EDLD 5301 Reflections For Week 2

It's interesting how we follow the path that is set before us.  Just prior to Christmas, when I was visiting with my site mentor, I mentioned that I had ideas for utilizing technology into the Homebound Program.  I am a Homebound Instructor and see students with medical issues and varying degrees of abilities in their homes several times a week.  I was amazed at how inept some of the Power Points were that I received, and how boring the worksheet assignments were.  I found myself "Googling" for answers with the students or looking for applicable videos on YouTube. 

As a result of our discussion, that will be my action research topic: How will my students benefit from the use of technology in addition to the face-to-face instruction?
Everyone told me that this class would be boring and difficult.  I don't find it either.  I am excited to find new ways to come up with answers.  Perhaps that is why I will be a "forever learner."

EDLD 5301 Administrative Blogging

An educational leader can use a blog to share their reflections of the school environment and research with their staff, the community and others.  Anyone who has access can comment and give feedback, thus enabling the author to collect data in a different manner.  In addition, reviewing his/her own comments can help the leader to chart the progress of his/her own thinking and gain new, deeper insights.

EDLD 5301 Action Research

Action research is a process that allows teachers and administrators to effectively problem solve a situation.  It involves “wonderings” (Dana, 2007) about a problem and how it might be solved.  First, an issue or problem is defined.  It must be an open-ended, focused question about how why a problem is occurring or how it can be solved.  The inquirer must look at the data available to help formulate the question.  The next step is to review professional literature available in the focus area.  Data must be reviewed, organized, analyzed and interpreted to help refine the area of research.  The next step is to make an action plan and to implement it over a specific period of time.  At the end of the time period, the inquirer will evaluate the results of the action plan to.  The question is “Did it solve or help the problem?”  If not, the action plan would need to be revised and re-implemented.  Once the process is complete, the last step is to share the results with others. 

I feel that this could be a very useful tool to enable problem solving.  There is a question that I have wondered about for a few months.  This process will enable me to come up with an action plan and implement it, to review the results and share my results with others.  If I can solve a problem using this method, it will result in much greater job satisfaction.

Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: the principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press.

Ringler, MC. (2007). Action research an effective instructional leadership skill for future public school leaders. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 4(1), 27-42