EDLD 5301 Action Research Plan reflection week 5

When I first started this class, I didn’t really know what was meant by an Action Research Plan.  Then, as I read and delved into the class, I became excited about the work that I could accomplish through this action research plan.  I began to think about the different areas that I could do my research in.  My thoughts went straight to my students and how I could help them.  We have had so many changes in our curriculum over the past few years that I have lost the passion for teaching that I once had.  It seemed to all revolve around the test scores and not about the lessons themselves.  My students were the guinea pigs and the results were not impressive. By having the assignment of creating an action research plan, I have been able to bring in some technology that has made the lessons more engaging.  The students are more interested and the scores are getting better as a result. I have also really benefitted from the discussion board.  I have not met these people face to face but we have small chat sessions about our action research plans.  I have received excellent feedback from my other classmates and the feedback has helped me to see the action question in a new light.  A few classmates on the discussion board have similar type action research plans and I have been able to read their posts and also the replies of others to their posts.  The people in this class are from all walks of life and work in different types of settings.  Some work in a college setting and some in an administrative setting, these different backgrounds helps me see my research plan from a different point of view.  I see things from an elementary educator’s point of view, so it’s hard to see things from a different angle. The internet has also been an excellent resource for me to use.  I can google any question or statement and have thousands of websites at a touch.  I have researched other action plans and also researched my action research topic.  The web has so many different types of sites to look at.  I also go to the blogs of other action researchers.  I like to read their blogs and see what they have posted about their plans.  It gives me lots of great ideas and gets my creative juices flowing when I’m sparked by their blogs. This class has also made me work harder on my lessons as a result of my action research plan.  I have not really started the action plan just yet, but I’m in the process of starting it.  I have had a few hurdles due to the weather with getting everything set up.  I am not going to let it be a set back, it just makes me realize that sometimes things don’t go smoothly all the time.  I am committed to making this class and to the entire program.