Determining a purpose

This week we were charged with determining a purpose. I have been unable to connect with my site supervisor to discuss my action research project, but am really hoping she feels that the topic I want to do is relevant for my new campus. I want to investigate the relationship between recognition of students and student academic achievement. Does recognizing student accomplishments throughout the year really lead to high academic achievement for our students? Or are we just spinning our wheels, wasting time in recognizing our students hard work, in utilizing this to increase academic achievement? Would we be better served to recognize them once a year (thus decreasing the output needed by staff members to organize the recognitions) versus every 6 weeks?

I personally feel that we should be recognizing these achievements at least every 6 weeks, if not more often, but am not sure if these recognitions will translate into higher student achievement of if they just help with our students self-image. I look forward (if approved for this topic) to researching this!

Use of blogs

Educational leaders can utilize blogs in a variety of manners. Blogs can be used to communicate with a variety of stakeholders. Blogs can utilized to communicate with faculty and staff members about the daily workings of the campuse. Blogs communicate with parents and community members about important and interesting activities occurring on campus. Blogs can be utilized by teachers to share classroom happenings with family members of students and other staff members. Blogs can keep track of the progress of action research projects occurring on campus, to elicit knowledge in and input from others not directly involved in the project. I can envision blogs being a very useful communication too within education.

Edited to add : I had the idea that a blog could be utilized as a reflection on learning tool for the classroom. The teacher and/or students could post their reflection on a learning activity for others to read about and then post their own reflections and/or responses to the posted reflection. This would help all learners, teachers included, in stretching the connections they make from the learning activity that took place in the classroom.

Beginning thoughts on action research . . .

I have to admit I was not excited at all about this course after seeing the title – research. It did not sound like a course that I was going to enjoy at all, on the contrary, it sounded like a lot of drudgery. Partially it seemed this way because I thought research at this level would be dreary and unexciting. It was all I could do to get motivated to get started on the readings and the assignment. However, once I forced myself to get started I was pleasantly surprised. On the contrary to what I had anticipated, I actually like the idea of action research. Action research is how I feel changes should be implemented on a campus. All too often changes are implemented at central office without the input of the campus personnel, who then feel the changes are being forced on them without regard to the needs of the stakeholders on the campus, causing conflict. Action research allows a campus to implement needed changes while allowing the stakeholders the opportunity to be a part of the decision making process for that change. This is critical for getting stakeholders to 'buy-in' to the changes that are coming. I believe that action research is something I can utilize to ensure that the greatest possible number of stakeholders have involvement in the changes that need to occur on campus. I also believe that teachers can be taught to utilize this method to the benefits of their students, and the campus as a whole.