This course has been an interesting one. This is only my second course that I take online and to be very honest I am still a little scared on whether or not I am doing the work correctly. At the beginning I was very scared because I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. When I found out I had to do an action research I started to freak out. I knew what a research was, but not how to do one.
The video lectures given by the professors were very helpful. They were very clear on what was expect from us and gave us ideas on how to go forward on doing it. At first I am going to be honest I had a hard time understanding the lectures sometimes I had to watch them more than once. But, as time passed by they came clearer. The lectures scripts were also very helpful because if I didn’t understand something the professors where talking about I could go and look at the script.
I really enjoyed the readings that were included with this course. Leading with Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as an Action Researcher by Nancy Dana Fichman and Examining What we do to Improve our Schools: 8 Steps to Improve our Schools by S. Harris, S. Edmondson, and J. Combs. Both books were very interesting and informative, but I learned more from the Dana Text. In the book Leading with Passion and Knowledge: the Principal as an Action Researcher, “Administrator inquiry refers to the process of a principal engaging in 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. Inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or “wondering”, collecting data to gain insights into their wonderings, analyzing the data along with reading relevant literature, making changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and sharing findings with others (Dana p.2-3).” This is a long process and will take a long time to do so. As action practitioners we need to find the time and energy to do the action research. Yes, it is going to be very time consuming, but it will all be worth it at the end.
The tools and research that I have done during this course will really help my action research run smoother and probably save me some time. Trust me we teachers need all the time we can get especially if you are a parent. Teaching is my passion and I believe that by doing this action research I will help many students and teachers.
The assignments and activities for this course were very time consuming and a little frustrating at times, but with the help and aide of the discussion board, I felt more relaxed. The discussion board was truly a beneficial tool when working on assignments and activities. It allowed for current feedback from other students in the class to make positive and effective changes to my assignment or activity. This has been my second online course I have ever taken and the discussion board has really made my journey of online courses a lot easier.
Blogging was a tool that I had never considered to use before. I didn’t even know how to use it and how beneficial it can be for teachers. It is an amazing way to communicate with others in my class as well as followers outside my class and rely on reactions and feedback from them. As well on any suggestions or changes that needed to be made to my Action Research Plan. Even though I didn’t get that many feedback I tried to give my feedback to my classmates. I hope that next time that I check my blog I will have some feedback on my action research.
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