Reflection of Week 2

I have learned this week that ation research can be used on many topics involving education.  Action research is an on-going process and it is practical versus theoretical.  Aciton research aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in a problematic situation and to further the goals of the campus.  Action research is described by learning by doing such as a person identifying a problem, doing something to resolve it, and seeing how successful their efforts were, and if not satisfied, trying it again. 

How educational leaders might use blogs...

Educational leaders can use blogs as an online journal and a support tool to promote reflective analysis.  It is a way to document frequent, chronological publications of your thoughts and ideas with a way to view feedback and ideas from others on specific topics.

Action Research

Action research is an inquiry done by an educator with the intent that the person will inform and change his or her practices in the future.  It is a reflective process to improve the way of addressing issues and solving problems.  Overall it is to find a new course of action to improve the organization as a whole and improve its work practices.  Action research involves people working to improve their skills, techniques, and strategies.  As an educator, it is about how we can change our instruction to impact students learning.

As an educator, I feel I can use action research by doing a self-evaluation, team evaluation and an evaluation of my campus as a whole.  An analysis of how things are currently operating is needed and whether the process is successful.  After obtaining this data, I can decide with other staff members on the steps and processes to improve my campus overall.  For instance, one way action research is utilized for my school is to examine the state test scores (TAKS) to identify areas that need improvement, and then determine a plan of action to improve student performance.  We design an educational plan including pull-outs and tutoring to address learning deficits.