Technology in Education
Posts tagged EDLD 5301 required posting
Why Blog?
02 years ago
Blogs are a great way to communicate with an audience. A blog could offer a sounding board in which subscribers could critique the postings of the blogger. Likewise, since the spirit of action research is centered on collaboration, an administrator could easily post their current research findings and offer support via the comments section of their blog. The researcher could then take these comments into consideration. As campus leaders, by blogging we are at demonstrating the use of technology for collaboration. A principal in Napa, California named Monica Tipton “encourages her staff to make the same connection between what students care about and what they are taught. Instead of writing theme papers, students are apt to be investigating… in schools where the entire curriculum is project-based, students naturally turn to digital tools”(Boss & Krauss, 2007). Blogging is one digital tool that can aide in the investigation process.
References
Boss, S., & Krauss, J. (2007). Real Projects in a Digital World. Principal Leadership, 22.
What is Action Research?
12 years ago
The readings this week have introduced me to the concept of action research. Based on the readings, action research is a collaborative process that can involve an individual or several people posing a question, working and analyzing data, describing the outcomes of the research and then determining ways to learn from the research that would improve the school, district, community, or even national education policies.
The most important concept learned this week was that action research is designed to seek improvement in an area of weakness. After the readings this week, I believe action research is crucial to professional development and easily helps an educator from remaining stagnant in their field. After a problem has been addressed, the researcher(s) can then discover a proposed solution. This solution can then be implemented and benefits reaped from active research. The fact that action research can greatly enhance a deficiency is an important reminder of the need to conduct action research.
Action research is not just for the campus principal. Classroom teachers can easily take the concepts of action research and apply them to their own class. A classroom teacher could discover new things about their teaching methods, increase their knowledge about a weakness, and can gain a sense of control. Action research with colleagues can create a bond and the formation of a leadership team. A formation of the leadership team can help with many concerns that arise in the school or district such as decision making and strategic planning (Dana, 2009, p. 21).
References
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.