Week 5 Reflection

During this course, I learned about formulating, conducting and revising an action research plan.  This course also taught me the importance of utilizing blogs as a form of communication with my peers and creating a database for feedback.  I was able to formulate an action research plan by first evaluating the needs of our campus and creating a topic of interest that met those needs. By week two of this course I was able to clearly define my action research topic and discuss the idea with my site supervisor. In the third week of this course, I was able to document my research plan with a detailed chart listing the steps to be taken towards my action research. The last week’s assignment in this course was extremely helpful in identifying any possible conflicts that may arise in our research.  These steps included forming a driving source of change, looking toward future goals and getting “buy- in” from all involved participants.    It was so beneficial to me to learn about what it really means to be a school leader and creating a change.  The best part about action research is that it makes a lasting impact on a school where it is needed the most, and being part of making a difference is one of the most important aspects of being an administrator. Something that caught my interest in this course was the blogging opportunities.  I really liked using it as a source to communicate with other peers on coursework, and found it extremely simple and quick as a means for educational discussion.  I also liked having the week four assignment to be able to double check my plan, and consider any possible challenges. It really became helpful to have my action plan evaluated by my classmates and then to also get the approval of my supervisor and having steps in place to promote a force of change. One area that I would like to learn more about is how utilize my peers and colleagues more in the beginning stages of the research process. I tend to rely only on my personal research instead of getting input from other educators. I generally doubt the work of others and have a difficult time conducting research that requires input from co-workers.   I would like to be able to pitch my ideas successfully and work collaboratively better in discovering data and implementing a school wide consensus.  It makes it easier to get things accomplished when everyone is working together for one common goal. For the future application of this area I would like to educate myself more about activities that include other professionals and task that incorporate collaboration.  I would like to thoughtfully consider the opinions of others towards school improvement and use those ideas in my research process. Overall, this class taught me about the way to create change as an administrator or leader through action research.  I learned how to find the need on my campus and steps towards making a difference possible.