Please click link below to view my final action research plan:
https://sites.google.com/site/cowanswiki/cowan-action-research-plan
You will have to sign in with a Google account to view the document. If you do not have a Google account, you can also find the documents in the attachment section at the bottom of the page.
Shawntee' Cowan
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Research Course Final Reflections
During this course, I have gained so much valuable information. The skills that I now possess will not only prepare me for the research portion of my internship, but also for the “real world”. Dana (2009) accurately reveals that “Hence, whether you are studying to be a school administrator or a veteran administrator with years of experience but faced with new educational challenges every day, administrator inquiry behaves as a powerful vehicle for learning and school improvement.” This research course has opened my eyes to an amazing “powerful vehicle” that will allow me to make improvements in my district, campus and even my classroom. Although there were many highlights that I experienced during this course, I would like to focus on the insight gained from lectures, readings and blogs.
First of all, I would like to say that I was very impressed with the lectures provided by Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury. I enjoyed being able to see and hear professors communicate their expectations and tips regarding action research. I was also able to utilize the transcripts of each lecture and highlight the information that I would like to remember and use for future reference. One piece of advice that really spoke to me from one lecture was from Dr. Jenkins when he reinforced my thoughts that “successful leaders always have trusted colleagues and support systems for brainstorming, finding needed information, or simply bouncing ideas off one another”. I often tend to want to do things all on my own and just struggle though my situation. I have learned that it is important and gain the perspective of other individuals to help you along the way. Having a strong support group can also be a great asset.
Next, I feel that the text that was chosen for the course was phenomenal. Because I entered this course, not having a clue what action research was or entailed, I needed very straight-forward, clear information on the topic. Both required texts were helpful in helping me to understand the meaning and importance of research. Although both texts were impressive, I especially enjoyed reading Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichtman Dana. This book has honestly alleviated some of the apprehension I have regarding my action research study. I can relate to her ability to communicate the information methodically and the way she offers examples of each topic. I am sure that I will use these books many times in the future.
Lastly, I was like discuss insights that I have obtained from the use of blogs. Prior to my entrance of graduate school, I read other people’s blogs, but I never hosted one. Wiki’s had been my only source for collaboration. The use of blogs in this course has really opened up my eyes to how valuable this resource is. During this course, I was able to communicate with another colleague who has chosen the same research topic as me. We have been able to help one another with some positive and negative aspects of our topic. I hope that this type of communication with continue on throughout my research and graduate school journey.
Overall, I have been impressed with my research class. This has been my favorite class to participate in so far. I feel that the information that I have gained from this course through the use of the lectures, texts and blogs as well as other resources, will continually help me throughout my career.
Reference:
Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
First of all, I would like to say that I was very impressed with the lectures provided by Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury. I enjoyed being able to see and hear professors communicate their expectations and tips regarding action research. I was also able to utilize the transcripts of each lecture and highlight the information that I would like to remember and use for future reference. One piece of advice that really spoke to me from one lecture was from Dr. Jenkins when he reinforced my thoughts that “successful leaders always have trusted colleagues and support systems for brainstorming, finding needed information, or simply bouncing ideas off one another”. I often tend to want to do things all on my own and just struggle though my situation. I have learned that it is important and gain the perspective of other individuals to help you along the way. Having a strong support group can also be a great asset.
Next, I feel that the text that was chosen for the course was phenomenal. Because I entered this course, not having a clue what action research was or entailed, I needed very straight-forward, clear information on the topic. Both required texts were helpful in helping me to understand the meaning and importance of research. Although both texts were impressive, I especially enjoyed reading Leading with Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichtman Dana. This book has honestly alleviated some of the apprehension I have regarding my action research study. I can relate to her ability to communicate the information methodically and the way she offers examples of each topic. I am sure that I will use these books many times in the future.
Lastly, I was like discuss insights that I have obtained from the use of blogs. Prior to my entrance of graduate school, I read other people’s blogs, but I never hosted one. Wiki’s had been my only source for collaboration. The use of blogs in this course has really opened up my eyes to how valuable this resource is. During this course, I was able to communicate with another colleague who has chosen the same research topic as me. We have been able to help one another with some positive and negative aspects of our topic. I hope that this type of communication with continue on throughout my research and graduate school journey.
Overall, I have been impressed with my research class. This has been my favorite class to participate in so far. I feel that the information that I have gained from this course through the use of the lectures, texts and blogs as well as other resources, will continually help me throughout my career.
Reference:
Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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