What I learned in Week 2

This week gave me great insight into my choice of topic for action research.  I learned that you want to chose something that is practical and of importance to you so that you would be fully vested in the outcome and student performance would be improved.  I also learned that if student performance is not improving then it all has been a wasted effort of time and manpower.  As leaders we need to be life-long learners and never settle or be content with our current practices.  In doing this we will make sure that we are striving to increase student achievement.

How Educational Leaders can use Blogs

Blogs are a superb way for administrators to communicate with their stakeholders.  Blogs can be used to increase parent involvement, update the stakeholders on changes within the school environment, post and receive survey information, and give the parents a user friendly way to stay up to date with activities and progress of the school.  Blogs are also excellent tools for educators (colleagues) to share ideas with each other, offer & seek advice, and share ideas for a successful school environment.  When I am an administrator I will certainly encourage the use of blogs.

What I've learned about Action Research

Administrative inquiry or action research involves a collaborative effort used by educators today to devise ways to solve the immediate, real-life problems experienced in schools.  In our readings Dana defines inquiry as "a principal engaging in a systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of the inquiry."  Simply stated, we learn through reflecting on our experiences.  We are responsible for identifying areas in need of change, implementing a change through collaborative efforts with other colleagues, and evaluating the schools progress after a period of time.  The entire process involves taking a deeper look at the school environment, identifying areas of weaknesses and strengths, using inquiry to come up with solutions to the problems, and looking at the data available so that we make better informed decisions.  The decisions for change should be made with the intent of showing student success and improvement.  This is critical in this day and age where schools are being held more accountable for the achievement of its students.  I am currently a "new" member of an action research committee and have witnessed this tool used by the administrators.  As a result I will without a doubt use this technique in addressing areas of concern when I am an administrator.