IT'S ALMOST OVER

The past five weeks have been exciting and stressful.  From the moment I read the Dana text and encountered the processes for inquiry, I have been intrigued.  While there is so much in the book that helped me, one quote that Dana notes which continues to come back to me is “that engagement in this process can help best practices to flourish at your school,” (p.13).  Most administrators come into this profession to make a difference in the lives of young people.  This difference is most evident when administrators create and/or maintain a successful, healthy, and rigorous learning environment for their students.  This type of environment can only exist where best practices are the norm.  So it is not wonder that the idea of inquiry excites me, because I now know where engaging in inquiry can take a faculty and school.

     One of the tools that have assisted me in my action research journey has been the blog.  I have created a blog in the past, but really did not see the benefit in doing so.  However, over the course of this class, the blog and its comments have been the point of several significant points of clarity in my project.  One comment asked about the criteria that I would use to place students in tutoring.  In the comment it was noted that benchmark data might be a good source to use to target students for tutoring.  While I did intend to target students based on test scores, I was planning to use 8^th grade ELA STAAR test data.  However, I recognize the value of using benchmark data as it will represent the latest student achievement data.

     The assignments have really helped to cement the information in the texts and have been key in completing the action research plan.  The assignment from week 1 which actually had students analyze exactly what action research is, as well as citing specific examples of types of action research.  This process guided me into a deeper understanding of the process.  In addition, it helped me to see the type of action research that I am capable of producing.  Also, the assignment from week 3 which required me to produce my action research plan was difficult and time consuming.  However, once I completed it, the big picture really took shape for me.  I could see the intricacies of the project that I could not visualize prior to actually writing the project.   Finally, this week’s assignment which culminates with the reflection of the overall class continues to enhance my understanding by requiring me closely examine and analyze the activities of the last five weeks.

     While the assignment board is a tool that should be helpful, more often than not, I find it lacking true substance.  I sometimes wonder if we all fear leaving commentary that is less than positive, even when it is warranted.  There are so many comments that are not helpful, that I am grateful to see a comment that truly reflects some depth of thought.  Clearly, students don’t feel as free to express a true depiction on the discussion board.

     Overall, this has been one of the most challenging classes that I have ever taken.  Yet, I am still excited about the actual project and the findings.  I look forward to continuing to explore my topic in the coming year.