EDLD 5301 Reflections

I dreaded taking EDLD 5301 Action Research, because I have such terrible memories of research during college.  Obviously, I had no idea what action research was, and it turned out to not be at all what I expected.  I actually enjoyed bouncing inquiry ideas around with my site supervisor, and creating a step-by-step plan on the template.  When I presented my final plan she quickly approved it and offered me some of her own references.

Each week I would watch the video(s), read the required passages, check facebook for strategies, and then begin my assignments.  I am sure I could have completed this course without facebook, but that piece of my weekly protocol gave me great insight into this course and into what I feel was the most important thing that I learned during these past five weeks.

I learned that action research involved intentionally pursuing research in an area that interests me and impacts my students and my school.  I learned that reflection is a key component of action research, and it should be practiced until it becomes a habit.  I learned that all site supervisors are different, and it is crucial to pursue good communication in your relationship with your mentor. I learned that I am capable of blogging, which is something that I had never considered doing before.  But, the most important thing I learned is how much an action research plan benefits from sharing ideas and opinions with peers, and that brings me back to my facebook comment. I believe I have learned more through facebook statuses, discussion threads, blogging, and reading and rereading comments than the actual course texts. I think that looking through the lens of each individual inquiry, we were able to offer specific, usable advice and receive relevant feedback on our plans.

In conclusion, after I overcame my aversion to research and educated myself on action research, I really had fun with this class.  Mostly, I am thankful to have the rest of you soon-to-be administrators along for the ride on this journey through educational administration.

Updates on my Action Research Plan

This summer I taught two sessions of summer school, so fortunately I have been in constant contact with my site supervisor during this class.  She has allowed me to verbally process with her all my different wonderings through meeting, emails, and texts.  Before I submitted my second week’s assignment she had approved my action research question and handed me several books to help with my research.  So, today when I went to her office and showed her my plan on the template, she read it over with me and said, “That looks great.”   The only thing I changed today was the wording of my goal statement.  It seemed a bit redundant so I clarified it and made it more specific.

In back tracking to previous conferences with my site supervisor she did give me several pieces of advice and I made a few revisions before I submitted the assignment in week four.  My action research plan originally targeted math and science vocabulary.  We agreed to begin with math and possibly add science at second semester of even next year.  As we brainstormed ideas, she came up with the idea for an elementary-wide word wall in the cafeteria.  We later changed it to a hallway on the way to the cafeteria and music room.  I have reread the comments from last week and am making some changes and adding the suggested strategies to my plan. 

I feel very blessed to have a site supervisor that has been so willing to help me be successful, and I am grateful for all the support from those of you on this journey with me.