Update

I am waiting on my meeting with my site-supervisor to post an updated plan. In the meantime, please leave comments on the plan that I have posted. The more input the better! Thanks!

Course Reflection

I have found this course very helpful in guiding me through the stages of developing an action research project. To begin we learned that “Administrator Inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice & taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry,”(2). The benefits of engaging in inquiry are challenging norms, being a role model for teachers and students, helping best practices flourish at your school, and making principals slow down their pace. (11-13) I appreciated how we began by finding a deeper understanding about action research and why it is important to us professionally. I enjoyed the interviews that we watched during week two. It is reassuring to hear professionals talking about how they implement inquiry in their district. These interviews gave me ideas and new ways to think about my action research project.  Part of our week two assignment was to read and focus on the nine areas that the author described as major wonderings of school leaders (staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, individual students, school culture/community, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice or equity issues(32-63)) and to give an example of each. These nine topics sparked many ideas for topics for action research, which set me in the right direction for developing a topic for my own action research plan. Practicing developing examples of topics for action research gave me confidence when writing my own. I chose a topic that has come up as an area of concern with my site supervisor, (principal) and the assistant superintendent. I am excited about my project and I am glad that I found a topic that is relevant to my campus and actually has a chance to make an impact. I think that I have been able to produce a quality plan due to all of the resources that this course has provided; both texts that we have used have provided excellent information and instruction. Using the discussion board to receive advice from my peers has been a huge help, and I hope that some of my comments have been helpful as well. I have enjoyed creating my blog and posting on it. I had never created one before and I have instantly seen how beneficial this tool can be in the classroom. I particularly found the PIP/SIP template helpful. This chart was basically a great blueprint to use to build my action research plan. The amount of reflection that is built into this class has been extremely helpful. We discovered why reflection is an important leadership skill and an important part of action research. We have been asked to reflect on our own plan several times. The meetings with my site-supervisor and our joint reflection on my plan have really helped too. I enjoyed how each week a new aspect or tool to analyze and reflect on our plan was introduced. Through peer interaction on the discussion board and our blogs our plans have grown and become more focused. This class has introduced a new style of research to add to my tool box, and I know that I will be utilizing this new learning throughout the program and my administrative experiences. Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.