By doing this, my staff, administrators, coworkers, as well as fellow teachers across the state will be able to learn with me as I journey through my action research plan. 

Utilizing journals or weblogs allows a principal-researcher with a tool for reflecting on their own though processes (Dana, 2009).  If one chooses to use a weblog, it works like an online diary that others can reference use as a source.  Another benefit to blogging is, that one can combine text, images, and links to other blogs as well as post comments in an interactive format.  The comment feature of blogs allows principal-researchers to receive feedback from anyone in the world (Dana, 2009).  Blogging is a great way to also allow students a chance to learn in an interactive manner.  When the principal utilizes this tool, his/her teachers will be more likely to open this learning opportunity for his/her students.  A win-win for all.  Blogging takes learning into the 21^st century.

As I mentioned earlier, when a principal becomes the head learner of his/her campus, the learning environment steps up a notch.  As Dana states, besides using the journal or blog as a powerful data collection tool for the principal, as “Head Learners,” principals can share their journal writing or blogging time with students to model a love for writing (Dana, 2009).  I love an idea a principal had.  She scheduled ten minutes of journal writing time into her schedule each week, coordinating this time with a writer’s workshop in tow of the fifth-grade classrooms in her building.  She would show up once a week in the classroom and sit with the students as they silently participated in journal reflections (Dana, 2009).  This example the principal set for her students and staff is stronger than simply telling them what to do.  The action spoke louder than words. 

As I grow into an administrator, I hope that I too can set that kind of example for my staff and students and always be a “Head Learner.”

Works Cited

Dana, Nancy Fichman (2009).  Leading with passion and knowledge:  The principal as   

           action researcher.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press.

As week 5 winds down

Well, as week five winds down, I cannot believe how time has flown by.  I have learned a tremendous amount of information.  However, most importantly, I have learned to appreciate research on a new level.  I realize it is not only reading but more of an aspiration to become a better administrator by reflecting on your current position and how to always improve.  As I continue down the road of administration, I hope to continue to learn from an action research plan.

Time flies by!

I read on a fellow class friend's blog how she was going to set a phone reminder for herself to remind her to post progress on her blog.  I want to take this a step farther.  Not only do we need to remember to post blogs about our action research, but we must also remember our tasks on our Internship plan.  Therefore, something I am doing is to write the tasks I had "planned" to achieve on my Internship Plan on my desk calendar on my desk. So whatever items I need to do in August, I will write on the notes margin of my desk calendar to keep me on track.  I wanted to share this idea and hope it helps you also stay focused before time flies by.  Good luck everyone!

Action Research Underway

This week was my first week on my new job as Gifted and Talented Academic Coordinator.  Good news is I know I am right where God wants me to be.  That is such a blessed feeling.  I am also very excited because I was given ample opportunity to dicuss my action research plan with other administrators and how we are going to implement it.  This year our district will be conducting administrator walk-throughs that allow us to be in the classrooms seeing what the teachers are doing to enhance student performance.  One of the walk-throughs we will be conducting is one on rigor.  This will allow us to give teachers the tools to enhance the rigor in their classroom.  By conducting these walkthroughs, it will allow me and other administrators to help the teachers that need assistance and praise those that are right on target.  I hope to possibly video short spurts of the teaching styles of the teachers that are practicicing elevated rigor and differentiated instruction to show other teachers that differentiated instruction works and helps the students become more successful learners.  If teachers  are resistant to the changes we are trying to implement, can see first hand that the strategies we are stressing work, they will be more likely to use them in their own classrooms.  For the teachers that do struggle with rigor and differentiated instruction, we will gie them more training on the subjects in Job Embedded Professional Development sessions (JEPD).  These sessions will be short courses to better elaborate on the needed topics and give the teacher more tools to use in the classroom.  I will be conducting my first JEPD on September 16 on the subject of rigor.  I hope to give teachers a better idea of what rigor should look, feel, and sound like in the classroom.  This will be one of my steps in my action research journey.