Action Research Reflection Week 2

It has been a good and informative week this week in my class. I have been able to delve deeper into the process of action research and understand what is needed in an effective action research project and what will be required of myself. One of the things that I have pulled away from this week’s readings and videos, is to ensure that the topic to be researched is first feasible and second interesting and relevant. I have, in the past, started projects that have too broad a scope, and had to whittle them down to a more reasonable size. This week reminded me of that, which will give me a push to create a project that is smaller in scope. Creating a research project that is interesting and relevant is also going to be essential for the success of this project. Due to my position in IT there are areas that would not really benefit my career, such as researching lunchroom practices, while others, IT support staff to student teacher ratio, can directly affect my career. This is important when creating an action research project so that interest can be held throughout the duration of the project.

Blog use as an educational administrator

Blogs can be great tools for educational leaders in that they can post their thoughts and reflect and expand on those thoughts over time. In addition to reflection, the blogs can be used for collaboration with other educational leaders who can comment and expand on the post on the blog.

Action Research Reflection

This week I have been reading about action research, something that I have never actually heard of before. I feel that action research can be a great help to me as a professional. Before this week I thought that research was simply combining information that I had found from reading, watched, or listened to, but I have been introduced to a whole different type of research, action research. Action research deals more with inner reflection and building off of either your own experiences or other individuals experiences instead of relying on “professionals” who are not actually working in the field.

Although I am not a principal, and really have no desire to be one, action research could be a wonderful tool to use in my current position as a network administrator, or future positions that I could hold, such as a technology director. This week has made me think about how I learn new things in the technology field now, reading journals and online articles, and feel that there are better ways to expand my understanding and knowledge, such as participating in collaborative groups with other IT individuals. While I sometimes feel isolated being in a small town and being the only IT person for the district, online tools, such as blogs and wiki’s can give me the tools to perform action research without having to physically be in the same place as other individuals. This week has really made me thirsty and excited for collaboration with others, something that I have not been excited about for quite some time.