Research Course (EDLD 5301) Reflection

This class has had a major impact on the way I view administration and has also given me insight in how decisions are made and supported.  Both texts proved to be very beneficial as they gave great examples of each topic they covered.  These texts will be a great resource to refer to as I grow in my technology leadership career.  In reference to action research, another good definition that stuck with me comes from the Data (2009) text:

Historically, principals have not had access to tools that can help them untangle the complexity of their work as administrators and bring the focus of their work back to their leadership in teaching and learning.  Rather, principals often find themselves focusing on the routine management jobs that must get done, and to survive, responding haphazardly and unsystematically to the constant demand after demand for their time and attention.  Administrative inquiry is one tool that can be used by principals to untangle the intricate web of demands in which they become entangled each day, take charge of their own professional development, and become the “head learner” of their school. (p.2)

One of the required activities was to have discussions with my site supervisor which allowed me to modify my plan according to goals our school has set in place.  She has been more than helpful in assisting me with the process on how I will gather my data.  I have found that administrators are constantly growing through professional development much like teachers and are constantly learning and trying new things.  Never at one time do they know everything but continually growing, which is reassuring to me.  Through her advice, I will be working with several teachers throughout the upcoming school year constantly learning and readjusting my plan as necessary.

I really enjoyed posting ideas and plans in the Discussion Board.  This has allowed me to take other people’s comments, advice, and opinions to formulate the best decision possible.  I also feel this is important since we don’t actually physically sit in a classroom, we don’t have the chance to interact with each other.  Having the Discussion Board allows us to do just that.  I teach at a 1:1 school and within our Learning Management System is a Discussion Forum where teachers will post topics and students have to respond to them.  They also serve as a place for students to bounce ideas off of each just like we do in our course.

I feel having us create and maintain a blog was my overall favorite thing in this course.  I enjoyed others reading my blog and commenting because sometimes my thoughts were not complete or connected and my colleagues helped me in completing and connecting them.  I also think we inspire each other because many times I had teachers comment that they also would like to have a similar action plan or that they cannot wait to see my results of my plan.  I felt the same about their action research plans, as well.  The experience I gathered from listening to different opinions will be beneficial when it comes to disseminating information and communicating with teachers and administrators. 

References:

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., and Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools. Eye on Education Press.

Dana Fichman, Nancy (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.