Educational Leaders Using Blogs

A blog provides an administrator with an avenue for reflecting on their own thoughts and ideas.  It serves as a journal that can be used as the action research is taking place.  It allows principals to link to pertinent information on the internet, as well as receive feedback from anyone in the world, anytime of the day.  Reflection is a must in administrator inquiry and this serves as a way to reflect on changes being implemented and progress with the research that is being done.

Action Research

Administrative inquiry, also known as action research, is defined as the process of principals engaging in systematic and deliberate studies of his or her own practices and making changes based on the results collected from the research.  Inquiry is examining data, asking questions, and requesting more information based on those findings, sometimes referred to as wonderings.  This is becoming one of the best ways to improve schools and learning by all involved in the process.  Administrators can use action research to gain insight into their practice as administrators and their leadership roles in school improvement.  Administrative inquiry takes dedication and commitment to becoming a learner in the school and leading by example.  Action research is interactive and is driven by the needs that the principal has determined need to be met.  It focuses on the concerns of the practitioner and the design and data collection that is needed to answer the question of the administrator.  According to Dana (2009), action research “heavily contributes to the possibilities for real change in schools.”

At my current campus, we are having a problem reaching our African American male population.  The last two years of testing has shown this group to be the lowest on all tests, especially math and science TAKS.  I feel we could benefit from action research to determine exactly how to get through to them a little better and bring them up to the same levels as the other students on campus.  Our campus demographics are slowly changing and we all know that can have a significant impact on learning in our schools, and we need to do our best to make sure all of our students needs are met.