As I
began this course, I was not sure as to what educational research entailed. I did
not realize the depth and steps involved in action research planning. Choosing a topic to research was a small
change. I was not sure which avenue I
wanted to explore. Researching the use
of technology in some type of setting was what I kept being drawn back to. Since I teach writing, using technology to
help students increase their writing skills was at the forefront. Then I began to think about the lack of
parent involvement at my campus, and thought that I could look into a
technological tool that might increase parent involvement. In the end, my passion for the students that
struggle in school won out.
As I
completed each week’s assignment, there were moments in which I felt the lessons
were a redundant. Looking back, I can
see how it reinforced all of the steps and thought processes needed to fine tune
a well-crafted research plan. Each week
allowed me to focus on the plan as a whole, and also break down the steps and
concentrate on the small pieces.
I
thoroughly enjoyed reading other ideas and research plans on the discussion
board and on student blogs. There are so
many great ideas, and I definitely will be following my colleagues’
research. I am looking forward to seeing
results, and using the knowledge learned from my colleagues’ research in my
classroom.
The
reading material was very useful during this course. I loved having the templates and tools that
were provided. They not only helped with
weekly assignments, but will also assist me during future steps in the research
process. I will be referring back to these
resources while conducting my action research plan and will use during other
projects/research as well.
I
think one of the most informative lectures of this course were the videos of
leaders discussing action research. Listening to them describe the process, the
steps involved, and important things to remember brought the importance of
action research. They are great leaders because of their dedication to finding
the answers to the issues. This means
that they must examine very detailed, concise information, and not quick
judgments and decisions that are not supported by research.
I
have increased my ability to produce a data driven, research based plan after
completing this course. It has also
given me confidence to consider other action research plans, and to appreciate
the thought process and time involved in making decisions. Action research is a process that is necessary
in making the choices in education. It
can also provide data that will change the entire direction of your plan. I’m looking forward to developing my action
research plan, conducting research, collecting data, and finalizing the
results.
