How do I feel about this course? That question has brought about a roller coaster of emotions. When I first found out what the title of my new class would be, Research For Teachers, I was immediately intimidated, writing was never my favorite thing to do. My preconceived notions of research enforced my fears of beginning this course. Thankfully week one was helpful in alleviating some of these apprehensions by informing me of the difference in research and action inquiry. The image that the word research conjured up was someone locked away in a corner of the library with stacks of books surrounding them and wads of paper all over the floor while they steadily were writing page after page of information. To my delight that image was dispelled and replaced with knowledge that this course would deal with me questioning practices and topics that I was already familiar with and had an interest in.
Our reading assignments from the course text, Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Dana, were very beneficial in explaining what action research was and how to go about finding and developing our wonderings and questions. “Wonderings materialize at the nexuses of real-world observations, dilemmas, felt difficulties and passions that you develop in your work” (Dana, 30).
In week 2 we were introduced to three different gentlemen that talked to us about research and data and the way that it drives decisions that schools make on a daily basis. These videos were enlightening in the fact that we were able to see that what we were doing is something that actually is used to make decisions for schools and school improvement. One video that I found particularly interesting was with Johnny Briseno a principal from Rancho Isabella Elementary. He pointed out that even though looking at quantitative data is great for helping make decisions you sometimes have to go back and look at the qualitative data to get a true representation of what is going on and what final decisions need to be made.
In week 3 were asked to develop an action research plan and then all of the sudden my apprehensions all came flooding back. Watching the assigned lectures, reading the assigned pages of text, and collaborating with my peers once again calmed me back down. Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action by Harris, Edmonson, and Combs was helpful in accomplishing the goal of setting up my action research plan. This book provided me with a template to follow and pointed out and summarized the 8 critical action steps to performing an action inquiry. After completing this assignment I was once again feeling pretty good about this course.
We then hit week 4 and 5 and after the web conferences and questions that were presented to the instructor I started feeling confused on whether I was doing all that I needed to be doing and whether I was doing it correctly. My instructor and peers quickly helped with the confusion and I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one that was experiencing this roller coaster of emotions.
My peers, the discussion board, the web conferences, the assigned videos, and the textbooks were a great tool for getting through this course and the feeling of satisfaction as it comes to an end that I have accomplished the goal set out for me by this course.
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools 8 steps from analysis to action. (pp. 47-55). Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education, Inc.
Briseno, J. (n.d.) Week 2 Interview 1 [web video]. Retrieved from http://lamar.epiclms.net
EDLD 5301
ET8038
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