Superintendents and blogging

Superintendents could use blogs as a way of sharing information about the district with the community.  Emails are usually directed towards school employees only, but with a blog, they could access more of the people outside of their schools.  During time of much needed community support, for example, the months before a school bond will be voted on, it would be beneficial to get the information about the bond out to the public.  Passing out papers is in the past.  Get the information on the internet and more people will get reached than ever before.

Action Research

Any time I think about the word “research”, I imagine myself sitting in a dimly lit library, reading books written my people who have been dead for many years.  It is not a pleasant thought or anything I would imagine as enjoyable. As I have read more about action research these past few days, I have come to the conclusion that this type of research is not like anything I have ever known.

What really appeals to me about action research is that I can gain my insight or information from sources other than books.  As an educator, I know the importance or reading and digesting information that you have read.  But let’s be honest, this can really become dull and tiresome.  I really like that my research can come from sources such as blogs or personal insight from other people.  You can have open discussion with PLC groups, read more personal information or thoughts on a blog or just read up to date information from a credible internet source.  This not only keeps the research from boring you to death and allows for a more “personal” perspective on ideas.

I fell that action research would be useful in any situation that needs a new or up-to-date perspective on an idea or situation that you might have.   Listening to a group of people discuss ideas from actual experience seems more insight full than reading some idea that one person has theorized.  Using action research can also allow multiple people to contribute their ideas and findings, helping to secure a feeling of unity in a work environment.

Of all the ways in which action research can be useful, having the ability to easily share your information and read others is just as important as the research itself.  In the society we live in, information and technology change every day.  Having the ability to keep up with this change and integrate it into the improvement of your school system seems like a great benefit.