EDLD 5301 Wk 1: Action Research and What I've Learned

Action research...sounds redundant--isn't all research for some action, to find an action, to find out what an action does? Apparently not. Some research is stagnant and does little to move mankind forward. Educational research is steeped deep in theory, with very little practical use at all. But action research, well, it's to help create an action on the part of an educational leader. Action research has several differences from traditional educational research. Traditional education research is usually quite lofty in its goals and what it's trying to discover; action research is usually based on a real-life dilemma and needs real-life solutions. Traditional education research can focus on myriad issues related to education, even in its most vague element. Action research tends to focus on social justice. Traditional education research can be used to be reactionary; action research tends towards the proactive change needs. Traditional education research does not usually require reflection; have a question, find various ways to answer it, compile those answers, create a solution in a "dream" educational setting. Action research research requires reflection--once you have the data, what do you do with it? how do you proceed forward? what changes will be or can be brought about based on the data found? Action research's demand for reflection allows for a more purposeful movement towards change.

Educational leaders could use blogs for a variety of reasons and to achieve many goals. Since so many people have access to online media, blogging by educational leaders provides a forum for parents, students, staff, and educational leaders to share ideas, input, comments, complaints, and solutions in a manner that is convenient for many to access. Educational leaders of brand new campuses can use blogs to share the progress of the physical campus, to share the mission and vision statements, to post photos of the campus before students have access. Educational leaders can use blogs to share trends they have discovered in their own schools with other educators, and muse on what these trends mean for their campus, their district, their stakeholders. Educational leaders can use blogs as a discussion board among staff members to share thoughts on educational literature for a professional learning community. The extent educational leaders can use blogs to share information with parents, students, and staff, just regarding immediate issues on campuses, in policies, on culture of the campus, on traditions, on programs available to the public is immense. Blogs have moved the educational leader out of her office and into the parents', students', and staff's living rooms (or offices, bedrooms, dining rooms...wherever the Internet is available).