Friday, January 25, 2013

Reflection on Action Research

One of the biggest things I've learned through week two is that you have to continually grow as a school leader/administrator.  Action research is the process of being proactive within your school community and diagnosing situations before they happen.  I have also learned that you, as an administrator, have to look at situations quantitatively and qualitatively.   These situations are not just limited to students but can be used for the entire faculty and staff of my school.  The last thing that I learned that I will type about is to have my teachers do research on why their particular student population is doing the way they are doing.  In other words, what's successful for them?  What have they struggled with?  Why are they struggling with this concept?, etc.  I have to set a standard first and foremost with action research and must encourage my teachers to do the same as well.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Action Research



Action research is something that is needed as a school administrator.  There are too many times where an administrator gets too involved in becoming a manager instead of someone who is proactive inside the school.  Every teacher and administrator has to go through professional development and I feel that through action research it busts the monotony of the typical professional development scenarios.

Action research is also used as a way to show leadership and “be with your people”.  Some of the greatest leaders in society listened to the people that they were in charge of and worked with them.  By practicing action research I would be able to work with my fellow teachers and be seen as a “head learner” instead of as someone in a managerial position.  

Since going through the texts, I’ve learned that action research is a necessity.  When we go to professional development we go to listen to someone who has an approach to problem solving with a “perfect world model”.  Most of the schools I have taught at or have discussed with people are from that model.  Whenever you engage in action research, you are fulfilling the needs of the school that you are in charge of.  While professional development seminars do have their place they cannot be the only area in which I engage in.

Possible Uses of Blogging and Administrators

In today's world we have the capabilities of using great tools and instruments to be able to shape students (and, in some cases parents) in a positive way.  The first thing I think an administrator could use a blog for is to allow the community, whether it's the in-house school community or the actual community, a chance to see what is going on inside of their particular school.  Some places are notorious for negativity when it comes to the perception of a faculty or the scope in which a school is looked through.  Through a blog a principal can put something out to the community that has a more positive spin on said campus.

A second use that administrators can get out of blogging is the quick use of critical information.  If an ice storm is coming in or if an extracurricular activity has been postponed they can get the information out quickly and effectively.