What is Action Research?

   When I first read the question "What is action research?", I wasn't exactly sure.  After reading I found action research is the hands on process professionals complete to gain a deeper understanding of what he or she is inquiring about. This process allows the researcher to identify a problem that needs to be changed, and then to actually go through the steps to makes those changes happen.  While in the process of researching, the researcher can see the outcome and make changes if something is not working as it should.  Once the process is complete the new insight gained leaves behind a stronger educator and hopefully improved school.
    Traditional educational research gives the researcher another "expert" opinion or finding to implement.  While the research given could be the most credible findings, the researcher did not go through the entire process to find what works.  Therefore the researcher did not gain a deep understanding of how the results were founded.  I relate the importance of doing the research yourself to the Chinese Proverb that states, "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime."  Knowledge in doing something for yourself is much more powerful than someone handing you their knowledge.
    Perhaps the most powerful part of the action research process is reflection.  In action research your reflection is an on-going process, from the creation of your question to the outcomes in the action.  As a teacher I have learned reflection is an important part of my daily routine.  I may reflect a hundred times before lunch everyday without knowing I am, just because of its importance to the education process.  During the research process, reflection allows the researcher to gain a clearer picture of the experience and provides the ability to make a connection with the results.  Reflection can also connect experiences and allows the researcher to continue researching new inquiries which arose during the original research. 
    Everyone has asked "Why?" about a topic, found the answer and had a new question that arose from the previous result.  Humans are curious by nature, and the action research process allows the researcher an outlet to "quench the thirst" for unending knowledge.  Perhaps this is the reason why professionals in the education field have taken to this process.  Educators are after all forever students.
     As a student of education and its ever changing foundation, I will use action research to help improve my theories and strategies.  The use of action research will also allow me to focus on what the most important improvements are and "tweak" smaller improvements along the way.  Once taught, my students can also begin to research their own inquiries and learn to become better problem solvers.  Action research, if used to its full potential, could be the clue in giving the field of education a new makeover. 



References

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

BLOGS: A NEW age in Education

As classrooms are becoming more dependent on technology, teachers and administrators need to find new ways to develop those 21st Century Skills.  Blogs are a perfect tool for teachers and administrators to network, read various perspectives on issues, research, reflect on daily events, communicate with one another and with their students. 

• Networking allows teachers/administrators to connect with professionals outside of their immediate areas, perhaps world wide.  Networking could lead to professional relationships/friendships across oceans that were once upon a time unavailable. 

• Reading blogs on various subjects gives teachers/administrators different perspectives to consider.  This could give a teacher new insight on a new law change or perhaps allow an administrator to see a teacher's point of view on various school related issues.

• Teachers/administrators can research different topics through blogs and use specific example from those who are on the "front lines" of education.

• Blogs allow teachers/administrators to reflect on experiences that have already happened.  These reflections can be shared with other professionals or revisited in the future so that the teacher or administrator can learn a new perspective from the situation.

• Communication within the teaching community allows for professionals to share with one another.  This could be as simple as "vent" about teaching, tell a funny student story or anything they might deem worthy of sharing.  Not only can teachers/administrators communicate with each other, but teacher can also communicate with their students if they choose to set up a blog with their students.  Including students within the blogging process allows for greater development of the 21st Century Learner Skills.

Teachers and administrators can gain so many experiences from participating in blogs or blogging.  If all teachers and administrators took to blogging, then the education community could build a broader sound base of information.  We are all together in building the same bright futures for our students, so we must stick together to be sure that we succeed in our mission!