Saturday, November 24, 2012
Blogs- USE THEM!
With the new advances in technology it would seem silly for us to remain in the 20th century! Blogs can be one of the more beneficial methods for educators when it comes to improving as a professional. Now all educators, administrators, parents, and students can share ideas and strategies when it comes to education. With almost endless amounts of information, blogs can help improve all areas of education.
Action Research... The jist of it!
Over the past week I have had not only the wonderful opportunity to spend time with friends and family, but also to learn about the wonderful world of "Action Research." I would like to provide a brief summary of what I understand this to be.
As professionals we encounter numerous problems and deficiencies throughout the year. These problems might be personal in nature such as trying to create an engaging project that students can do to learn about how cultures differ amongst Spanish speaking countries. These problems can also be of a larger nature such as trying to raise standardized test scores amongst minority groups within a school or even a district. No matter the scope of the problem action research can help provide active solutions.
What is action research? Well, to be brief... it is the action of coming up with a well thought out plan that offers a solution to a given problem. It oftentimes is not black and white in nature, but must be a work in progress that includes constant evaluation and reflection. While action research can be done at an individual level it can be more effective when collaboration amongst peers occurs. Forming groups such as leadership teams, professional learning communities, or site-based teams are good ideas for sharing ideas and creating an infrastructure that allows for problem solving.
Maybe the most important thing that should be remembered about action research is that it should be constantly ongoing. This is not something that we as educators should put into practice only when problems arise. This is a quality of expertise that should be a constant part of our daily practice.
As professionals we encounter numerous problems and deficiencies throughout the year. These problems might be personal in nature such as trying to create an engaging project that students can do to learn about how cultures differ amongst Spanish speaking countries. These problems can also be of a larger nature such as trying to raise standardized test scores amongst minority groups within a school or even a district. No matter the scope of the problem action research can help provide active solutions.
What is action research? Well, to be brief... it is the action of coming up with a well thought out plan that offers a solution to a given problem. It oftentimes is not black and white in nature, but must be a work in progress that includes constant evaluation and reflection. While action research can be done at an individual level it can be more effective when collaboration amongst peers occurs. Forming groups such as leadership teams, professional learning communities, or site-based teams are good ideas for sharing ideas and creating an infrastructure that allows for problem solving.
Maybe the most important thing that should be remembered about action research is that it should be constantly ongoing. This is not something that we as educators should put into practice only when problems arise. This is a quality of expertise that should be a constant part of our daily practice.
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