How Educational Leaders Might Use Blogs

I have honestly never given any thought to the idea of a blog being a tool for a school administrator.  I have always thought of bloggers being trendy, cool twenty-year old generation Xers commenting on subjects I would never be interested in.  How wrong am I?

Blogging, I have realized, is simply journaling in an online format.  I love to journal!  Recording my thoughts and experiences for my children and grandchildren has always appealed to me.  I again, never thought of it as a tool for a school administrator.  Wrong again!
 

While pursuing a Master’s of Educational Administration through Lamar University, I will conduct an action research project.  This will be a helpful component in my overall professional development as a school principal.  As I work through the entire inquiry process I will record my thinking on this blog.  This will serve as my online journal.

 

Administrators can also use blogs to combine text, images and links to other blogs.  The most awesome things is that anyone can comment and offer feedback from anywhere in the world.  What a great way to collaborate - another thing we educators love!

 

What I Have Learned About Action Research so far...

I have learned that action research is exactly what it sounds like - research that requires ACTION!  Educators love, love research!  We love to read research, study research and talk about research.  Admit it, you have participated in numerous book studys about educational research!  Is that enough?  I think not! 

Administrators begin with a question or curiosity about an issue that poses a concern related to the needs of the students, teachers, or administration on their campus. Data is then collected and analyzed in an interactive and reflective way. To help the administrator analyze the data, current literature that is relevant to the issue should be studied. Once these steps are accomplished, the administrator should make “changes in practice based on new understandings developed during inquiry, and [share] findings with others” (Dana).

Action research is an “essential component in order to establish a firm foundation for school improvement.” (Harris)  Every administrator knows that continuous improvement is always the goal of a successful school.

 

So, to me action research is a call to action to meet the needs of my students, my staff and my school!  Let us not just research a problem or concern, but let us implement a solution.  Then give that solution a try and see what happens. If it works continue forward, it if doesn't try a different solution.  Does this sound like something new?  Not at all!  This is exactly what we teach our students everyday.  Be a problem solver, be a risk taker and never stop trying.  Tomorrow can always be better than today!

References:

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher.       
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps from analysis to action. Larchmont, N.Y.: Eye on Education.