Final Reflections

I must admit that when I first saw the class title for this course, I was sort of put off.  Research is neither something that I enjoy doing, nor something that I do very well.  I feel that way, primarily because I feel that it takes too much time, with little practicality, and thus wasn’t high on my priority list.  However, my implications were based on the ideas of traditional research.  Having completed these five weeks and learning about action research/inquiry has changed my perspective for several reasons.  When I started the readings the first week, I was immediately transformed and thought the concept of action research sounded quite cool.  To see it as a process for professional development made it even more practical.  Dana (2009) claims that “administrator inquiry becomes a powerful vehicle for learning and reform.”  It is traditionally tough to find outside sources that give quality development to educators, to be able to control your own development is quite inspiring. As I began to explore how action research functioned, I became more of a fan of using it.  First, this research is not as time consuming as traditional research.  The organizational and planning strategies allow for a very streamlined method of preparation for the research.  The templates provided also made it very simple to put the process in writing.  Traditional research requires meticulous note taking and resource hunting in preparing for the research. Another variable that changed my perspective was the way that others can be included in this research.  Using collaboration will allow other teachers or administrators to take part in your research.  Not only will having others involved, help expedite the research, but the ability to extract additional ideas and techniques can be very helpful.  Also, the communication factor helps to draw out ideas and clarify directions and understanding.  In traditional research, people are assigned tasks, divided to do research, and then come back together at the end to share their findings.  Rather than having a shared development of the action item, individual findings have to be forced together to make the research applicable. One of the great qualities I have discovered about action research is in its name, action.  The idea behind it is to create action.  The researcher identifies an area that needs to be improved or fixed, and then uses research to discover a solution to making it better.  It is a built in motivator; because, the researcher knows that at the end of the research, there will be an improvement in some area of the school life.  That motivator alone drives the research and results are inevitable. Another important aspect of this class that will help in the research process is the use of blogging.  I have blogged before, but more for social purposes.  The use of it in a professional environment as a tool of reflection also opens an avenue of feedback.   The ability for a researcher to share their process, and then allow others to offer insights, reflections, comments and suggestions is a powerful tool for a researcher.  As an example from my own blog (Pietsch, 2010), a student made the following suggestion: “Our district uses Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/)for us to give anonymous feedback on professional development sessions... It's online and quick and you may find teachers appreciate being able to log on quickly and submit their opinions.”  This was not a process I would have considered had I not have sought feedback on my blog.  This reflective process allowed for me to gain a new insight and improve my plan. In all, this class was definitely a positive experience.  It gave me a new perspective on a new research.  I look forward to utilizing this new found knowledge in helping my current, and future, campuses find ways to improve. References: Dana, N.F. (2009).  Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Pietsch, S.  (2010, October 30).  Why Won’t They Do Their Homework? (Web log comment).  Retrieved from http://timsblogofinquiry.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-wont-they-do-their-homework_24.html.  (2010, October 24)