Action Research Plan

An area of elementary campuses that can always be improved upon is FLUENCY.  I am going on my tenth year of teaching First Grade, and will be researching Increasing Fluency in Grades K-3.  More to come next week!

Reflection: Finding a Wondering (5301 week 2)

"The compass that provides the direction for your inquiry comes from critical reflection in and on your own administrative practice.  When administrators seek out change and reflect on practice, the first steps of their journey begin with brainstorming questions or wonderings they wish to explore" (Dana, 2009, p.30).

Reviewing The Passions That Drive Your Journey has given me the insight needed to take charge of my own learning.  The question is: Where do I start? 

How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

Blogs allow educational leaders to make collections of data a part of their administrative practice, and to share ideas and insight with colleagues or other administrators instantly.  This online form of journaling can be used as a tool for reflection and inquiry as they happen simultaneously.  Through the use of blogs educational leaders ar able to: link to other blogs, comment on blogs or receive feedback from others, follow blogs of interest, and gain new insight from reading older posts or from others who comment on their blog.  Blogs provide immediate publishing capabilities and an archive of previous resources and experiences that allow diverse interactions amongst users. Blogs are an innovative networking tool for educational leaders.

Action Research: What I've Learned About Action Research and How I Might be Able to Use it

I have learned that administrative inquiry or action research is the step by step (systematic) process of studying one's own practices reflectively.  Reflection of practices are observed and used when analyzing data obtained during the inquiry process.  Changes and improvements are made based on this reflective practice and data.  Administrative inquiry or action research is a practice that must be developed as a process over time, hence the term "systematic", and focus on school improvement.  Principals and administrators must be reflective practitioners who are engaged in systematically identifying problems, developing plans of action based on analyzed data, who work towards change.  Administrative inquiry or action research is a tool from which learning and improvements are achieved. Through this inquiry/research process the principal/administrator is not being told what to do by outside experts or researchers, or telling others what to do.  He or she is a participant in the process working alongside the individuals or groups who are working towards a common goal. 

Aside from my action research project, I plan to use action research in my classroom to address the following areas: increasing parent involvement, improving reading skills, and encouraging positive behavior while reducing discipline issues.  I believe that through action research I will be able to build positive relationships with administrators, colleagues, parents, and students.  I will work with others in identifying and addressing problems for the improvement of our school, and my classroom.  I will do this by "inquiring", asking questions to have a better understanding of the problems, and by working towards a shared vision, while reflecting on the practices of myself and others.