Lessons learned from Week 2 (EDLD 5301 Research)

I learned from watching and listening to each of these scholars to not make decisions without looking at data first. We need teachers that come out of college having a concept of what research is and being able to conduct it so they can impact student achievement. We should teach our teachers to be data driven. Many districts have been through what my district could be currently experiencing. We should look at those other districts and ways that they improved student achievement, etc. Use the internet to read and study. Making sure that the data is going to help change student performance is very important. We are living in a technological age and the old days of waiting for the data to come in are now over. We have to be proactive instead of reactive.

Colleague collaboration is very important. Blogs are a great way for teachers and administrators to share knowledge and information. Blogs are also a fantastic way for students and parents to keep up with the every day happenings in the classroom. We live in a technological world and blogs can be a tremendous help to everyone.

Action research gives the feeling of empowerment. It allows the principal to decide what is best for his/her school instead of relying on professional development that may or may not be implemented in the classroom. Traditional research projects are being replaced by action research projects. Action research concerns real-world happenings within your school verses traditional research projects that group people and objectives.  There are four ways action research can be completed. They can be completed through university coursework, superintendent/district meetings, leadership teams, and professional learning communities. (Dana, 2009) Each way identifies a problem within a school and the people within the school (teachers, administration) come up with a solution to the problem. Leaders work collaboratively with each other for the betterment of the school. Action research is defined as a process of a principal engaging in systematic intentional study of her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what she learns as a result of the inquiry. I was very apprehensive at first about action research. Now, however, I'm more excited than nervous. Action research seems much more interesting and will directly affect my school. I look forward to seeking out change and reflecting on my practices.