What I've learned about action research....

I’ve learned that action research is or should be a daily practice that uses my questions or curiosities about the goings on around me at my school (or home) to evaluate and analyze my practices to determine what strengths I bring to the professional table or classroom and where my weaknesses are, as well as helping me to identify such things in others. Action research or administrative inquiry should be built into a schedule that tends to be too hectic as it is important to the collaborative improvement of our schools by leading teachers down the road of asking their own questions and searching out their own answers rather than waiting for someone to do it for them. Action research should be a community effort to evaluate all circumstances and practices that affect our school and our non-campus community including our teachers, students, parents and administrators (campus and district). Action research must be reflective as we build our data base of information to evaluate ourselves and the practices we use. It should lead to greater buy-in from interested parties leading to better practices both in our classrooms and our school as a whole.

I look forward to using action research during my intership to explore whatever question it is that my site supervisor and I determine should be answered. I'm leaning towards using action research to evaluate formative assessment and differentiation in the classroom, but will work towards whatever collaborative goals my campus needs!! I can also use it in my classroom daily as I monitor my own practices and where they can/should be improved.