This course has brought me a new way of looking at the different ideas that are going to be implemented with in a program at school.  The program can be simple or complex depending on the need of the students.  There are certain aspects that need to be followed through before an action is taken place with the students. In listening to lectures from Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins, they helped me identify some key components that allowed me to use different strategies to problem solve.  Our online lectures from Dr. Abshire, allowed the use of online tools  to aide our discussions to helped reinforce knowledge from assignments and items that are looked into for an action research plan.  

During the readings, Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools. I was able to find a good structure of how to start an action research plan.  In Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools book, helped with how to use the action research plan in examining what we do to improve research.  Practitioners are able to use a different type of formulas to implement a quality program and still having the core essence of the formula of learning and improving the school through a type of research.   

Searches for the information by going online and searching can bring an abundant load of data and information.  Most of the information is there to help you but sometimes there is way too much information to decipher. While looking at how the two books talk about research and how it is used is good when looking at the meaningful pieces of data.  Again some information from the data may not be useful pieces and shouldn't be considered.  However identifying the key pieces of data through research is a way to understand the dilemmas within a school. 

The assignments also helped me be actively engaged in trying to implement an activity.  Looking at the different aspects of that activity and finding ways of starting implementing the idea has worked well.  Interacting with my site supervisor, Dr. Miller has allowed me to understand the administrative point of view has brought a new light on the educational institution. 

The discussion boards were helpful in allowing me to look at other peoples ideas and to gain other points of view with certain problems.  Seeing how the other educational leaders are finding solutions to their problems has helped me understand other problems in the educational atmosphere.  Some of their problems and how they work out those problems has given me some advice on how to solve similar problems.  The discussion board also allowed me to illustrate ideas and give feedback to other the help them with their action research problems.  

In the blogs for the action research course, I was able to share problems with people all over the world.  While read the blog, a professional can see where the action is taken place in the action research topic.  While reflecting the ideas, so that there can be a faster generation of new ideas through other professional comments on my blog. 

Resources 

Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., and Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools. Eye on Education Press.