EDLD 5301: Week 3 Reflection: Decision Time

As you can see, I finally narrowed down my action topics and actually came up with an action research question. How does using Explore Learning Gizmos for 7th grade Science students increase motivation and desire to perform Science lab activities? At least I think this is what my question will be. I have sat and thought for countless hours trying to decide on my question. It had to be technology based since I am a technology student even though I came up with several ideas from an administration viewpoint. Oh well. Maybe within time I can do some of the other ones I thought of. During this week, it was time to develop our draft action plan. I can honestly say, "What?" We are given a template and told, "Go forth. Fill in blanks." At least that's how I felt. We were given examples in our reading, but those seemed to be in final report format and not in a draft template. So again, I say, "What?" I sat and thought about the different steps I would take to develop my research and gather data. Basically, I drafted those steps into the template. So I don't know if I did mine right or wrong, but I guess I will find out when I get my grade. Hopefully, I will at least be close. Enjoy and "Always Forward" preferably with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

EDLD 5301: Action Research: Reflection for Week 2

The process of action research is beginning to make a little more sense to me. As I talk to classmates, my site mentor, and friends I am receiving examples of action research topics and how they have been used. I have not only received topics that have been put into effect in education, but also in business settings and homes. Until recently, I never knew that discussing the financial situation of a family could be turned into action inquiry. This family decided to make a major shift in how they were saving for retirement. They established their wondering, reviewed financial literature to arm themselves with knowledge, and have decided to change the direction of their retirement funds. When I began talking to them, they already had six months into this project. They reminded me that a stable financial future was nothing to joke about. These examples are what helped me understand that action research can be used in any manner in which there is a question or wondering that needs to be answered. In reflecting on wonderings that affect my school, I seem to come up with several ideas from an administration viewpoint, but I have to keep reminding myself that since I am a technology student, my plan must be technology based. Since I do not have a lot of experience as an educator or with using technology, this is where I have trouble. Hopefully if I continue to talk to people, something somewhere will eventually turn on a light bulb in my head.

EDLD 5301: How educational leaders might use blogs

Different people from professionals to housewives are increasingly using Blogs for various reasons. From an educational leadership standpoint, blogs provide a communication space for teachers, administrators, students, and stakeholders to post information, questions, and comments concerning the school and classroom.

EDLD 5301: Action Research

I have to be honest; before I began reading the text I had no idea what action research was much less how it could be used. After beginning to read Leading With Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichtman Dana, I began to embark on a comprehension of action research and its purpose. Everyone, no matter what business in which they work, should constantly strive to do the best job possible for all involved. Action research can facilitate in professional development in order to continue or modify a course of action. “Inquiring professionals seek out change and reflect on their practice by posing questions or “wonderings,” 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, 2009). There are typically three types of research currently used in education. The major difference when comparing action research to the other two methods is the person(s) presenting the questions are the ones following through with the research rather than the research being conducted by an outsider.  This allows those working within the day-to-day functions of the profession to be best equipped to make certain the best job is being performed.

Dana, N. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

EDLD 5306: What I learned from this course.

I learned so much about myself. I learned that even though I know how to turn a computer on, I actually know nothing about the different types of 21^st technology or how to implement them into my classroom. This course was completely overwhelming and I wonder if I will be able to finish the program. I met some really great people who reached out to me when I was having difficulty. They offered help and advice and most importantly they encouraged me to not give up. I just completed my first year of teaching so I do not have any educational background experience from which to draw. At this point, I do not believe I am even able to lead in technology much less be a facilitator. I realize I have so much to learn. I am eager to learn about different types of technology and hope I can have fun while going through this program.  I also hope this program will provide me with useful technology information I can incorporate into my classroom rather than just trying to cram so much into five week spurts that I learn nothing other than how to fill out paperwork and write papers.

EDLD 5306: Course assignment success

I was successful in carrying out the course assignments within the allotted time, but I have to admit it was very difficult and was accomplished through a lot of crying and worrying. I know that these courses are accelerated and not abbreviated and I want to receive a degree from a reputable college, but the workload was overwhelming. Most institutions understand that we are people with lives outside of college courses. I have a family to take care of and a job that is demanding of my time. At this time school is out for summer vacation, but I worry that if the course load remains the same if I will be able to devote as much time to my studies after I go back to work. Also, some the assignments that included websites or step-by-step instructions for setting something up need to be reviewed on a regular basis. Some of instructions were incorrect or unclear and I spent large amounts of time trying to figure out what to do. For instance, I had never developed a video before so I chose to follow the instructions for Animoto.  The website has changed how videos are made so the instructions given were not correct. It’s one thing to be able to follow instructions and finish a task in a timely manner, but it is something totally different to have to sit for an extra hour or two and figure it out on your own. I discovered this course and possibly this program believe the student uses different types of technology on a regular basis. For someone like me who doesn’t, it made finishing the assignments very difficult.

EDLD 5306: Outcomes not achieved

Since I didn’t have any preconceived notions about what this class would be about, I don’t believe I had any outcomes that I didn’t achieve. I do wish there might have been a few more types of technology used in the course assignments. I look back and see areas that I need to continue to work on for improvement. APA style of writing is used in professional writings and reports. I need to continue to study the APA style so I can create superior writings. One day, I might actually write a professional paper to be published and I want it to be high quality. I found that I do not know as much about technology as I thought and I know nothing about current 21^st century technology. I also just finished my first year of teaching, so I do not have any education knowledge to bring to the table. This makes achieving any outcomes difficult.