Week Two-Action Research

This week I have gained insight on the benefits of action research and its importance from the interveiw of Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent, Pasadena ISD. He stressed that reseach should always be active. He also stated that when you do research make sure it is practical to you. In doing this you will benefit in three ways. They are:

1. You will be more interested in the research
2. You will be more focused on the outcome, and
3. Your students on campus will benefit from a practical point of view rather than theoretical.

Week One-Action Research

Action research is the intentional study or effort of a principal or practitioner to stop and review their actions of a particular situation. If you are not satisfied with the results, make changes in your practice based on new understandings of why you made the choices you did at that time.

In the traditional educational research, it is mostly conducted by outside experts in more controlled environments. They use this information to inform the population at hand. The principal's role is to implement the research findings of outside experts. Action research is generally conducted by educational practitioners. The goal of action research focuses on the concerns of practitioners, not outside researchers. It engagespractitioners in the design, data collection and interpretation of data around their question or concern.

Reflection is an important leadership skill because it is used to help one think deeply about a specific circumstance and then take action and make necessary adjustments. A leader has to combine both action and reflection to gain experience. A good leader learns from prior mistakes and using that knowledge adjusts for future decision making.

How might I use this blog?
It has been suggested that as a principal it would be helpful to use this blog as an online diary to capture my thoughts. Some ideas may be shared online, while other thoughts are just for brainstorming solutions before you forget your ideas.