Reflection

                  Reflection on EDLD 5301 Research

The reading and video conferences taught me that an action research project wasn’t as scary as I thought they were or as difficult as I thought they were.  At the beginning of the course, I was dreading the typical research project. I was pleasantly surprised after learning what an action research project was. I quickly learned the process and expectations of an action research project and began to get excited at the possibility of researching something I was passionate about; professional development. The assigned readings provided some of the most valuable lessons I took away from this course. For example, the most important for me was the process of developing my inquiry for my action research project. Chapter 2 of the Dana text was very profound and instrumental in the development of my inquiry for my action research project. From the assigned reading of the Dana text, I developed a personal action research plan that I am passionate about and am excited to development more. Chapter 2, The Passions that Drive Your Journey, did a great job of explaining the nine passions that drive researchers in a way that I understood them to the point where I could develop my plan in a way that worked for me. I had not personally thought of these passions and how they could lead to the development of an action research project, so they made it easier for me to develop my plan. More of the Dana text provided a significant amount of information on blogs and their importance in the action research process. The text also stressed the importance of sharing information with others. I believe that the blog is significant because it shows our reflections. I like the fact that I have a place to store my thoughts that allows others to also give me feedback. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and the collaboration of all y classmates as we gave feedback and helped each other develop our plans. I am excited to see the outcomes of others action research plans and to see if they received the results they were hoping for. My favorite part about this class was how it allowed us to collaborate with our classmates and professors. I feel connected to so many others since I was able to see that so many of us have the same passions and hope for change within our school communities.

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

Martin, G. E., Wright, W. F., Danzig, A. B., Flanary, R. A. & Brown, F. (2005) School leadership internship: Developing, monitoring, and evaluating your leadership experience (2^nd ed.). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc.