Research Action (week 2)

I had never thought about how many things we needed answers to at my campus. After speaking with the vice principal I realized that there were many questions we needed answered so that we could have successful students. I realized the biggest problem we are encountering is getting the bilingual students ready to transition into English sooner rather than later. I know that this will be a lot of work but the end will definitely justify the means.

Educational Leaders in the 21st. Century

Educational leaders could use blogs to share what is going on at the campus or district. They can also get input from parents, the community, and teachers on things they may want to implement in the school. Administrators could find out what the parents and community think is working well at the campus level and what needs to be changed. Many people may not confront the principal about problems they may be having at the school but a blog would give them the anonymity to say how they really feel about certain things that may be happening. Blogs would also help get the message and input from many stakeholders since it is very difficult to find a convenient time for everyone to meet. Administrators could also put their thoughts on a blog and have others add to their thought or just post what they think of that idea.

My Thoughts on Action Research

When I first learned that I would be taking a research class I was thankful that it was summer since this was going to take so much of my time. I remembered doing research many years ago and I was not looking forward to this class. After completing the week 1 readings I realized that this was not the same research I had done many years ago, this actually looked very interesting. One of the things I found interesting is that I would be researching something that affected my students and I could actually make a difference. Action research is when you get together with others on the campus to discuss problems or changes that may need to be dealt with and you do research as a group and come up with possible solutions. The best part of this process is that the people who actually know the students are the ones doing the research and implementing the changes. Not only do you get to speak to people at your campus, you may actually speak to others who are having the same problems at other campuses. You will also get to know other people that understand what you are going through and get help you reach a solution.

One way I could use action research is by determining how to better prepare bilingual students for English. Would we accomplish this by letting them do Starfall on the computer on a daily basis, have the language support teacher teach them English in a small group setting, or do Science and Social Studies in English from the time they are in Pre-k? I know that after doing some research on the topic I will find what will be the right fit for our students.