What I have Learned About Action Research:

Action research is not at all what I expected entering my new Master's course. My preconcieved notions included a dark room with old musty books and spider webs in the corners. What a surprise I got when I started delving into this topic. Action research is a new spin on research. Instead of the typical imagery that pops into ones mind, it is actually research that makes sense. Hallelujah! Action research requires eduators to think and question their actions. This helps develop a sense of ownership and increased knowledge. You are learning things that are applicable to your situation. I am going to use action research this year in creating a professional learning community (PLC) at my campus. I, along with many other teachers, feel like we are islands unto ourselves. We are not sharing our ideas and best practices with each other and growing together as a team. We noticed that this year with us not working together our TAKS scores have suffered. My campus has had a reputation for working as a team in the past, but the last few years that has gone by the wayside. This year was a wake-up call to our staff and I feel that we are ripe to begin some changes. One such change I believe would tremendously benefit my campus is having PLC's. I think if we begin small and have staff volunteer to begin a PLC instead of forcing the change, others will see how beneficial it is. I am creating a PLC with two other teachers on staff for this next year. We want to use action research to show how PLC's can be used most effectively, how other schools have used it in the past, and how we can use our PLC to benefit our classrooms and our campus. This will give us a guide as to how to construct our PLC. I think once others see the support system we have created with each other and how we are growing professional and how our students are benefiting they will be encouraged to join a PLC.