Research Reflection

One of the most influential things about this course was the idea that inquiry breeds more questions. After deciding on a topic of interest, more questions continue to pop through my head when considering the effects of my research. My topic deals with 8^th grade special education science students and the use of graphic organizers as a strategy for learning concepts and vocabulary embedded in the curriculum. Upon thinking about how I think the research should pan out, questions such as “How can this research be used across curriculum?” and “How can I disseminate my results in such a way that it is beneficial to my colleagues and easily duplicated?” have continued to enter my mind.

When looking back on the course, the term “action research” in general is new. I have always considered research to be research. However, after reading the books and listening to the lectures, I found out that traditional research is usually someone outside of the environment being brought in to conduct research. Action research allows the research to take place in the researcher’s environment where the researcher is in control. This allows the researcher to not just be the “onlooker” of research but to really get involved with it. It allows the teacher to tweak the research, if need be, in order to help kids be successful.

Another piece that I can take away from this course is the importance of reflection. We are asked daily to reflect on our current teaching practice with regard my position on campus. I have always felt that this was just another “duty” that had to be performed. After taking this class and reading others’ reflections regarding teaching, I can now see how important reflection is to the success of a project. When posting to my blog and discussion board, I was able to get across the point of my research and have other students reflect back on other ideas that had not crossed my mind. For example, one student replied to my Week 4 discussion board entry giving me an idea about “trading hard copies of notes with the notes the students filled out.” This was a great idea in terms of answering students’ questions about why they have to fill out the notes if they are going to get a hard copy anyway. I deal with this issue on a daily basis, and per their accommodations, I have to give them a hard copy of notes. However, I have begun this year placing a stipulation on the accommodations. The student is responsible for filling out the notes sheet first before receiving any hard copy. This keeps the students engaged in class, on task, and learning the material. I firmly believe that when you have the chance to write it out, it becomes implanted in your brain. The same will be true with my students and the graphic organizers.

Finally, the discussion about the different forms of inquiry really caught my attention. In the Week 1 assignment, we talked about the difference between action and traditional research. We then discussed the different environments in which collaboration can occur to either develop an action research plan or desegregate the results. As discussed in the assignment, my school uses the PLC model to collaborate among departments and grade levels. However, after reading the Dana text, I came to the conclusion that we are not completing the process correctly. We are meeting to make sure that we are prepared for the next week instead of looking at data, coming up with a plan, following through with the plan, and disseminating the results. I hope to aid with this project as well when I become an administrator. I want the conversations that we have to be about individual student data and how we can make strategies available for use in the classroom that would benefit those struggling learners.