Upon the fifth and final week of this course, I have had an opportunity to reflect on some important ideas, concepts, and conclusions that I will walk away with. These reflections are based on the course as a whole and will prove to be continually useful throughout my educational leadership experiences.
In week one, Dr. Arterbury describes that many times individuals see conducting research as reviewing a magnitude of related literature and then compiling it in a sort of a review of the findings. Actually, I now know that researching a topic is adding something new to the existing findings to help add to or improve the subject matter. In week two Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins suggested that when conducting action research plans, you should always consider who will benefit from the plan and who are the key stakeholders. Week three Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins also indicated that there are key, systematic steps that one must take when conducting action research. They followed in week four by stating that when conducting action research you can anticipate challenges or disruptions in your timeline. In week five they conclude by telling that site supervisors may not always agree with your proposed action research plan, but it is important to reach a decision that will be mutual. The lectures from the five weeks provided me with key concepts that made the task of developing, creating, and beginning to implement the plan a little easier.
Also in this course, the required text proved to be important in the development of the action research plan. Nancy Fichtman Dana’s book, Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher, provided a constant guiding hand throughout this course. Dana’s directly stated instructions on how to develop an action research plan were useful and laid out in a way that they will be easily assailable for future use.
In the developmental stage of the action research plan I searched multiple sources on the Internet. In searching the Internet for related topics for my action research plan, I discovered that there are little to none on my specific topic. I found several key concepts that I plan to adopt, but none that is directly relevant. I may not be searching under the correct subject matter. I hope to get the majority of my information and advisement from individuals with expertise in the needed areas.
During this planning process I discovered that your action research plan is and should constantly be in the revision stage. You should never fall in love with your first draft because I found that it changes often. I also found that it is important that you continually reflect on your work and seek advisement from key individuals. Additionally, you should always be mindful of the individuals that will benefit from the plan and work to make it to their full benefit. I think that communicating with supervisors and receiving feedback will help you make conscious decisions regarding vital aspects of the plan.
A final reflection from this course is that communication with peers is essential in the planning process. Through my blog and the discussions I have received good advice and many encouraging words to help me through the process. I have also enjoyed giving advice and ideas to my classmates. One classmate is conducting research on how to motivate teachers and staff members to obtain and maintain healthy lifestyles. I suggested an activity that we do at our school, the biggest looser contest. My classmate was thankful for the idea and hopes to implement it in her action plan. That gave me the greatest joy.
